MOT cost .
Lexus RX
MOT 2024

Wikimedia Commons — CC-BY-SA (image-specific)

Lexus

RX

26,874 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where RXs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 15.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

93.3%

Pass-after-fix

1.9%

Fail

4.4%

Avg miles

50,838

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

Trim variants

450h Luxury CVT 86.6% 1,829

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 26,874 tests

Pass rate climbs 5.1 points across the cohorts — newer RX examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 14,010

Pass

91.4%

Fail

5.9%

PRS

2.4%

Avg mileage at test

66,165 mi

2018–2020 cohort 9,313

Pass

95.1%

Fail

3.0%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

37,640 mi

2021+ cohort 3,551

Pass

96.5%

Fail

2.3%

PRS

0.7%

Avg mileage at test

24,970 mi

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

The picture

Lexus RX: solid MOT record across 14,080 tests

The Lexus RX is a luxury crossover SUV sold since 1998 by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Originally released in its home market of Japan in late 1997 as the Toyota Harrier, export sales began in March 1998 as the Lexus RX.

MOT data from 14,080 tests puts this car on an 92.8% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 47,870 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by damaged tyre sidewall or structure.

Very successful hybrid application. Performance of a V8 SUV with better than diesel SUV economy. Handles well too. Most ECO friendly big SUV.

For used buyers, the RX'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 34–44

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 →

34–44

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

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

    450 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  2. 02

    A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

    248 occurrences · 0.9% of tests

  3. 03

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    216 occurrences · 0.8% of tests

  4. 04

    A tyre seriously damaged

    196 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  5. 05

    Wiper blade defective

    178 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  6. 06

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    164 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  7. 07

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    112 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  8. 08

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    97 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  9. 09

    A lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning

    69 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  10. 10

    A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative

    57 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

£160–£380

If every one of this RX'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 5.1-point gap between bands means the year you buy Lexus RX has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

96.5%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 96.5% — a 5.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 24,970 miles — roughly 41K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, 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

91.4%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 91.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 96.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 66,165 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (96.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (91.4% pass). That's a 5.1-point spread across 14,010 older tests and 3,551 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

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

Parts & supplies for this fix

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

Motor World Lexus IS200 Car Floor Mat Set

Motor World

Motor World Lexus IS200 Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World Lexus IS300 2005- Car Floor Mat Set

Motor World

Motor World Lexus IS300 2005- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

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

Motor World

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

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World Lexus GS450H Saloon 2005- Car Floor Mat Set

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 →

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

It's a quiet and very comfortable conveyance with the performance of a big V8 SUV, yet fuel economy that beats all full-si

Recall history

2 UK recalls on record.

The RX has 2 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an RX?

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 RX 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.