MOT fail · manual section 4.9.1
Main beam tell-tale not working
What this MOT fail means, how often testers record it and what garages charge per hour. From 130,233,413 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
Times recorded adds every DVSA code with this wording, so a test can record it more than once, for example on two wheels under separate codes.
What it means
This is a major defect: the car fails its MOT. A major defect may affect the car’s safety, put other road users at risk or harm the environment. The car fails its MOT and the defect must be repaired.
Every lamp is checked for whether it works, its colour, its condition and its aim, along with the battery, wiring and dashboard warning lamps. Many lamp defects are quick fixes such as a bulb, but some point to a fault in a lamp unit or the wiring.
The MOT inspection manual describes the defect (section 4.9.1) as:
A mandatory tell-tale for main beam headlamp or rear fog lamp missing or inoperative
Read this section of the MOT inspection manual on GOV.UK
| Result | Manual item | DVSA defect text | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fail Major | Main beam tell-tale | not working (4.9.1) | 6,368 |
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How common it is by age
Testers record it most at 25 years: 0.046 per 100 MOTs (n=313,355 tests at that age).
| Age | Fail per 100 | Tests (n) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 0.001 | 8,016,463 |
| 4 years | 0.001 | 8,699,937 |
| 5 years | 0.001 | 9,425,360 |
| 6 years | 0.001 | 10,382,720 |
| 7 years | 0.001 | 10,537,318 |
| 8 years | 0.002 | 10,440,457 |
| 9 years | 0.002 | 9,949,012 |
| 10 years | 0.003 | 9,049,507 |
| 11 years | 0.004 | 8,087,514 |
| 12 years | 0.005 | 7,303,151 |
| 13 years | 0.007 | 6,612,160 |
| 14 years | 0.008 | 6,054,526 |
| 15 years | 0.008 | 5,591,675 |
| 16 years | 0.010 | 4,858,625 |
| 17 years | 0.011 | 4,040,458 |
| 18 years | 0.013 | 3,261,622 |
| 19 years | 0.015 | 2,479,858 |
| 20 years | 0.020 | 1,845,952 |
| 21 years | 0.023 | 1,321,417 |
| 22 years | 0.030 | 913,980 |
| 23 years | 0.036 | 619,531 |
| 24 years | 0.033 | 428,815 |
| 25 years | 0.046 | 313,355 |
Repair and cost
We do not map this defect to one repair job, because the fix depends on the cause. Garages charge by the hour, so ask for a quote that lists labour time and parts.
Median hourly rate charged for car repairs, from 1,058 local garage and 953 main dealer price quotes collected by the ONS, September 2025 to August 2026. The same shops are priced each month, so the number of shops is the real sample.
Related MOT defects
- Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources3.00 per 100
- Position lamp not working2.54 per 100
- Stop lamp not working1.94 per 100
- Headlamp not working on dipped beam1.43 per 100
- Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect1.29 per 100
- Headlamp aim too low1.18 per 100
- Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps1.09 per 100
- Headlamp aim too high0.87 per 100
- Headlamp lens slightly defective0.84 per 100
- Individual direction indicator slightly discoloured0.83 per 100
All lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment defects All MOT defects Car repair costs
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Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025, and the MOT inspection manual published on GOV.UK. Prices: ONS consumer price inflation price quotes, September 2025 to August 2026, UK.
MOT data updated . Prices updated .
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA or the Office for National Statistics. How we calculate these figures · Data sources