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MOT failure item explained

“Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect”

Recorded on 860 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item. In 22% of cases it was put right during the test.

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Cars with it
860
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
3.4%
at least once
Recorded as
Fail
78% of 991 visits
Back next time
7.8%
of 792 follow-up visits

What it means

When the tester checks headlamp aim, the beam should show a clear pattern with a defined cut-off line. This entry means the pattern was wrong, for example scattered, blurred or missing its cut-off.

It is a failure item. The record shows it as put right during the test when it was corrected at the test station.

How it shows up in the records

Fail 78%Fail, put right during the test 22%
7.8% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 7.8% of cases.
67,261 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 7 years old. From the 173 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

1.7%1971–730.0%1980–822.4%1983–850.9%1986–884.4%1989–913.3%1992–941.8%1995–972.8%1998–006.5%2001–039.0%2004–067.7%2007–097.1%2010–124.1%2013–151.9%2016–180.9%2019–210.2%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Peugeot 1078 of 3523%6.8%
Citroen C19 of 4719%4.5%
Citroen C49 of 5915%3.5%
Renault Clio18 of 12415%3.9%
Honda CR-V9 of 6414%4.9%
Ford Focus40 of 30913%4.2%
Ford C-MAX6 of 4713%4.7%
Audi A411 of 9112%4.1%

Models with 20 or more cars checked here. “Same-age cars” is the share among all checked cars built in the same years, so an older model is compared with older cars.

What to check before you buy

  • Park facing a wall at night with dipped beams on. Each beam should show a sharp horizontal cut-off, usually with a step up on the left; some lamps have a flat-topped pattern instead.
  • Look at the headlamp lens for cloudiness, cracks or moisture inside the unit.
  • Ask whether the bulbs are the type specified for the unit, and whether either headlamp has been replaced.
  • Confirm the pass that followed, or that the record shows it was put right during the test.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other lighting entries explained

Position lamp not workingHeadlamp aim too lowRegistration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sourcesStop lamp not workingHeadlamp not working on dipped beamHeadlamp aim too highRegistration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps

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Check a car’s MOT history

Counts are of cars checked on this site, from official public records. Updated 22 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.