Lexus
21,361 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ISs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
88.6%
Pass-after-fix
2.8%
Fail
8.2%
Avg miles
77,181
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 · 21,282 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.0 points across the cohorts — newer IS examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
88.0%
Fail
8.6%
PRS
3.0%
Avg mileage at test
84,101 mi
Pass
90.9%
Fail
6.5%
PRS
2.1%
Avg mileage at test
50,412 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Lexus IS is a compact executive car sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota, since 1998. The IS was originally sold under the Toyota Altezza nameplate in Japan from 1998 until 2005.
MOT data from 14,376 tests puts this car on an 88.5% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 68,860 miles. The most common fail item is tyre with exposed cords, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.
Honest John owner records point to gearbox noise or CVT reliability as the recurring problems to check before buying used.
For used buyers, the IS'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
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →
26–38
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A tyre cords visible or damaged
377 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
328 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
279 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
252 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
229 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
137 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
134 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
100 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
88 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
81 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
£140–£235
If every one of this IS'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 3.0-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Lexus IS makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
90.9%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 90.9% — a 3.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 50,412 miles — roughly 34K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, has ply or cords exposed — 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
88.0%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 88.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has ply or cords exposed, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 84,101 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (90.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (88.0% pass). That's a 3.0-point spread across 17,001 older tests and 4,281 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
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
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Motor World
Motor World Lexus IS200 Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
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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
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Complaint of water ingress on 2015 IS300h. Water appears to be coming in from the rear window and leaking into the boot compartment. Dealer has suggested having the window seal renewed. [Google Pixel 10 Pro 256GB In Moonstone | Veri
Report from a reader that there is a service requirement to change the rear differential fluid in a Lexus IS300h every 20k miles and to change the CVT fluid every 40k miles. Yet his Lexus dealer told him they never change the diff fluid and don't change the CVT fluid until 60k miles.
Problems reported with hybrid battery system (or 12v battery) of 2014 Lexus IS300h, biught in March 2018 with 41,000 miles. After driving 800 miles to a desination in Spain, owner stopped for an hour and car refused to re-start. All systems had failed and the message on the instrument panel showed the hybrid battery was the reason. 15 minutes later it started. The car wasn't used again for a week. On return journey lights failed, then battery got low again during slow boarding of ferry back to UK. Car returned to dealer for testing.
On a year old 11,700 mile Lexus IS300h Premier, the colour of the leather on the squab and backrest bolsters rubbed off after just 11,700 miles. Lexus said 'wear and tear'. Reader didn't think so.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 4 reports indexed
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 an IS 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.
