Lexus Is MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Lexus Is MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Lexus Is passed on its first attempt in 84.1%, and its overall record sits +5.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Lexus Is in the 2023–2025 data: 8,659 tests across 11 model years (2005–2017). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Lexus Is MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Lexus Is, 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.

Shares are over the Lexus Is's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Lexus Is DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Lexus Is, each with how many of the model's 8,659 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 233 Lexus Is tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 168 Lexus Is tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 164 Lexus Is tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp not working on dipped beam" (Major) — noted on about 99 Lexus Is tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 88 Lexus Is tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 83 Lexus Is tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Lexus Is Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Lexus Is model year on record is 2014 (90.8% across 163 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (78.7%). The gap between them is 12.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Lexus Is reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.0 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Lexus Is Owners

These checks follow this Lexus Is's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Lexus Is.

• 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.

• 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 battery — “battery(ies) insecure”

  Check the battery is secure and its terminals are clean and tight — a loose battery is a fail on its own, and a weak one shows up as slow cranking on a cold morning.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Lexus Is. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Lexus Is MOT & Reliability