'Why?': Woman's Lyft Driver Has a Honda. Then She Notices Something Unusual About His Dashboard

Honda

You never know what you’re gonna get when you’re in a rideshare. The driver might be quiet or super chatty; there can be strong odors (good or bad), and the ride may end up with some unexpected detours due to missed turns.

What you’re typically not prepared for is for your driver to hide seemingly harmless information, like what’s on their car dashboard. That’s what this woman noticed in a recent ride, and it left her confused and searching for answers.

What Did the Lyft Driver's Strange Honda Dashboard Look Like?

In a viral video with more than 426,000 views, Jasmine Maxwell (@queenfinez0_0k) documented the unusual thing she saw in her recent Lyft ride.

The footage, filmed from the back seat, shows Maxwell zooming in on the driver's dashboard.

"In a Lyft and the guy has parts of the dash covered. And I'm like why?” she said in the on-screen caption.

While the speedometer remains visible, showing the car's miles per hour, everything else is covered up with pieces of paper—including check engine lights, gas level indicators, temperature gauges, and other warning systems that typically inform drivers about their vehicle's condition.

Maxwell's video sparked immediate questions from viewers, with many asking why she didn't simply ask the driver about it directly.

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In a follow-up video addressing the comments, she explained that a language barrier prevented her from having that conversation. She also criticized commenters who suggested she was being ignorant for not asking the driver.

Gallery: 2014 Honda Accord revealed with minor updates

Why Would a Lyft Driver Cover Their Dashboard?

The covered dashboard raises legitimate safety concerns. Warning lights exist to alert drivers to potentially dangerous mechanical issues like low oil pressure, overheating, brake problems, or engine malfunctions.

By covering these indicators, the driver would be unable to see critical warnings that could affect passenger safety.

According to discussions on UberPeople, a forum for rideshare drivers, some drivers cover their dashboard warning lights specifically to avoid being reported by passengers and potentially deactivated by the platform.

In a 2017 thread, one driver explained that passengers have reported drivers for dashboard warning lights "just to get a free ride or hopefully get [the] driver deactivated." The poster noted that drivers have been deactivated for warning lights related to tire pressure, overdue oil changes, and even cosmetic issues like duct tape on a headlight.

The forum revealed a divide among drivers.

Some argued that covering dashboard lights is a temporary solution while saving money for repairs, especially for issues that aren't immediately dangerous, like maintenance reminders or faulty sensors. One driver explained that they had been hit with a $1,000 repair bill while trying to pay tuition, so they needed to keep driving to save up for the fix.

However, other drivers and forum members strongly opposed the practice. "Fix your car or get out of the biz,” a person said.

The discussion highlighted that while some warning lights indicate minor issues like routine maintenance or sensor malfunctions, passengers have no way of knowing whether a lit dashboard indicates a serious safety problem or something benign. From a passenger's perspective, any warning light could signal danger.

Some drivers suggested using an OBDII scanner, a diagnostic tool available for around $30-$100, to identify what's actually wrong and potentially reset certain maintenance lights.