MOT data

Lexus ES MOT fail rate by age and year

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 9,727 MOT tests · Updated 7 Oct 2026

At 3 years, 6.3% of Lexus ES MOT tests ended in a fail (adjusted to typical mileage), against 12.1% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 3 (4,579 MOT tests) ^[1].

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First used 2021: 6.5 pts below cars the same age, 2,669 MOT tests
Mileage: median 24,482 miles at 3 years against 22,806 for all class 4 vehicles, 4,579 MOT tests
Before the mileage adjustment: 6.4% of MOT tests at 3 years ended in a fail, 4,579 MOT tests

Which engine and year a car has decides which of these apply. Check the reg first.

Figures are for the model, not one car, and compare with all class 4 vehicles tested at 3 in the same test year.

Fail rate at 3 years, typical mileage: 6.3%; vs 12.1% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 3; 4,579 MOT tests
Fail rate at 3 years, raw: 6.4%; vs 12.1% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 3; 4,579 MOT tests
Median mileage at 3 years: 24,482 mi; vs 22,806 mi for all class 4 vehicles; 4,579 MOT tests

Lexus ES MOT fail rate by age

Each line follows the cars first used in one year across the ages they were tested at from 2022 to 2025, so a line never mixes a 2005 car with a 2015 one. 10k DVSA MOT tests in all (9,727).

At 3 years and typical mileage that is 48% fewer fails than all class 4 vehicles tested at 3 (4,579 MOT tests).

Lexus ES, one line per first-use year (darker = newer) all class 4 vehicles at the same age

Lexus ES: share of MOT tests that failed, by age. Only ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests. 'Typical mileage' is n/a where the model's mileage bands cover less than 80% of the national mix.
Age	MOT tests	Raw	Typical mileage	All class 4	Difference
3	4,579	6.4%	6.3%	12.1%	−5.7 pts
4	3,297	7.1%	7.2%	13.2%	−6.0 pts
5	1,851	6.8%	6.8%	14.6%	−7.8 pts

Lower MOT fail rate than average: 6.4% raw · 6.3% at typical mileage, against 12.1% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 3, 4,579 MOT tests. Which years? See the full verdict

First-use year with fewer MOT fails than cars the same age: 2021 (raw rates, not adjusted for mileage; each against 2,669 or more MOT tests).

What fails on a Lexus ES at 3 years

No part fails clearly more or less often than on cars the same age at 3 or more ages up to 18 years, so each is shown as about average.

What failed at 3 years, per 100 MOT tests (4,579 MOT tests), against all class 4 vehicles tested at 3. A test that fails on two parts counts for both.
Part	Per 100	All class 4	Compared	Most common fail
Tyres	3.7	4.8	about average for cars the same age	Tyre has ply or cords exposed (MOT fail)
Visibility	1.3	2.8	about average for cars the same age	Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (MOT fail)
Lights and electrics	1.1	2.9	about average for cars the same age	Headlamp aim too low (MOT fail)
Brakes	0.2	1.7	about average for cars the same age
Suspension	0.2	0.6	about average for cars the same age
Number plates and VIN	0.1	0.2	about average for cars the same age

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Check one Lexus ES, not the average

The figures here describe Lexus ES cars as a group. A registration shows one car's own DVSA record: its MOT tests, the mileage at each test and the recall flag.

Check a Lexus ES's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
Mileage check on a Lexus ES The odometer reading from each MOT, with drops, jumps and long gaps flagged.
Check a Lexus ES for an outstanding recall Whether DVSA's MOT record flags an outstanding safety recall for that registration.

More Lexus ES data

Lexus ES recalls

2 DVSA recalls list this model by name [2]. Vehicles are DVSA's count of affected Lexus ES vehicles. The latest:

R/2025/467 Parking Assist ECU reprogram on multiple models (638 vehicles of this model), built Aug 2022 to Sep 2025. From the recall's stated risk: “For certain vehicles equipped with a Parking Assist ECU a component of the Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system that displays the rear view image the…”
R/2024/252 Camera Replacement on Multiple Models (778 vehicles of this model), built Feb 2023 to Aug 2023. From the recall's stated risk: “Due to insufficient laser welding of the camera case at the supplier during a specific production period there is a possibility that the camera case may…”

Ask the seller for proof the work was done. Check any car on GOV.UK

Lexus ES against similar cars at 3 years

Same class and fuel, all tested at 3 years, at typical mileage.

Model	Fail rate	95% range	MOT tests
Lexus ES	6.3%	5.7% to 7.1%	4,579
Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT fail rate	11.9%	11.6% to 12.1%	49,103
BMW 4 Series MOT fail rate	12.3%	11.9% to 12.6%	30,556
Audi A5 MOT fail rate	11.5%	11.1% to 11.9%	25,388
Citroen C5 MOT fail rate	15.4%	14.7% to 16.1%	12,614
Volkswagen Arteon MOT fail rate	12.0%	11.3% to 12.8%	7,393
Porsche Panamera MOT fail rate	11.2%	9.9% to 12.7%	1,981
Lexus IS MOT fail rate	10.3%	9.0% to 11.7%	1,906

Other Lexus models

More Lexus ES data

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By part

Problems, recalls and costs

Lexus repair costs

Questions people ask

How often does a Lexus ES fail its MOT at 3 years?

6.3% of MOT tests at 3 years ended in a fail at typical mileage (6.4% as tested), from 4,579 MOT tests, against 12.1% for all class 4 vehicles the same age; the Mercedes-Benz C-Class was at 11.9%.

What fails most on a Lexus ES at 3 years?

3.7 in 100 MOT tests at 3 years failed on tyres, most often "tyre has ply or cords exposed", then visibility (1.3) and lights and electrics (1.1), from 4,579 MOT tests.

How does the Lexus ES compare with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class?

At 3 years the Lexus ES failed 6.3% of MOT tests at typical mileage, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class 11.9% and the BMW 4 Series 12.3%, from 4,579, 49,103 and 30,556 MOT tests.

Sources

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 9,727 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Vehicle safety recalls data. DVSA recall data. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Cars tested at 3 years are compared only with vehicles tested at 3 years in the same year, adjusted to typical mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data.