semiatic

Pedestrian warning sound off or faulty

Electric and hybrid cars play an artificial sound at low speed so that people on foot — especially blind and partially sighted people — hear them coming. This light means the sound has been switched off or has a fault, so people around you may not hear the car.

Yellow / amber

Not defined by regulation: a maker convention

What to do

Take extra care at walking pace, in car parks and near crossings, because the car is close to silent. If you switched the sound off (the 2023 Nissan LEAF has a VSP OFF switch), switch it back on. If it came on by itself it is a fault: Volkswagen says you can continue to drive but should go to a workshop, and Peugeot says to have it checked.

Makes differ: what this light means on your car, the other colours it may use for the symbol and what the car wants you to do are set by the manufacturer, so your car's owner's manual is the authority.

Symbol
Walking figure with sound waves
Also called
VSP OFF light; AVAS light; Electronic engine sound fault; Pedestrian horn fault
Colour
Yellow / amber
Standard
None — a maker convention, described here from 3 makers: Nissan, Volkswagen, Peugeot

Where makes differ

Nissan's LEAF indicator shows the sound turned off; lit with the system on, it may mean a fault. Volkswagen's ID. pages show an amber 'electronic engine sound fault' lamp with a chime and a message. Peugeot calls the system the pedestrian horn and lists its fault lamp among the orange lamps.

Not defined by regulation: a maker convention

Neither US FMVSS 101 (Tables 1 and 2) nor UN Regulation No. 121 lists this light, so no rule fixes its symbol or its colour. What follows is what the makers cited below say; other makes, and other model years of the same make, may draw it differently.

Neither FMVSS 101 nor UN R121 lists a tell-tale for the pedestrian warning sound.

Other yellow / amber maker lights

Diesel particulate filter (DPF) lightBox full of dots with a pipe at each end · maker conventionAdBlue (DEF) warning lightLiquid container with a wavy fill line and a drop · also red · maker conventionEPCEPC (electronic power control) lightThe letters EPC · maker conventionLane assist (lane keeping) lightLane markings running away from you, dashed line in the middle · also green · maker conventionForward collision warning lightCar seen from behind with radar arcs around it · also red · maker conventionBlind spot monitor lightTwo cars side by side with signal waves between them · maker conventionAdaptive cruise control (ACC) lightSpeedometer dial with a needle · also green · maker conventionAUTOHOLDAuto Hold lightThe words AUTO HOLD · also green · maker conventionPower steering warning light (EPS)Steering wheel, sometimes with an exclamation mark · also red · maker conventionWater in fuel light (diesel)Fuel pump with water drops beside it · maker conventionGearbox (transmission) warning lightCog wheel with an exclamation mark · maker convention?Key not detected lightKey with a question mark · maker conventionBulb failure (exterior light) warningLight bulb with rays and an exclamation mark · maker conventionHill descent control lightCar pointing down a slope · also green, red · maker conventionAAuto stop-start lightLetter A inside a circular arrow · also green · maker conventionService due (spanner) lightA spanner (wrench) · maker conventionLow engine oil level lightOil can above a wavy level line · maker conventionFrost / icy road warning (snowflake)A snowflake · maker conventionLow washer fluid lightWindscreen with a dashed fountain of spray · maker conventionKey battery low lightKey fob beside a small battery · maker conventionImmobiliser (security) lightCar outline with a key inside it · also red · maker conventionReduced power (tortoise) lightA tortoise · maker convention4WD / AWD warning lightFour wheels joined by axles and a drive shaft · maker convention

All yellow / amber dashboard lights, regulated ones included

Sources

No regulation defines this light, so it is described from 3 carmakers' own manuals or owner pages, each fetched and checked on the date shown:

Written in our own words; the makers' pages cover their own models only.