Climbing Through Windows and Galloping Horses: 13 of the Weirdest Buttons Ever Put in Cars

If you’ve spent enough time inside modern cars, you’ve probably noticed how bizarre some switches and buttons have become. Automakers love creating mysterious icons that often look nothing like the functions they actually control. Here are 13 of the strangest automotive buttons and controls you’ll find on today’s vehicles — and what they really do.

Lexus LX 570 — “The Guy Climbing Through the Window”

This strange icon appears in the Lexus LX 570 and looks suspiciously like a tiny person climbing into the vehicle through a window. In reality, the button activates the SUV’s “Easy Access” feature.

When the air-suspension-equipped Lexus is turned off, the suspension lowers the vehicle slightly, making it easier for passengers to get in and out.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio / Alfa Romeo Giulia — “DNA Dial”

Step inside a modern Alfa Romeo and you’ll find a mysterious rotary controller labeled simply “DNA.”

It’s actually the drive mode selector:

• D = Dynamic
• N = Natural
• A = Advanced Efficiency / All Weather

Simple once you know it — but confusing at first glance.

Audi — “Windshield Button”

In higher-end Audi models, there’s a tiny icon near the headlight controls showing what appears to be a windshield and steering wheel.

Oddly enough, it controls instrument panel brightness. Rotating the switch adjusts dashboard illumination, while pressing it can enable or disable certain display functions.

Ford Expedition — “The Plus and Minus Mystery”

The Expedition already looks unusual with its rotary gear selector, but below it sit two lonely “+” and “–” buttons.

Those buttons allow manual gear changes. Since Ford skipped paddle shifters on some versions of the big SUV, these tiny controls became the backup solution for manually selecting gears.

Ford Mustang — “Horse Button”

On the Mustang steering wheel, right beside the audio and phone controls, sits a dedicated button featuring the famous Mustang pony logo.

Press it, and the car opens a special performance menu with vehicle dynamics settings, exhaust controls, gauges, and track-focused information.

Honda Ridgeline — “The Pickup Truck Icon”

Below the transmission selector in the Ridgeline sits a small button showing a pickup driving over rough terrain.

This activates Honda’s traction management system on AWD models, allowing drivers to choose modes like Snow, Sand, Mud, or Normal driving.

Infiniti — “The Blue Circle”

New Infiniti models feature a steering-wheel button showing a car surrounded by blue circles.

That symbol activates ProPILOT Assist, Infiniti’s semi-autonomous driving system. It can handle steering, braking, and acceleration in certain conditions — though it still frequently asks the driver to take over.

Kia — “The Star Button”

Many new Kia vehicles include a button marked only with a star near the Radio and Media controls.

The star is actually a customizable “Favorites” shortcut. Drivers can assign it to launch a favorite app, navigation feature, or menu item with a single press.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class — “Home Arrow”

The latest G-Class is packed with modern technology, but Mercedes oddly kept one tiny old-school button featuring a little arrow icon.

Its purpose? Returning to the multimedia system’s home screen. The strange part is its placement — right in the middle of the cruise-control controls.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter — “The Wavy Lines”

Near the steering wheel in the Sprinter is a mysterious symbol that resembles wavy lines — or maybe even a social media “subscribe” icon.

It actually controls the auxiliary parking heater, commonly known as a Webasto system. The heater warms the engine before startup in cold weather and helps provide warm cabin air almost immediately.

Nissan Leaf — “E-Pedal”

The Nissan Leaf includes a switch labeled “e-Pedal” beside the shifter.

Activating it enables one-pedal driving. Once turned on, lifting your foot off the accelerator automatically slows the vehicle and even activates the brake lights. In most traffic situations, drivers barely need to touch the brake pedal at all.

Range Rover SV Coupe — “Arrows in the Bumper”

Inside the cargo area of the ultra-exclusive Range Rover SV Coupe are two odd buttons with arrows pointing toward and away from the rear bumper.

These buttons operate a powered cargo shelf that slides out over the lowered tailgate. It’s designed to make loading heavy items easier — or to create a luxury picnic platform.

Toyota Mirai — “H2O Button”

This may be the strangest automotive button of all.

The Toyota Mirai runs on hydrogen fuel cells, and one of the byproducts of the system is water. Pressing the H2O button opens a valve underneath the vehicle to release accumulated water from the fuel-cell system.

Normally the process happens automatically, but Toyota still gives drivers manual control — just in case they feel like draining water themselves with the push of a button.