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MOT failure item explained

“Headlamp aim too low”

Recorded on 2,018 of the 25,257 cars checked on this site. It is a failure item. In 57% of cases it was put right during the test.

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Cars with it
2,018
of 25,257 checked
Share of cars
8.0%
at least once
Recorded as
Put right
57% of 2,297 visits
Back next time
3.8%
of 1,944 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 lower than the permitted band.

It is a failure, and the aim has to be corrected before the car can pass. When it is corrected during the test, the record shows it as put right at the time.

How it shows up in the records

Fail, put right during the test 57%Fail 43%
3.8% came back
The same entry, on the same part of the car, was recorded again at the next test in 3.8% of cases.
45,973 miles
Median recorded mileage when it first appeared, on cars a median of 6 years old. From the 482 cars whose whole MOT history is recent enough to compare.

Share of cars with this entry, by year of manufacture

14%1971–738.5%1980–823.1%1983–859.2%1986–8816%1989–9114%1992–9415%1995–9712%1998–0020%2001–0315%2004–0615%2007–0912%2010–129.0%2013–155.4%2016–182.6%2019–210.6%2022–24

Models where it is recorded most

ModelCars with itShareSame-age cars
Dacia Sandero23 of 9026%5.5%
Maserati Coupe10 of 3132%17%
Fiat Punto6 of 2227%12%
Lotus Evora8 of 3324%8.9%
Volkswagen Scirocco5 of 2223%9.6%
Maserati Quattroporte16 of 6923%12%
Lotus Esprit19 of 8921%11%
Toyota Auris27 of 14319%9.2%

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.
  • 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.

Cars checked here with this entry

Other lighting entries explained

Position lamp not workingRegistration 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 lampsHeadlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect

Checking a car with this on its MOT?

Repair costs depend on the car, so this page does not quote one. Enter the plate and the free report estimates them for that car, alongside every test and advisory on its record.

Check a car’s MOT history

Counts are of cars checked on this site, from official public records. Updated 19 Sept 2026 · figures as of 4 Oct 2026. All MOT entries explained.