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MOT failure item explained

“Headlamp aim too high”

Recorded on 1,886 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item. In 59% of cases it was put right during the test.

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Cars with it
1,886
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
7.5%
at least once
Recorded as
Put right
59% of 2,173 visits
Back next time
3.7%
of 1,863 follow-up visits

What it means

The tester checks where each dipped beam points against a marked screen. This entry means a headlamp was aimed higher than the permitted band, which is what dazzles oncoming drivers.

It is a failure item, and the aim has to be corrected before the car can pass. Aim is often adjusted at the test station, and the record then shows it as put right during the test.

How it shows up in the records

Fail, put right during the test 59%Fail 41%
3.7% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 3.7% of cases.
39,242 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 5 years old. From the 424 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

10%1971–734.9%1980–8213%1983–8511%1986–8819%1989–9115%1992–9418%1995–9718%1998–0019%2001–0317%2004–0615%2007–099.9%2010–126.3%2013–154.0%2016–182.8%2019–211.4%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Maserati Coupe10 of 3132%17%
Lotus Esprit25 of 8928%14%
TVR Tuscan16 of 5032%18%
Peugeot 2076 of 2326%12%
Mercedes-Benz Vito7 of 3421%7.6%
Mercedes-Benz SLK5 of 2025%13%
Morgan Roadster5 of 2322%11%
Honda CR-V12 of 6419%8.5%

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

  • Confirm the pass that followed, or that the record shows it was put right during the test.
  • Park facing a wall at night with dipped beams on. The two cut-off lines should sit at the same height, below the height of the headlamps.
  • If the car has a headlamp levelling control, check that it is set to zero with the car unloaded.
  • Ask whether any bulbs or headlamp units have been changed, and whether the aim was reset afterwards.

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 beamRegistration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lampsHeadlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect

Checking a car with this on its MOT?

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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.