3,406 tests in 2025
Lexus Is220 reliability and MOT pass rate
75.6% passed first time. The 24.4% fail rate is 1.8 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 126,610 miles.
Pass rate
75.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
126,610 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 6 | — |
| 14+ years | 3,400 | 24.4% |
What the Is220 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous48.7%
- Brakes177 dangerous44.4%
- Tyres287 dangerous31.5%
- Suspension15 dangerous21.3%
- Visibility12.9%
- Body, chassis, structure14 dangerous10.8%
- Noise, emissions and leaks10.8%
- Steering1 dangerous2.8%
Is the Is220 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1 point to 24.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,616 | 14 | 23.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 5,598 | 15 | 23.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,182 | 16 | 25.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 3,406 | 17 | 24.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Is220 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 Is220 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working156 tests
- 2Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect122 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm114 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick90 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak76 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively69 tests
- 7Headlamp: not working on dipped beam60 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded54 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Is220 collects 3.06 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 1.6mm725 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened438 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded371 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick337 tests
- 5Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened291 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure258 tests
- 7Headlamp: has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced251 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak246 tests
Questions
What is the Lexus Is220 MOT pass rate?
75.6% of the 3,406 Lexus Is220 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Lexus Is220 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 156 failed tests, followed by "Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 48.7% of failures, brakes appears in 44.4% of failures, tyres appears in 31.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 24.4%. The median Lexus Is220 tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 126,610 miles.
Is the Lexus Is220 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1 point to 24.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.3 points, 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 Is220 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 Is220?
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.