If you’ve logged enough miles in your daily driver, you’ve probably seen a dash light flare up. Maybe it’s the low tire pressure warning, maybe it’s the dreaded “check engine.” Those are familiar enough that most drivers know what comes next. Recently, though, a Reddit user posted about a light they couldn’t place. It’s one that illuminates and disappears without explanation.

The driver owns a 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer, and the dash light looked like this:

A tiny car leaving zig-zag skid marks, drawn inside a circle, wrapped again in parentheses. Sometimes it appeared, sometimes not. It even cleared after restarting the engine.

Add in the fact that the Mitsubishi just received a fresh set of brake pads, and the mystery deepened.

That icon is the Active Stability Control (ASC) indicator

On the Lancer (and most other modern cars), the system steps in when traction breaks loose to keep the car from sliding too far.

Normally, the symbol blinks briefly when the system activates. If it stays lit, though, it means the ASC turned itself off because it detected a fault.

Here’s why it may have looked confusing

On a 25-year-old car, the gauge cluster isn’t always crisp. A worn bulb, faded overlay, or dust in the cluster can block parts of the icon, making it hard to match to the original design.

And if the manual is long gone, that doesn’t help either.

So what’s happening mechanically?

An intermittent ASC light usually points to a problem with one of the wheel speed sensors, its wiring, or the ABS pump and control unit.

Since those sensors live near the brakes, it’s possible one was nudged or disturbed during the recent brake job.

Sometimes, the fix is simple, like a loose connector or dirty sensor. Other times, it’s a failing module that costs far more. Or worse: it’s a discontinued part and not available for purchase. I wouldn’t put that out of the realm of possibilities in this case, considering the Lancer’s age. Plus the fact that Mitsubishi stopped making them in 2017.

Who services Mitsubishi cars, anyway?

After all, Mitsubishi stopped making all but the Outlander and Eclipse Cross. We had the Mirage, the automaker’s tiny compact sedan, until the 2024 model year.

Shops like the independent repair facility my dad still runs (40 years in the biz!) remain familiar with them and their dash lights. Although, as mentioned above, parts are getting harder to find.

There’s also the dealership, if there’s one near you. According to the company’s dealer locator page, there are about 30 operating around the country.

Either way, the car will still drive and stop, but without stability control

The safest move is to have a shop scan the system codes. That will confirm whether the dash light is asking for a sensor replacement, simple wiring fix, or a more serious ABS component fault. At least then, the driver will know what’s behind that cryptic little skid-mark icon instead of guessing.