The indicator apparatus (30) for a vehicle component, in particular for a human-human interface for the indicator and, where necessary, for entering operating parameters for a vehicle component, is provided with a housing (12) comprising a front side (14) and a display unit (10), which is arranged on the front side (14) of the housing (12) and/or forms the front side (14) of the housing (12), for displaying operating parameters of a vehicle component and possibly symbols fields for entering commands and operating parameters for a vehicle component. The indicator apparatus (30) is furthermore provided with a deformable delay element (32), arranged in the housing (12) behind the display unit (10), for delaying acceleration movements that act on the display unit (10) in the direction of the interior of the housing (12) as a result of an object striking the display unit (10). The delay element (32) has a greater stiffness in a center region (34) that is in alignment with the region of the center of the display unit (10) than in a region (36, 38) of the delay element (32) that is in alignment with a region of the display unit (10) that adjoins the region of the center of the display unit (10) and extends in the direction of the edge of the display unit (10) and/or as far as the edge thereof.