4,173 tests in 2025
Lexus Es reliability and MOT pass rate
95.4% passed first time. The 4.6% fail rate is 18.0 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 4 years old with 35,124 miles.
Pass rate
95.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 4.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
35,124 mi
4 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 3,088 | 4.8% |
| 6-9 years | 806 | 4.6% |
| 10-13 years | 3 | — |
| 14+ years | 4 | — |
What the Es fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres100 dangerous63.9%
- Visibility16.5%
- Brakes9 dangerous9.3%
- Suspension8.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment5.7%
- Identification of the vehicle2.1%
- Body, chassis, structure1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks0.5%
Is the Es getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.1 points to 4.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 1 point, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,130 | 3 | 5.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,205 | 3 | 4.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,893 | 4 | 4.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,156 | 4 | 4.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Es at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Es in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has ply or cords exposed44 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords42 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm22 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively19 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak17 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick9 tests
- 7Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative7 tests
- 8Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid7 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Es collects 1.89 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm466 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure140 tests
- 3Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords88 tests
- 4Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre68 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm63 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick53 tests
- 7Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened49 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt35 tests
Questions
What is the Lexus Es MOT pass rate?
95.4% of the 4,173 Lexus Es first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 4.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Lexus Es usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has ply or cords exposed", recorded on 44 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, tyres appears in 63.9% of failures, visibility appears in 16.5% of failures, brakes appears in 9.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 4.8%; at 6-9 years it was 4.6%. The median Lexus Es tested in 2025 was 4 years old with 35,124 miles.
Is the Lexus Es getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.1 points to 4.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 1 point, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Es trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Lexus models
Checking a particular Es?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.