Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 49,325 tests

Pass rate climbs 4.6 points across the cohorts — newer NX examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 23,069

Pass

89.9%

Fail

6.4%

PRS

3.4%

Avg mileage at test

59,699 mi

2018–2020 cohort 18,489

Pass

92.3%

Fail

4.8%

PRS

2.7%

Avg mileage at test

35,946 mi

2021+ cohort 7,767

Pass

94.5%

Fail

2.3%

PRS

2.7%

Avg mileage at test

23,795 mi

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

Generations on file · 2

Lexus NX · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Lexus NX: solid MOT record across 26,192 tests

The Lexus NX is a compact luxury crossover SUV sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Introduced in late 2014, it is positioned between the subcompact UX and the mid-size RX in Lexus’ crossover SUV lineup.

MOT data from 26,192 tests puts this car on an 91.2% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 42,084 miles. The most common fail item is defective wiper blade, followed by inoperative wiper blade.

The latest Lexus NX is a typically sensible premium SUV. But it's not just going to appeal to your head – impressive refinement and a very classy interior makes it strong competition for the Audi Q5, Mercedes-Ben.

For used buyers, the NX'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 26–36

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 →

26–36

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

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

01

Wiper blade defective

745 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
02

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

510 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
03

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

503 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
04

A tyre seriously damaged

466 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
05

A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

380 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
06

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

355 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
07

A tyre cords visible or damaged

286 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
08

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

281 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
09

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

270 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
10

A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

112 occurrences · 0.2% 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

£120–£330

If every one of this NX'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 4.7-point gap between bands means the year you buy Lexus NX has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

94.5%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 94.5% — a 4.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 23,795 miles — roughly 36K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, 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. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

89.9%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 89.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: blade defective, ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, and does not clear the windscreen effectively. Average mileage on test for this band is 59,699 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (94.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (89.9% pass). That's a 4.7-point spread across 23,069 older tests and 7,767 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

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

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

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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.

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Recall history

1 UK recall on record.

The NX has 1 official UK vehicle recall covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an NX?

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 NX 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.