2007 Lexus Ls — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2007 Lexus Ls passed 84.5% of its 988 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (26.9% fail rate), the 2007 Ls comes out 11.4pp better. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.5%) and lighting & signalling (6.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, position lamp and tread depth — pins and bushes alone was recorded 79 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2007 Ls fails 17.3% of the time in the 30-60k band and 17.1% at 150k+, a spread of only 0.3 points.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 26.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 17.6% in 2021 to 13.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.5% | 74 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 60 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.1% | 50 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.0% | 40 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.0% | 20 |
| 6 | Other defects | 1.2% | 12 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 79 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 34 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 29 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 24 |
| 5 | Ball joint dust cover | 23 |
| 6 | Registration plates | 19 |
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 | 26.4% | 261 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.1% | 238 |
| 3 | Brakes | 17.3% | 171 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.6% | 65 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.4% | 63 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.0% | 49 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 75 | 17.3% |
| 60-90k | 246 | 11.4% |
| 90-120k | 270 | 16.3% |
| 120-150k | 208 | 17.3% |
| 150k+ | 176 | 17.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 210 | 17.6% |
| 2022 | 208 | 15.9% |
| 2023 | 197 | 14.7% |
| 2024 | 193 | 15.0% |
| 2025 | 180 | 13.9% |
What to check before buying a 2007 Ls
On a 2007 Ls, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 7.5% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (7.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (6.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.1% 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
How many 2007 Lexus Lss pass their MOT?
84.5% of the 988 2007 Lexus Ls MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2007 Lexus Ls?
Suspension, recorded in 7.5% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.1%).
Does the 2007 Ls get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 17.3% in the 30-60k band to 17.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 988 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.