Lexus Is200 MOT pass rate & common failures
42,999 MOT tests on the Lexus Is200 (1998–2021) give it a 77.6% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 27.1% of the time, so this is 4.7pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Is200 years
Ranked across Is200 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
The strongest year on this record is 2011 (82.3% pass rate); the weakest is 2000 (75.3%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (12.1%) and suspension (10.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, headlamp aim and position lamp — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 2,346 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.6% in the 0-30k band and 25.4% in the 150k+ band, a 16.8-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 4.1pp more often than diesel ones (22.8% vs 18.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 30.0% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 23.1% in 2021 to 21.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Is200 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2,007 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 3,176 | 75.3% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 5,225 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 6,430 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 7,983 | 77.5% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 9,152 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 5,003 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 175 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 216 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 156 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 114 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 370 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 2,404 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 548 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Brakes |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.1% | 5,208 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.3% | 4,452 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.0% | 2,999 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.2% | 2,662 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.1% | 2,207 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.6% | 1,558 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.4% | 1,465 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.8% | 792 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 2,346 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 2,307 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 2,288 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 1,719 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 1,406 |
| 6 | Coil spring | 1,301 |
| 7 | Service brake performance | 1,287 |
| 8 | Catalyst emissions | 1,267 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 30.0% | 12,891 |
| 2 | Brakes | 27.5% | 11,837 |
| 3 | Tyres | 25.6% | 11,003 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 16.2% | 6,976 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.5% | 4,535 |
| 6 | Other defects | 9.7% | 4,185 |
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 | 339 | 8.6% |
| 30-60k | 3,332 | 15.9% |
| 60-90k | 9,218 | 20.2% |
| 90-120k | 12,901 | 23.0% |
| 120-150k | 10,108 | 24.2% |
| 150k+ | 7,078 | 25.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 39,057 | 22.8% |
| Diesel | 3,907 | 18.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,485 | 23.1% |
| 2022 | 9,718 | 22.3% |
| 2023 | 8,384 | 22.3% |
| 2024 | 7,217 | 22.4% |
| 2025 | 6,195 | 21.6% |
What to check before buying a Lexus Is200
- Lighting & signalling (12.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.3% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (7.0% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
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 Is200?
77.6% of the 42,999 Lexus Is200 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 22.4% fail rate, across model years 1998–2021.
What does the Lexus Is200 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.1% of tests, then suspension (10.3%).
Which Is200 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2011 has the best pass rate at 82.3% and 2000 the weakest at 75.3%, from 2,404 and 3,176 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Is200 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.4% for 150k+, a 16.8-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Is200 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 18.7% of the time against 22.8% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 42,999 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.