Pass rate
84.8%
Around average — 11.7 pts ahead of the 73.1% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 138 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £22–£65
2008 Lexus Rx MOT pass rate
- 2008
- 4 trims combined
- typical 147,776 mi
Most common fault
Suspension
30.5% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2021 96.9% pass
- Avoid 2007 80.2% pass
Across the 16 years on record, a spread of 16.7 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 82.4%
- Typical mileage
- 148k mi
The 2008 Lexus Rx MOT pass rate is 84.8% of its MOT tests — 11.7 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 30.5% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Lexus Rx does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Suspension: 1.5× the national share
Suspension accounts for 30.5% of everything recorded on the 2008 Lexus Rx, against 21.0% nationally — 9.5 points above. Ask for the front and rear suspension to be checked on a ramp before you buy — worn bushes and broken springs are cheap to look at and expensive to discover at test time.
- Beats its own age and mileage. Once you allow for how old and how far these cars have been driven, the expected pass rate is 73.1% and this one manages 84.8% — 11.7 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- Failures here tend to be cheap ones. 57% of the repairs this model fails on cost under £30 in parts. The pass rate matters less than what a bad afternoon at the test centre actually costs you.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Lexus Rx? Get an email when these numbers change .
Every Lexus Rx first registered in 2008 is combined here — 4 trim and body variants in total — so the sample is as large as the DVSA data allows.
How does the 2008 Lexus Rx compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 73.1%, so this figure is 11.7 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 82.4%. The median 2008 Lexus Rx in this dataset had covered 147,776 mi.
Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 86.7% of the time, April–September 81.3%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources", noted on 6.52% of tests.
- 138 recorded tests behind this page.
- 84.8% overall pass rate, 82.4% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Lexus Rx, the average is 93.7% — best year 2021 (96.9%), worst 2007 (80.2%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 138
- Typical mileage (median)
- 147,776 mi
- Make and model
- Lexus Rx
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Number Plate Lamp
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the Rx MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 72% so small gaps stay visible.
Regional pass rates for the Rx
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 52 | 82.7% |
| London | 41 | 87.8% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2008 Rx
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2008 Rx
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 6.5% of tests
“registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
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.
-
Check the suspension joints 5.1% of tests
“ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
Check the wipers and washers 2.2% of tests
“washers provides insufficient washer liquid”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2008 Rx through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £22–£65 — and 57% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £22–£65
- Cheapest common item: washers provides insufficient washer liquid
- £5–£15
- Dearest common item: joints constant velocity boot severely…
- £80–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 80%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 57%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 138 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the Rx, side by side
16 model years on record, from 2007 to 2022. Across them the pass rate runs from 80.2% to 96.9% — a spread of 16.7 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2007 80.2% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2008 84.8%registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2009 84.2% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2010 84.6% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2011 85.2% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2012 88.3% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2013 90.2% ball joint dust cover severely…
- 2014 90.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2015 91.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2016 94.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2017 94.9% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 95.9% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2019 96.3% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2020 96.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2021 96.9% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2022 96.6% windscreen damaged but not…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2008 Lexus Rx with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2008 cars with a similar record
- Toyota Estima 84.8%
- Porsche Cayman 84.8%
- Toyota Alphard 83.8%
- Porsche Cayenne 83.4%
- Mercedes-Benz Sl 86.7%
- Audi A8 87.0%
Closest pass rates among 2008 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2008 Lexus Rx 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 291 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 89 | 30.50% | 20.98% | +9.52 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 53 | 18.20% | 12.21% | +5.99 |
| Tyres | 48 | 16.40% | 19.76% | −3.36 |
| Brakes | 33 | 11.30% | 20.89% | −9.59 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 27 | 9.20% | 5.57% | +3.63 |
| Visibility | 13 | 4.50% | 4.97% | −0.47 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9 | 3.10% | 5.52% | −2.42 |
| Non-component advisories | 9 | 3.10% | 4.18% | −1.08 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 9 | 3.10% | 1.76% | +1.34 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1 | 0.30% | 0.82% | −0.52 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 6.5% | £5–20 |
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 5.1% | £18–45 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 5.1% | £5–25 |
| Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated Body, chassis, structure | Minor | 4.3% | £80–250 |
| Headlamp lens slightly defective Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 3.6% | £5–25 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Rectified | 3.6% | £5–25 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 2.9% | £18–45 |
| Washers provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | Rectified | 2.2% | £5–15 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 2.2% | £80–200 |
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | Major | 1.4% | £18–45 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 22.5% | £40–150 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 21.0% | £45–95 |
| Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak Suspension | Advisory | 10.9% | £30–75 |
| Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 10.1% | £180–450 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 8.0% | £45–110 |
| Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | Advisory | 8.0% | £45–120 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 5 | 80.0% | 42,544 mi |
| 60-90k | 6 | 100.0% | 76,618 mi |
| 90-120k | 6 | 100.0% | 112,999 mi |
| 120k+ | 121 | 83.5% | 161,849 mi |
Source: 138 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2008 Rx MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2008 Lexus Rx?
84.8% of the 138 2008 Lexus Rx tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 73.1% for cars first used in 2008. First-attempt pass rate: 82.4%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2008 Lexus Rx?
The three most recorded items are registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (6.52%), ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.07%), position lamp not working (5.07%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2008 Lexus Rx MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 80.0% of the time, falling to 83.5% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2008 Lexus Rx in this dataset had covered 147,776 mi.
Does the season affect the 2008 Lexus Rx MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 86.7% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 81.3%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.