Steering wheelTurning it turns the front wheels. The horn is in the middle of it.
DashboardIt holds the gauges, vents, radio and glove box. Car makers' manuals also call it the instrument panel.
Instrument clusterThe gauges and warning lights are grouped here. The driver can read them through the steering wheel. The second view shows it close up.
VentsAir from the heater and the air conditioner blows out of them. This car has two in the middle and one at each end.
RadioIt is part of the car's audio system.
Climate controlsThey set how warm the air is. Also how fast the fan blows and which vents it comes out of.
Glove boxIts door drops open. It is also called the glove compartment.
Brake pedalPressing it slows and stops the car.
Accelerator pedalPressing it makes the car go faster. It is also called the gas pedal.
Center consoleIt starts at the dashboard. The shift lever, parking brake and cup holders sit on it in this car.
Cup holdersThey hold drinks steady while the car moves.
Shift leverThe driver moves it to choose a gear. It is also called the gear shift or, with a manual transmission, the gear stick.
Parking brakePulled up, it holds the parked car still. On some cars it is a pedal or a switch instead.
Rearview mirrorIt shows the driver the road behind through the rear window.
Sun visorsEach swings down to block glare from the sun.
Gauges and controls 10
TachometerIt shows how fast the engine is turning, in revolutions per minute.
SpeedometerIt shows how fast the car is going.
OdometerIt counts the total distance the car has been driven.
Fuel gaugeIt shows how much fuel is in the tank.
Temperature gaugeIt shows how hot the engine's coolant is.
Turn signal leverThe driver pushes it up or down to signal a turn. On many cars it also works the headlights.
Wiper leverIt turns the windshield wipers on and sets how fast they sweep.
Ignition switchThe key goes in here and turns to start the engine.
HornPressing it sounds the horn.
Hazard warning buttonIt makes all the turn signals flash at once. That warns other drivers when the car has to stop in a risky place.
A front seat 6
Head restraintIt sits behind the head. It slides up and down on two posts to suit the person in the seat. Most people call it the headrest.
SeatbackIt supports the back. On most seats it tilts to suit the driver.
Seat cushionOn a driver's seat the whole seat slides forward and back. That lets the driver reach the pedals.
ArmrestIt folds down to rest an arm on.
Seat beltOne strap makes the shoulder belt and the lap belt. Its latch plate clicks into the buckle beside the cushion.
Floor matIt lies under the driver's feet and lifts out for cleaning.
How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-09-30; a name is kept only when two independent sources use it. (1) A 1998 sedan owner's manual, https://archive.org/details/toyota-camry-1998-owners-manual, with a 2009 sedan owner's manual from the same maker, https://archive.org/details/toyota-avalon-02009-owners-manual; the two count as one source (dashboard and instrument panel, instrument cluster, speedometer, tachometer, odometer, fuel gauge, engine coolant temperature gauge, turn signal lever, wiper lever, ignition switch, horn, emergency flashers, glove box, cup holder, sun visor, inside rear view mirror, parking brake lever, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, vents, radio, head restraint, seatback, seat cushion, seat belt, floor mat). (2) A 2007 pickup owner's manual from a second maker, https://archive.org/details/manuals-plus-2007-honda-ridgeline-owners-manual-2362b88b (dashboard, steering wheel, shift lever, parking brake, glove box, center console, vents, climate control, radio, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, speedometer, tachometer, odometer, ignition switch, horn, hazard warning button, sun visor, rear view mirror, cup holder and beverage holder, head restraint, seat cushion, seat-back, armrest, seat belt, floor mat). (3) A 2007 sedan owner's manual from a third maker, https://archive.org/details/manualzz-id-1276297 (instrument panel, steering wheel, turn signal/multifunction lever, windshield wiper lever, hazard warning flashers, shift lever, parking brake lever, glove box, center console, cupholder, sun visor, rearview mirror, climate control, radio, speedometer, tachometer, odometer, head restraint, seatback, seat cushion, armrest, floor mat, accelerator pedal, brake pedal). (4) Wikipedia, text only: Dashboard (dashboard also called instrument panel; instrument cluster; speedometer, tachometer, odometer, fuel gauge; glove compartment), Car controls (steering wheel, pedals, gas pedal, clutch pedal to the left, parking brake as a lever, pedal or switch, gear stick or shift lever, turn signal lever), Center console (automobile), Glove compartment. The owner's manuals were read as plain text copies held by this project. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's car, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The interior parts of a car are drawn here in three views. Start at the front of the cabin, then look behind the steering wheel at the gauges and levers, then at a front seat from the side.
Read the full guide
The front of the cabin
The dashboard runs under the windshield. The instrument cluster is in front of the driver and the glove box in front of the passenger. The center console runs back between the seats with the shift lever, parking brake and cup holders.
Parts of a car dashboard you read, and a seat
Behind the steering wheel are the speedometer with the odometer in it, the tachometer, the fuel gauge and the temperature gauge. Two levers stick out of the steering column, one for the turn signals and one for the wipers. The last view is a front seat: seat cushion, seatback, head restraint and seat belt.
This car has two pedals. A car with a manual transmission has a third, the clutch pedal, to the left of the brake pedal.
Layouts differ from car to car. The parking brake, for one, can be a pedal or a switch instead of a hand lever.
Questions and answers
What are the names of the interior parts of a car?
At the front: the dashboard, instrument cluster, steering wheel, vents, radio, climate controls, glove box, center console, shift lever, parking brake and pedals. Overhead: the rearview mirror and sun visors. Then the seats, with their head restraints, seat belts and armrests.
What is the dashboard of a car?
The panel across the front of the cabin, under the windshield. It holds the instrument cluster, the vents, the radio, the climate controls and the glove box. Owner's manuals usually call it the instrument panel.
What is the difference between a speedometer, an odometer and a tachometer?
The speedometer shows how fast the car is going. The odometer counts the total distance the car has been driven. The tachometer shows how fast the engine is turning, in revolutions per minute.
What is the part between the front seats of a car called?
The center console. It starts at the dashboard and runs back between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. On many cars the shift lever, the parking brake and the cup holders are on it.