Pass rate, every year
553 tests across 4 model years, 2008–2011.
+9.9 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
553 tests across 4 model years, 2008–2011.
+9.9 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2011 94.3%
The strongest of the 4 years on record. See the 2011 page →
Worst year to buy
2010 89.7%
4.6 points below the 2011 peak. See the 2010 page →
The Lexus Is F MOT pass rate is 90.9%, +9.9 percentage points above the UK average. That is 553 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2008 and 2011. This page lists the most common Lexus Is F MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
The Lexus Is F passed on its first attempt in 90.2%, and its overall record sits +9.9 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Lexus Is F in the 2023–2025 data: 553 tests across 4 model years (2008–2011). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 553 |
| Overall pass rate | 90.9% |
| Passed on first attempt | 90.2% |
| Average mileage at test | 89,199 mi |
| Model years covered | 2008–2011 (4 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +9.9 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Lexus Is F, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 35% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 18% |
| Brakes | 16% |
| Visibility | 16% |
| Tyres | 8% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3% |
| Steering | 3% |
| Suspension | 1% |
Shares are over the Lexus Is F's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 35% of the recorded Lexus Is F failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (1.4%), "Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier" (1.3%), "Position lamp not working" (0.7%) among the Lexus Is F's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 18% of the recorded Lexus Is F failures fall in the Noise, emissions and leaks section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (1.6%), "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (0.7%), "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (0.2%) among the Lexus Is F's noise, emissions and leaks faults.
Around 16% of the recorded Lexus Is F failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (0.5%), "Electronic stability control warning lamp indicates a fault" (0.4%), "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (0.4%) among the Lexus Is F's brakes faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Lexus Is F, each with how many of the model's 553 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Lexus Is F model year on record is 2011 (94.3% across 106 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (89.7%). The gap between them is 4.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Lexus Is F reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Is F | 106 | 94.3% |
| 2010 Is F | 126 | 89.7% |
| 2009 Is F | 108 | 89.8% |
| 2008 Is F | 213 | 90.6% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Lexus Is F's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Lexus Is F.
the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
the lights — “headlamp lens slightly defective”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Lexus Is F. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
90.9% of the 553 recorded Lexus Is F MOT tests ended in a pass, +9.9 percentage points above the national average. 90.2% of those passed on the first attempt.
2011 is the strongest Lexus Is F year on record at 94.3%, while 2010 is the weakest at 89.7%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Lexus Is F failures are "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" and "Headlamp lens slightly defective" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Noise, emissions and leaks section.