Lighting 32 www.aftermarketonline.net OCTOBER 2026 LED retrofit bulbs: what can garages fit? LED retrofit bulbs remain a confusing area for workshops, with the current MOT rules restricting their use while new ECE-approved products are beginning to change the picture. OSRAM explains where things stand and what garages should consider when customers ask for an LED upgrade. LED lighting is now standard on many new vehicles, but there is an important distinction between factory-fitted LED lighting and LED retrofit bulbs. Factory-fitted LED units are installed by the vehicle manufacturer and homologated with the lamp unit as a single piece. LED retrofit bulbs are aftermarket replacements for headlight and auxiliary lighting applications and are subject to different rules. What does the MOT currently allow? According to OSRAM, nothing has yet changed in the UK during 2026 and the MOT test does not currently permit the use of retrofit LED bulbs in vehicle lighting applications, with some exceptions. Section 4.1.4 of the MOT test states that existing halogen headlamp units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted for use with high-intensity discharge (HID) or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If converted, the headlamp must be failed because the light source and lamp are not compatible. “This therefore does permit the use of LED bulbs in cars pre-1986,” OSRAM said. The company also says LED bulbs can be fitted to single-source headlamp vehicles, such as motorcycles. Elsewhere in Europe, 28 countries, including Ireland, have approved OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER LEDs for specific vehicle types. But this approval has not been granted in the UK. ECE-approved LEDs The position is developing, however, following approval by the UN ECE Committee this year of LED variants of H11 and C5W bulbs from OSRAM. The company has introduced the NIGHT BREAKER LED SMART ECE H11, which it describes as the first fully ECE R37 homologated LED retrofit bulb, and NIGHT BREAKER LED C5W ECE, the first ECE R37-approved LED auxiliary bulb. “This means that these two bulb references are road legal on any vehicle in any country as they meet the ECE Reg 37 standard for vehicle lighting,” OSRAM said. “As the UK is a signatory to the UN ECE regulation, these two bulbs must be allowed to be used by consumers.” OSRAM says it is currently in discussions with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Department for Transport (DfT) to change the MOT test to reflect the approved use of these bulbs. “Therefore the MOT regulations are being changed so that if an ECE approved H11 or C5W bulb is presented at the test it can be passed,” OSRAM said. According to the company, ECEapproved bulbs will include an approval sticker, positioned near the lighting unit so it can be read during the MOT
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