Lexus Ct MOT pass rate & common failures
The Lexus Ct appears in 162,345 MOT tests spanning model years 2011–2024, and 90.6% of them passed. Against small family cars of a similar age (16.5% fail rate), the Ct comes out 7.2pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
Best and worst Ct years
Ranked across Ct years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 94.8% of 2020 examples pass against 86.7% of 2011 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.4%) and tyres (4.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp, wipers and headlamp aim — headlamp alone was recorded 4,286 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 3.6% in the 0-30k band and 13.2% in the 150k+ band, a 9.7-point spread — more than double.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 9.0% fail against 13.5% for electric, a 4.5-point gap across 149,191 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Ct model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 20,309 | 86.7% | 13.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 22,371 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 20,759 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 20,682 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 19,057 | 91.4% | 8.6% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 15,945 | 92.4% | 7.6% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 15,805 | 93.4% | 6.6% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 14,534 | 94.2% | 5.8% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 8,225 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 4,021 | 94.8% | 5.2% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 629 | 95.9% | 4.1% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.4% | 8,835 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.6% | 7,471 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.0% | 4,871 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.6% | 4,293 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 1,777 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.5% | 781 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.3% | 490 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.2% | 380 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp | 4,286 |
| 2 | Wipers | 4,269 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 3,044 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 3,044 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 2,381 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 2,291 |
| 7 | Washers | 1,421 |
| 8 | Rbt (sp) | 960 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 22.8% | 37,031 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.9% | 22,585 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.5% | 12,161 |
| 4 | Suspension | 6.1% | 9,880 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 5,342 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.0% | 4,897 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 25,154 | 3.6% |
| 30-60k | 50,619 | 7.4% |
| 60-90k | 40,875 | 11.0% |
| 90-120k | 24,535 | 13.3% |
| 120-150k | 12,101 | 13.3% |
| 150k+ | 9,046 | 13.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 144,326 | 9.0% |
| Other | 7,689 | 12.9% |
| Petrol | 5,338 | 11.7% |
| Electric | 4,865 | 13.5% |
| Gas/LPG | 81 | 11.1% |
| Diesel | 46 | 10.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29,674 | 8.2% |
| 2022 | 31,829 | 8.3% |
| 2023 | 33,319 | 9.0% |
| 2024 | 33,685 | 10.3% |
| 2025 | 33,838 | 10.9% |
What to check before buying a Lexus Ct
- Lighting & signalling (5.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Visibility (3.0% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Lexus Ct?
90.6% of the 162,345 Lexus Ct MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 9.4% fail rate, across model years 2011–2024.
What does the Lexus Ct most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.4% of tests, then tyres (4.6%).
Which Ct years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 94.8% and 2011 the weakest at 86.7%, from 4,021 and 20,309 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Ct MOT results?
Fail rates run at 3.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 13.2% for 150k+, a 9.7-point difference.
Is the hybrid or electric Ct more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 9.0% of the time against 13.5% for the electric. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 162,345 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.