Lighting failures and advisories appear often on used cars: blown bulbs, misaligned beams, cracked lenses, or rear lamp faults. Testers describe them in MOT comments. Car Buyer Check classifies lighting lines into the lights and electrical category and maps headlamp-related text toward the headlights area, with rear or indicator wording toward rear lights when the record supports it.
Front versus rear on the file
Keyword rules separate rear, stop, tail, and indicator language from general headlamp defects. A fail on a rear lamp is still a lighting finding but may pin to a different zone on the inspection model than a headlight advisory. Vague “light fault” lines may stay unmapped rather than guess the wrong lamp.
A lighting fail on an older test does not prove a bulb is out today. The most recent pass does not guarantee every lamp works at the viewing. Use historical lines to decide which lights to switch on when you see the car.
After you run the registration
Use the plate form above. Lighting findings contribute to preview look-out counts when present. The buyer report quotes DVSA wording, applies fail or advisory context from that test date, and links seller questions plus map markers for mapped areas.
- Check dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, and fog lamps in daylight and after dusk if safe.
- Ask when bulbs or units were last replaced if the file shows repeat lighting notes.
- Windscreen and wiper defects are covered on the windscreen MOT guide — separate visibility category.
Limits
We do not perform beam alignment tests from a registration lookup. HID conversions, aftermarket LEDs, and wiring faults are only reflected if a tester wrote them on MOT History. Car Buyer Check does not certify road legality on the day you buy.