Terms and Conditions

1. About the website and these terms

Dashboard Warning Lights was founded by Joshua Lee. References to “DWL”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean the Dashboard Warning Lights publication and its operator. Our correspondence address is 655 Metro Place South, Suite 787, Columbus OH 43017, United States. Contact us at dashboardwarninglights@protonmail.com or through our contact page.

These terms apply to our editorial website and any interactive features we make available. Separate services may carry additional terms presented before you use them. Our Privacy Policy explains information handling; accepting these terms or visiting the site is not consent to optional tracking where consent is required.

2. General information, not a vehicle diagnosis

Our guides describe possible meanings of dashboard symbols and common causes of vehicle problems. They do not inspect your vehicle, establish the cause of a fault, certify roadworthiness, or determine whether it is safe to continue driving. Reading an article or exchanging a message with us does not create a mechanic–customer or other professional advisory relationship.

A symbol, colour or message can differ by model year, market, trim, engine, transmission, equipment and software. An “all models” guide describes a range of possible features; it does not mean every symbol appears in every vehicle or that one explanation applies universally. Photographs and illustrations may be representative.

Check the manufacturer’s instructions for your exact vehicle and obtain an assessment from a qualified mechanic or authorised service provider. Diagnostic trouble codes and internet explanations are starting points for investigation, not proof that a particular component needs replacing.

3. Safety and urgent situations

Do not read or interact with this website while driving. Do not use an article to override a stop-driving instruction in your vehicle, its manual, or advice from a qualified professional. A warning light’s colour alone does not establish urgency.

If the vehicle’s warnings or behaviour suggest an immediate hazard, prioritise personal safety, follow the manufacturer’s emergency instructions and seek appropriate roadside or emergency assistance. This website is not an emergency response service and messages are not monitored for emergencies.

Our content does not authorise disabling safety systems, bypassing emissions equipment, defeating immobilisers, clearing a fault without addressing its cause, or carrying out work beyond your competence. Observe applicable laws, workshop precautions and manufacturer procedures, especially for airbags, brakes, fuel systems and hybrid or electric high-voltage equipment.

4. Accuracy, updates and availability

We aim to provide useful information, but vehicle specifications, service guidance, recalls and software can change. An article’s publication or update date does not guarantee that every detail has been checked against every vehicle variant. A website redesign is not evidence of a new technical review.

Check recalls and service campaigns with the relevant authority and manufacturer using your vehicle’s details. We do not guarantee complete recall coverage, uninterrupted access, or freedom from errors. We may correct, replace or withdraw material and change free features.

5. Copyright and permitted use

Text, photographs, videos, graphics, trademarks and other material belong to DWL or their respective rights holders. You may read public pages and share links. Republishing full articles, reusing photographs or commercially distributing our material may require permission; contact us with the material and proposed use.

Nothing in these terms restricts fair use, fair dealing, accessible uses or other rights granted by applicable law. Do not remove ownership notices, imply an endorsement that does not exist, or pass off someone else’s work as your own. Vehicle names and marks identify the subjects discussed; their appearance does not imply manufacturer approval.

6. Messages, comments and contributions

Submit only information you are entitled to share. Do not send threats, harassment, defamatory allegations, unlawful material, spam, malware or unnecessary private information. Remove number plates, VINs, addresses and identifying details from public uploads where they are not needed.

You retain ownership of your submissions. Submitting a public comment permits us and our publishing providers to store, display, format and moderate it for that discussion. This does not give us unrelated advertising rights to your identity. Sending a private enquiry or article pitch does not by itself authorise public publication; editorial rights and any payment are agreed separately.

We may moderate submissions or restrict access to protect readers and the service. Public material may be copied or indexed by others. Contact us about a moderation decision, privacy concern or removal request; we cannot guarantee deletion of independent third-party copies.

7. Advertising and external websites

Advertising may support the publication. An advertisement or external link is not a guarantee of quality, safety, compatibility, price or availability and is not necessarily an editorial recommendation. We are not the seller, repairer or manufacturer of a linked product or service unless explicitly stated.

Any sponsored or compensated editorial relationship must be disclosed with the relevant content under our Editorial Policy. Confirm vehicle compatibility and the supplier’s terms directly before buying parts or arranging work. Third-party websites control their own services and information handling. This does not exclude responsibility for our own conduct where the law imposes it.

8. Website security and misuse

Do not attempt unauthorised access, distribute malicious code, overload the service, impersonate another person, evade lawful access controls or unlawfully collect reader information. Automated access must not impair the website or infringe rights. Contact us about content licensing or proposed bulk reuse.

9. Warranties and responsibility

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the free editorial information is provided as available, without additional warranties that it is complete, continuously current or suitable for a particular vehicle or purpose. To that same extent, we exclude liability for indirect or consequential loss arising from use of general website information, including lost profits or business interruption.

These limitations apply only where lawful. Nothing excludes a non-excludable consumer guarantee, privacy right, statutory remedy or liability, or liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, gross negligence, or death or personal injury where exclusion would be unlawful. We do not require you to waive mandatory protections or assume responsibility for our unlawful conduct.

10. Complaints, applicable law and changes

Contact dashboardwarninglights@protonmail.com with the affected URL and relevant details for complaints, corrections or copyright concerns. For a copyright complaint, identify the work, the material at issue and your authority to act. We may request information reasonably needed to assess it.

Ohio law governs these terms, subject to mandatory laws and protections that apply to you. Courts in Ohio have non-exclusive jurisdiction; these terms do not prevent you from approaching another competent court or regulator where you have that right. Contacting us first may help resolve a concern but is not a condition that removes statutory remedies.

We identify revisions by their effective date and provide further notice or seek agreement where required. Changes do not retrospectively remove accrued rights. If a provision cannot lawfully operate, the remaining terms apply only to the extent they can fairly stand independently.