A motor vehicle with a body and at least one wheel or at least one axle with a movable axle part, wherein a motor, which is coupled to the body and acts upon an adjustment element, is provided in order to set the level of the body with respect to the at least one wheel or the at least one axle, wherein the body has arranged on it a sensor unit which has - a light source for irradiating the adjustment element with a light beam at an angle of incidence which is pre-determined or capable of being set, - detection means arranged at a defined distance from the light source for detecting a reflection angle (α a, α b) from an impact location (32a, 32b) of the light beam on the adjustment element (18a, 18b) to the detection means, - means for determination of the distance between the sensor unit and the adjustment element from the angle of incidence, the reflection angle and the defined distance, wherein the means for determination are coupled to a control unit for actuating the motor, so that the control unit is capable of delivering control commands to the motor in a manner dependent upon the distance determined, and the motor acts upon the adjustment element by way of a spindle and in which means are provided for measuring an angle on the spindle or a motor shaft as a measurement item and means for counting a number of revolutions of the measurement item, wherein the control unit is also coupled to the means for measuring the angle and the means for counting and is designed for deriving a value of the distance between the sensor unit and the adjustment element and is further designed for using this derived value in order to set control commands in a normal case set by pre-determined criteria and for using a value provided by the sensor unit in an exceptional case set by pre-determined criteria. - a light source for irradiating the adjustment element with a light beam at an angle of incidence which is pre-determined or capable of being set, - detection means arranged at a defined distance from the light source for detecting a reflection angle (α a, α b) from an impact location (32a, 32b) of the light beam on the adjustment element (18a, 18b) to the detection means, - means for determination of the distance between the sensor unit and the adjustment element from the angle of incidence, the reflection angle and the defined distance, wherein the means for determination are coupled to a control unit for actuating the motor, so that the control unit is capable of delivering control commands to the motor in a manner dependent upon the distance determined, and the motor acts upon the adjustment element by way of a spindle and in which means are provided for measuring an angle on the spindle or a motor shaft as a measurement item and means for counting a number of revolutions of the measurement item, wherein the control unit is also coupled to the means for measuring the angle and the means for counting and is designed for deriving a value of the distance between the sensor unit and the adjustment element and is further designed for using this derived value in order to set control commands in a normal case set by pre-determined criteria and for using a value provided by the sensor unit in an exceptional case set by pre-determined criteria.