Lexus Is 300H Luxury MOT pass rate & common failures
The Lexus Is 300H Luxury appears in 2,186 MOT tests spanning model years 2013–2017, and 90.0% of them passed. Against all cars of a similar age (19.9% fail rate), the Is 300H Luxury comes out 9.9pp better. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.5%) and lighting & signalling (3.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 58 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 3.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 11.8% once past 150k — 3.1× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 23.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 9.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Is 300H Luxury model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2,086 | 90.1% | 9.9% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 73 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.5% | 143 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.8% | 84 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.2% | 48 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.1% | 47 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.9% | 20 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 7 |
| 7 | Other defects | 0.3% | 6 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.2% | 5 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 58 |
| 2 | Wipers | 45 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 44 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 42 |
| 5 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 33 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 16 |
| 7 | Rigid brake pipes | 14 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 12 |
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 | 23.3% | 509 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.2% | 311 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.7% | 147 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.1% | 111 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.0% | 65 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.1% | 24 |
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 | 52 | 3.9% |
| 30-60k | 514 | 6.6% |
| 60-90k | 663 | 11.0% |
| 90-120k | 444 | 11.3% |
| 120-150k | 243 | 11.5% |
| 150k+ | 270 | 11.8% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 454 | 9.3% |
| 2022 | 441 | 9.3% |
| 2023 | 445 | 9.7% |
| 2024 | 427 | 9.1% |
| 2025 | 419 | 12.9% |
What to check before buying a Lexus Is 300H Luxury
- Tyres (6.5% 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 (3.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (2.2% 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 Is 300H Luxury?
90.0% of the 2,186 Lexus Is 300H Luxury MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 10.0% fail rate, across model years 2013–2017.
What does the Lexus Is 300H Luxury most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 6.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (3.8%).
How much does mileage affect Is 300H Luxury MOT results?
Fail rates run at 3.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 11.8% for 150k+, a 8.0-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,186 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.