Lexus
5,919 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where GSs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
89.4%
Pass-after-fix
2.8%
Fail
7.5%
Avg miles
79,686
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 5,919 tests
Pass rate climbs 5.2 points across the cohorts — newer GS examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
89.3%
Fail
7.6%
PRS
2.8%
Avg mileage at test
80,313 mi
Pass
94.5%
Fail
2.7%
PRS
2.7%
Avg mileage at test
54,994 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 3,797 MOT tests, the Gs returns 89.2% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A tyre with the cords showing and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 73,503, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →
32–42
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
135 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
77 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
67 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
66 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
62 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Wiper blade defective
60 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
43 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
42 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
27 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
21 occurrences · 0.4% 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 3 failures
£200–£350
If every one of this GS'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
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 5.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy Lexus GS has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
94.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 94.5% — a 5.2-point improvement. Tests in this band average 54,994 miles — roughly 25K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
89.3%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 89.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 80,313 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (94.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (89.3% pass). That's a 5.2-point spread across 5,773 older tests and 146 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
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
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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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 GS 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.
