2012 Lexus Rx 450H Luxury — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Lexus Rx 450H Luxury passed 88.8% of its 1,395 recorded MOT tests. All cars of a similar age fail 21.8% of the time, so this is 10.6pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.7%) and tyres (3.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, wipers and tread depth — position lamp alone was recorded 50 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2012 Rx 450H Luxury fails 8.1% of the time in the 30-60k band and 10.0% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.9 points.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 66 |
| 2 | Tyres | 3.9% | 55 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.6% | 50 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.4% | 47 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.1% | 44 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 4 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 50 |
| 2 | Wipers | 41 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 33 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 33 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 24 |
| 6 | Ball joint dust cover | 20 |
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 | 23.5% | 328 |
| 2 | Suspension | 19.0% | 265 |
| 3 | Brakes | 16.3% | 227 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.3% | 102 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.4% | 61 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.4% | 47 |
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 | 197 | 8.1% |
| 60-90k | 557 | 10.8% |
| 90-120k | 386 | 12.7% |
| 120-150k | 162 | 13.6% |
| 150k+ | 90 | 10.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 267 | 7.1% |
| 2022 | 273 | 8.4% |
| 2023 | 283 | 10.6% |
| 2024 | 290 | 14.8% |
| 2025 | 282 | 14.5% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Rx 450H Luxury
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 4.7% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (4.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.9% 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.
- Suspension (3.6% 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.
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 2012 Lexus Rx 450H Luxurys pass their MOT?
88.8% of the 1,395 2012 Lexus Rx 450H Luxury MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Lexus Rx 450H Luxury?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.7% of tests, followed by tyres (3.9%).
Does the 2012 Rx 450H Luxury get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.1% in the 30-60k band to 10.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,395 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.