Lexus IS250 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Lexus IS250 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Lexus IS250 passed on its first attempt in 80.2%, and its overall record sits +2.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Lexus IS250 in the 2023–2025 data: 33,197 tests across 8 model years (2005–2012). 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 IS250 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Lexus IS250, 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 IS250's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Lexus IS250 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Lexus IS250, each with how many of the model's 33,197 tests it was noted on.

• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 1,376 Lexus IS250 tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 1,159 Lexus IS250 tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,070 Lexus IS250 tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 524 Lexus IS250 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rear reflectors defective or damaged by up to 50% of the reflecting surface" (Minor) — noted on about 430 Lexus IS250 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp not working on dipped beam" (Major) — noted on about 354 Lexus IS250 tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Lexus IS250 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Lexus IS250 model year on record is 2012 (88.7% across 1,372 tests), and the weakest is 2005 (80.2%). The gap between them is 8.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Lexus IS250 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.3 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 IS250 Owners

These checks follow this Lexus IS250's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Lexus IS250.

• 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.

• 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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Lexus IS250. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Lexus IS250 MOT & Reliability