Lexus Gs MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 23 model years and 18,810 tests, the Lexus Gs passes its MOT 92.1% of the time. Executive cars of a similar age fail 15.4% of the time, so this is 7.5pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
Best and worst Gs years
Ranked across Gs 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2017 cars pass 95.0% of the time while 2012 cars manage 90.2%, a 4.8-point spread.
No single area dominates — tyres (4.6%) and lighting & signalling (2.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, wipers and tread depth — headlamp aim alone was recorded 370 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 4.6% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 13.6% once past 150k — 3.0× the risk.
Split by fuel, other examples fail 6.4pp more often than hybrid ones (13.3% vs 6.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 20.8% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Gs model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 33 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 343 | 83.4% | 16.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 421 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 78 | 82.0% | 17.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 122 | 90.2% | 9.8% | Tyres |
| 2010 | 647 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 346 | 88.1% | 11.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 2,300 | 90.2% | 9.8% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 3,130 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 2,735 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 2,047 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 3,226 | 94.3% | 5.7% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 1,984 | 95.0% | 5.0% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 1,369 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.6% | 873 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.7% | 506 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.1% | 394 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.1% | 394 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.8% | 157 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.3% | 61 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.3% | 53 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.2% | 42 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 370 |
| 2 | Wipers | 365 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 336 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 248 |
| 5 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 153 |
| 6 | Shock absorbers | 131 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 117 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 115 |
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 | 20.8% | 3,908 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.8% | 2,221 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.9% | 1,114 |
| 4 | Other defects | 3.9% | 738 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 662 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.5% | 273 |
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 | 2,361 | 4.6% |
| 30-60k | 6,184 | 6.1% |
| 60-90k | 4,953 | 8.4% |
| 90-120k | 2,804 | 9.7% |
| 120-150k | 1,377 | 11.8% |
| 150k+ | 1,124 | 13.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 14,009 | 6.9% |
| Petrol | 3,729 | 10.5% |
| Other | 633 | 13.3% |
| Electric | 434 | 10.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,826 | 7.5% |
| 2022 | 3,778 | 7.4% |
| 2023 | 3,780 | 7.6% |
| 2024 | 3,736 | 8.5% |
| 2025 | 3,690 | 8.5% |
What to check before buying a Lexus Gs
- 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.
- Lighting & signalling (2.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (2.1% 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 Gs?
92.1% of the 18,810 Lexus Gs MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 7.9% fail rate, across model years 1999–2021.
What does the Lexus Gs most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 4.6% of tests, then lighting & signalling (2.7%).
Which Gs years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 95.0% and 2012 the weakest at 90.2%, from 1,984 and 2,300 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Gs MOT results?
Fail rates run at 4.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 13.6% for 150k+, a 9.0-point difference.
Is the hybrid or other Gs more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 6.9% of the time against 13.3% for the other. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 18,810 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.