Common problems
Lexus GS common problems
What MOT testers find on the Lexus GS: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 27,787 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 17 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- No part area of the Lexus GS fails more than 1 point per 100 MOTs above all cars at 17 years old (n=3,052; all cars n=4,040,458).
- Suspension fails are less common: 4.9 per 100 MOTs against 17.2 for all cars at the same age.
- The fail item testers record most often at 17 years: side/position light not working, on 4.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars 5.8).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 15.0 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 17 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 12.0 | 21.0 | 8.1 | 16.9 |
| Brakes | 9.1 | 12.3 | 22.2 | 31.1 |
| Tyres | 5.8 | 7.3 | 23.1 | 28.1 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 5.7 | 6.5 | 3.7 | 13.2 |
| Suspension | 4.9 | 17.2 | 21.8 | 34.7 |
| Body and structure | 3.2 | 8.3 | 10.8 | 13.9 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 2.1 | 7.1 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 1.2 |
| Steering | 0.5 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 5.1 |
| Road wheels | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.4 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.4 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 5.2 |
What testers fail most on the GS at 17 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side/position light not working | Lights and electrics | 4.3 | 5.8 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 4.0 | 2.2 | diagnosis from £39 (rough guide) |
| Shock absorber leaking | Suspension | 3.1 | 1.6 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 2.8 | 1.7 | £16 to £39 per car (rough guide) |
| Dipped headlight not working | Lights and electrics | 2.4 | 2.2 | £18 to £86 per lamp |
| Electronic stability control: warning lamp indicates a fault | Brakes | 2.2 | 0.3 | |
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | Brakes | 2.1 | 1.9 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm | Tyres | 1.9 | 3.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases | Body and structure | 1.9 | 1.9 | £182 to £263 per section |
| Handbrake too weak | Brakes | 1.9 | 2.7 |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 17 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 15.0 | 17.9 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil | Suspension | 11.1 | 4.1 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 8.3 | 6.6 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases | Body and structure | 8.3 | 4.8 | £182 to £263 per section |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 7.9 | 11.3 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 5.7 | 9.6 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | Brakes | 4.9 | 10.5 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Suspension | 4.5 | 8.7 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Headlamp: has a product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output | Lights and electrics | 3.9 | 3.3 | £28 to £98 per lamp (rough guide) |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread | Number plates and VIN | 3.1 | 5.1 | £23 to £63 per plate (rough guide) |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Lights and electrics | Brakes | Tyres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 years | 1,275 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 3.6 |
| 7 years | 1,647 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3.8 |
| 8 years | 1,902 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 5.0 |
| 9 years | 2,135 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 4.5 |
| 10 years | 2,069 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 5.6 |
| 11 years | 1,759 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 5.6 |
| 12 years | 1,414 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 7.0 |
| 13 years | 1,170 | 5.6 | 3.9 | 5.1 |
| 14 years | 1,172 | 10.0 | 5.6 | 6.1 |
| 15 years | 1,970 | 12.0 | 5.5 | 6.3 |
| 16 years | 2,567 | 11.9 | 7.3 | 5.9 |
| 17 years | 3,052 | 12.0 | 9.1 | 5.8 |
| 18 years | 2,504 | 11.9 | 11.3 | 5.4 |
| 19 years | 1,849 | 11.6 | 11.4 | 6.1 |
| 20 years | 1,302 | 13.8 | 10.8 | 5.1 |
What to check on a viewing
On the Lexus GS, testers most often record side/position light not working; malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction; shock absorber leaking. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Brakes
- On the test drive the car should stop in a straight line without pulling, juddering or grinding.
- Look at the discs through the wheels for a deep lip, heavy rust or scoring.
- Check that the handbrake or electronic parking brake holds the car on a slope.
- Ask when the pads, discs and brake fluid were last changed, and for the receipts.
Tyres
- Check the tread across the full width of all four tyres, and the spare if there is one.
- Look for cuts, bulges and cracking in the sidewalls.
- Wear on one edge only can point to worn suspension or the tracking being out.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the Lexus GS?
At 17 years, the age with the most MOT tests (3,052), the fail items testers record most often on the Lexus GS are side/position light not working (4.3 per 100 MOTs), malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (4.0 per 100 MOTs), shock absorber leaking (3.1 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (15.0) and shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (11.1).
Which parts of the Lexus GS fail more often than on other cars?
None by more than 1 point per 100 MOTs at 17 years, compared with 4,040,458 MOTs of all cars the same age.
Lexus GS problems by area
More on the Lexus GS
Other Lexus models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Lexus GS?
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources