Lexus Rx400H MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 18 model years and 44,729 tests, the Lexus Rx400H passes its MOT 82.2% of the time. Against all cars of a similar age (26.7% fail rate), the Rx400H comes out 8.9pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Rx400H years
Ranked across Rx400H 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 2009 (84.5% pass rate); the weakest is 2005 (79.2%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 10.5% of all tests — 3.3 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, headlamp aim and pins and bushes — position lamp alone was recorded 2,764 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.1% versus 9.5%.
Split by fuel, hybrid examples fail 3.3pp more often than other ones (18.0% vs 14.8%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 40.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 16.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Rx400H model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4,591 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 9,056 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 13,098 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 11,766 | 83.5% | 16.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 6,064 | 84.5% | 15.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 55 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.5% | 4,677 |
| 2 | Suspension | 7.2% | 3,207 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.9% | 3,097 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.3% | 1,901 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 1,573 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.4% | 1,052 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 420 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.9% | 404 |
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 | 2,764 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,360 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 1,268 |
| 4 | Wipers | 1,167 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 1,162 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 976 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 943 |
| 8 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 899 |
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 | 40.7% | 18,224 |
| 2 | Tyres | 25.6% | 11,433 |
| 3 | Brakes | 23.7% | 10,587 |
| 4 | Other defects | 14.6% | 6,549 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.8% | 5,268 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 10.1% | 4,532 |
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 | 126 | 9.5% |
| 30-60k | 1,471 | 9.8% |
| 60-90k | 5,493 | 12.4% |
| 90-120k | 11,869 | 15.6% |
| 120-150k | 12,553 | 18.8% |
| 150k+ | 13,207 | 22.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 38,795 | 18.0% |
| Other | 2,112 | 14.8% |
| Electric | 1,914 | 17.9% |
| Petrol | 1,859 | 16.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,466 | 16.1% |
| 2022 | 9,372 | 16.9% |
| 2023 | 9,119 | 17.7% |
| 2024 | 8,708 | 19.1% |
| 2025 | 8,064 | 19.6% |
What to check before buying a Lexus Rx400H
- Lighting & signalling (10.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (7.2% 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 (6.9% 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 Rx400H?
82.2% of the 44,729 Lexus Rx400H MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.8% fail rate, across model years 2004–2021.
What does the Lexus Rx400H most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.5% of tests, then suspension (7.2%).
Which Rx400H years are best and worst for MOT results?
2009 has the best pass rate at 84.5% and 2005 the weakest at 79.2%, from 6,064 and 4,591 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Rx400H MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.1% for 150k+, a 12.5-point difference.
Is the other or hybrid Rx400H more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the other fails 14.8% of the time against 18.0% for the hybrid. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 44,729 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.