Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 49,549 tests

Pass rate climbs 9.6 points across the cohorts — newer CT examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 41,210

Pass

84.4%

Fail

10.4%

PRS

4.8%

Avg mileage at test

84,582 mi

2018–2020 cohort 7,853

Pass

90.4%

Fail

6.2%

PRS

3.1%

Avg mileage at test

39,520 mi

2021+ cohort 486

Pass

94.0%

Fail

3.3%

PRS

2.5%

Avg mileage at test

31,202 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Lexus CT: solid MOT record across 33,456 tests

The Lexus CT is a hybrid electric automobile sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota, as a premium compact hatchback. The CT, consisting of a single model called the CT 200h, is a luxury hybrid based on the Toyota Prius drivetrain and Toyota MC platform chassis, and is the first luxury compact and hatchback hybrid.

MOT data from 33,456 tests puts this car on an 86.1% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 70,133 miles. The most common fail item is failed number plate light, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.

For used buyers, the CT's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 18–26

Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

18–26

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

849 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
02

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

755 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
03

Wiper blade defective

664 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
04

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

599 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
05

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

543 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

530 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
07

A tyre seriously damaged

460 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
08

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

454 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
09

A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

380 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
10

A tyre cords visible or damaged

359 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£168–£335

If every one of this CT's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 9.6-point gap between bands means the year you buy Lexus CT has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

94.0%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 94.0% — a 9.6-point improvement. Tests in this band average 31,202 miles — roughly 53K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

84.4%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 84.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 84,582 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (94.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (84.4% pass). That's a 9.6-point spread across 41,210 older tests and 486 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Motor World

Motor World Lexus IS200 Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

Motor World Lexus IS300 2005- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

Motor World Lexus IS250/220 Man/Auto 2006- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

Motor World Lexus GS450H Saloon 2005- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Buying or keeping a CT?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a CT and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.