Lexus Rx450H MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 18 model years and 40,304 tests, the Lexus Rx450H passes its MOT 85.4% of the time. All cars of a similar age fail 23.9% of the time, so this is 9.3pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst Rx450H years
Ranked across Rx450H 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 2012 (88.5% pass rate); the weakest is 2007 (80.5%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.2%) and suspension (6.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, tread depth and wipers — position lamp alone was recorded 2,896 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 4.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 19.7% once past 150k — 4.0× the risk.
The other cars hold up better: 13.1% fail against 14.7% for hybrid, a 1.6-point gap across 37,661 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 32.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 13.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Rx450H model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 408 | 74.8% | 25.3% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 738 | 82.3% | 17.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 1,018 | 80.5% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 1,115 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 6,646 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 13,952 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 9,631 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 5,968 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 248 | 92.3% | 7.7% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 127 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 95 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 134 | 97.0% | 3.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 68 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 62 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 48 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.2% | 3,320 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.8% | 2,728 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.3% | 1,747 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.4% | 1,380 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 1,252 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 306 |
| 7 | Other defects | 0.4% | 177 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 158 |
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 | 2,896 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 915 |
| 3 | Wipers | 890 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 762 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 755 |
| 6 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 754 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 711 |
| 8 | Pins and bushes | 698 |
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 | 32.0% | 12,894 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.1% | 9,732 |
| 3 | Brakes | 17.7% | 7,125 |
| 4 | Other defects | 10.3% | 4,136 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 2,045 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.2% | 1,702 |
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 | 306 | 4.9% |
| 30-60k | 3,359 | 9.4% |
| 60-90k | 10,421 | 11.7% |
| 90-120k | 12,205 | 14.6% |
| 120-150k | 8,370 | 17.5% |
| 150k+ | 5,640 | 19.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 35,800 | 14.7% |
| Other | 1,861 | 13.1% |
| Electric | 1,362 | 14.6% |
| Petrol | 1,244 | 14.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,113 | 13.5% |
| 2022 | 8,123 | 13.9% |
| 2023 | 8,145 | 14.9% |
| 2024 | 8,016 | 14.6% |
| 2025 | 7,907 | 16.4% |
What to check before buying a Lexus Rx450H
- Lighting & signalling (8.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (6.8% 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.
- Tyres (4.3% 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 Rx450H?
85.4% of the 40,304 Lexus Rx450H MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 14.6% fail rate, across model years 2005–2022.
What does the Lexus Rx450H most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.2% of tests, then suspension (6.8%).
Which Rx450H years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 88.5% and 2007 the weakest at 80.5%, from 5,968 and 1,018 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Rx450H MOT results?
Fail rates run at 4.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 19.7% for 150k+, a 14.8-point difference.
Is the other or hybrid Rx450H more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the other fails 13.1% of the time against 14.7% for the hybrid. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 40,304 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.