Your car talks to you, symbolically. Pay attention, as it could be time for you to have some Subaru service.
On a Subaru dashboard, there are over 20 little icons that will light up to relay some kind of important information to the driver. They're going to alert you to an issue that you may want to have serviced sooner rather than later. Kind of like, "Car here, letting you know I have an ache, and would you mind taking a look at it before it gets to be a real concern?"
Now, some of them may light up when you start the vehicle, that's normal. Some of them may be easy fixes, like the reminder for the driver or a passenger to buckle their seat belt, a door that has not closed all the way, or that your gas is getting low. Others may require you to respond by calling Patriot Subaru, either in Saco, Maine or North Attleboro, MA promptly, as continued driving may cause damage or be unsafe. Examples there would be the icons for the SRS air bags not functioning properly, or the brake system not working properly.
Typically a well maintained vehicle will not have these kinds of service issues. If you stay on track with the manufacturer's scheduled maintenance plan, the vast majority of these problems will never occur under normal driving conditions.
Your Owner's Manual will have the definition for each symbol and warning light, as well as your vehicle's Maintenance Plan. Stick to it, and avoid the hassle of the "Check Engine" warning light.
