Question of the week: What's the point in buttons for indicators instead of stalks?

David Ross, Editor
Fri, 20 Jun 2025

Dear Honest John,

"I read in the news that the new Audi Q3 has buttons instead of a stalk for the indicators. Why do car manufacturers keep trying to reinvent the wheel? Indicator stalks have worked fine as they are for decades, why try and change them?"

- LP

Dear LP,

As I'm sure you know, this isn't the first time that a car manufacturer has tried to reinvent the indicator stalk. Tesla tried this not long ago, replacing the indicator stalk with buttons on the steering wheel on the revised Model 3, but perhaps unsurprisingly this wasn't well received by customers.

They're not the only ones though. Citroen, during some of its most avant-garde times in the 1970s and 1980s, experimented with pods either side of the steering wheel that housed all manner of supplementary controls, as did Fiat with its first-generation Uno.

Others have dabbled with alternatives too, including buttons on the steering wheel on the Ferrari 458 and a combined horn and indicator ring on some 1950s Mercedes-Benz.

Go back further in the history books and many cars even up to the 1960s had a simple rocker switch on the dashboard, but by the 1970s the default pattern was effectively set.

The important thing to note is that while the column stalk is universally understood by the public and undoubtedly works well, it may not be the best solution - but generally speaking car buyers tend to be creatures of habit, and a radical change like moving the indicator controls can take some getting used to.

Why manufacturers make changes like this is likely twofold. Firstly, innovation in car design and ergonomics is a good thing. It may not be successful, but sometimes it's worth trying something new as that's the only way to make progress.

The other reason is more cynical - cost. Column stalks aren't that expensive, especially if you use the same specification across a range of models, but it's still more expensive than an extra button on a steering wheel and another couple of lines of code. Either way, customers still hold a lot of sway, and wholesale rejection of a new idea will often result in manufacturers rushing back to old designs.

Ask HJ

Do any new cars come with the indicator stalk on the right?

I am looking of a car with indicator stalk on the right hand side. I remember Mercedes having an all-in-one stalk on the right and of course early Japanese models. Anything you can think of please, but not too large a model? Necessary due to weak left arm following illness.

Many Japanese vehicles had the indicator stalk on the right up until the late 1980s and early 1990s, but rather than just being phased out at the same time, the changeover tended to happen when models were updated. As an example the original K10 Nissan Micra had the indicator on the right, whereas the second generation K11 version introduced in 1992 had the stalk on the left. As an alternative to choosing an older vehicle with the indicators on the right, you may wish to consider having an adaptation fitted that allows you to operate the indicators and other functions with your right hand. As an example, the mobility specialist Jeff Gosling offers a remote control which not only allows you to steer with one hand but also operate the indicators, lights and even wipers - https://www.jeffgosling.co.uk/products/remote-control-devices.php Kind regards, David

Answered by David Ross

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