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MOT defects · Lights

Headlight aim out MOT failure: what it means and which cars get it

In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, testers recorded this as a failure on at least 1.2 in 100 initial MOT tests. The Peugeot 207 got it most often: recorded 5.4 times per 100 of its 159,030 tests.

DVSA wording: The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements.

Failures
1.2 in 100
At least 407,969 tests in 2023
Most often
Peugeot 207
5.4 per 100 tests

What it means

A headlight points too high, too low or off to one side, so it dazzles other drivers or lights too little of the road. Often from a broken adjuster, a replaced unit or a bulb fitted badly.

How serious it is

A major defect, so a fail.

Source: MOT inspection manual for cars and light vans, section 4.1.2.

  1. Major Fail
    It may affect the vehicle's safety, put other road users at risk or have an impact on the environment. Repair it immediately.

What fixing it usually involves

Adjusting the aim, which takes minutes, unless the adjuster or mounting is broken.

A general guide, not a quote: ask a garage to inspect the car.

Which models get it most

Per 100 initial MOT tests on each model, among the 208 models with at least 20,000 tests where it is among the 40 most common items. DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail.

ModelTestsFail
Peugeot 207159,030
5.4
Honda Accord30,345
5.3
Mitsubishi Colt25,654
4.8
Peugeot 30739,404
4.7
Vauxhall Vectra39,116
4.3
Peugeot 20658,647
3.9
Honda Civic299,187
3.6
Mercedes-Benz CLK32,623
3.5
Toyota Corolla106,579
3.2
Volkswagen Beetle48,614
3.2

What to check at a viewing

  1. On the car
    Check the headlight levelling switch works, and look for broken lugs around the headlight units.
  2. In the MOT history
    If this appears in past results, ask what was done and when, and for the receipt.

Check a specific car

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

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Questions

What does "Headlight aim out" mean on an MOT?
A headlight points too high, too low or off to one side, so it dazzles other drivers or lights too little of the road. Often from a broken adjuster, a replaced unit or a bulb fitted badly.
Headlight aim out: is it an MOT fail?
A major defect, so a fail.
Which cars are most likely to get "headlight aim out" on an MOT?
In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, the models that got it most often were the Peugeot 207 (5.4 per 100 tests), the Honda Accord (5.3 per 100 tests), the Mitsubishi Colt (4.8 per 100 tests).

More lights defects

See every MOT defect we explain or MOT pass rates by model.

Side or tail light not workingBrake light not workingHeadlight not workingHeadlight lens slightly defectiveHeadlight aim outNumber plate light not workingIndicator discoloured or wrong colourSide repeater not workingRear fog light not working

How these figures are made. We counted the defects recorded at every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 in the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Each item counts once per test. A failure is a major or dangerous defect, including one fixed during the test. A model's rate is the share of its tests where the item was recorded.

For each model we keep its 40 most frequent items, so a model where a defect is rarer than that is not listed, and figures for all cars are a floor. Defect names and explanations are ours, checked against the MOT inspection manual; DVSA's own wording is shown under each name.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.