Lexus Rx 450H Luxury MOT pass rate & common failures
5,552 MOT tests on the Lexus Rx 450H Luxury (2012–2015) give it a 90.4% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (20.5% fail rate), the Rx 450H Luxury comes out 10.9pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (3.5%) and tyres (3.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, position lamp and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 139 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 3.6% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 11.9% once past 150k — 3.3× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 8.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Rx 450H Luxury model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1,395 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 4,126 | 90.8% | 9.2% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 3.5% | 193 |
| 2 | Tyres | 3.4% | 190 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.8% | 153 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.7% | 150 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.6% | 144 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.3% | 15 |
| 7 | Road wheels | 0.2% | 11 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.1% | 8 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 139 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 97 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 94 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 90 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 60 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 53 |
| 7 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 49 |
| 8 | Pins and bushes | 45 |
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 | 22.7% | 1,258 |
| 2 | Suspension | 19.1% | 1,058 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.8% | 878 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.6% | 368 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.8% | 208 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.9% | 160 |
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 | 83 | 3.6% |
| 30-60k | 1,107 | 6.8% |
| 60-90k | 2,177 | 9.5% |
| 90-120k | 1,442 | 10.8% |
| 120-150k | 542 | 12.9% |
| 150k+ | 201 | 11.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,097 | 8.3% |
| 2022 | 1,109 | 8.8% |
| 2023 | 1,113 | 8.9% |
| 2024 | 1,130 | 11.5% |
| 2025 | 1,103 | 10.7% |
What to check before buying a Lexus Rx 450H Luxury
- Lighting & signalling (3.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.4% 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.
- Visibility (2.8% 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 Rx 450H Luxury?
90.4% of the 5,552 Lexus Rx 450H Luxury MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 9.6% fail rate, across model years 2012–2015.
What does the Lexus Rx 450H Luxury most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 3.5% of tests, then tyres (3.4%).
How much does mileage affect Rx 450H Luxury MOT results?
Fail rates run at 3.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 11.9% for 150k+, a 8.3-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,552 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.