Lexus Is250 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Lexus Is250 appears in 57,528 MOT tests spanning model years 2005–2021, and 83.9% of them passed. Against all cars of a similar age (26.0% fail rate), the Is250 comes out 9.9pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
Best and worst Is250 years
Ranked across Is250 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 — 89.0% of 2012 examples pass against 80.9% of 2005 ones.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.7% of tests against 6.6% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and headlamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 2,968 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 21.9% once past 150k — 3.0× the risk.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Is250 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4,427 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 11,393 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 11,942 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 9,475 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 6,823 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 6,807 | 86.6% | 13.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 4,222 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 2,334 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 30 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 9.7% | 5,581 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.6% | 3,793 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.5% | 3,186 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 1,882 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 1,781 |
| 6 | Suspension | 2.2% | 1,250 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.5% | 846 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.5% | 311 |
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 | 2,968 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 2,386 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 2,357 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 1,745 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 1,542 |
| 6 | Wipers | 1,540 |
| 7 | Catalyst emissions | 1,475 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 883 |
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 | 27.0% | 15,530 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.3% | 13,374 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.8% | 7,333 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 10.3% | 5,913 |
| 5 | Other defects | 9.4% | 5,426 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.0% | 4,030 |
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 | 1,015 | 7.4% |
| 30-60k | 7,921 | 10.0% |
| 60-90k | 16,332 | 13.5% |
| 90-120k | 16,568 | 17.5% |
| 120-150k | 10,147 | 20.4% |
| 150k+ | 5,535 | 21.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 57,204 | 16.1% |
| Diesel | 262 | 17.6% |
| Other | 49 | 8.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,144 | 14.6% |
| 2022 | 11,880 | 15.2% |
| 2023 | 11,712 | 16.8% |
| 2024 | 11,180 | 16.7% |
| 2025 | 10,612 | 17.4% |
What to check before buying a Lexus Is250
- Lighting & signalling (9.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.6% 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.
- Tyres (5.5% 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.
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 Is250?
83.9% of the 57,528 Lexus Is250 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.1% fail rate, across model years 2005–2021.
What does the Lexus Is250 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.7% of tests, then brakes (6.6%).
Which Is250 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 89.0% and 2005 the weakest at 80.9%, from 2,334 and 4,427 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Is250 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 21.9% for 150k+, a 14.5-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 57,528 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.