Lexus RX300 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Lexus RX300 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Lexus RX300 passed on its first attempt in 73.1%, and its overall record sits −3.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Lexus RX300 in the 2023–2025 data: 12,427 tests across 7 model years (2000–2006). 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 RX300 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Lexus RX300, 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 RX300's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Lexus RX300 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Lexus RX300, each with how many of the model's 12,427 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 650 Lexus RX300 tests, 5.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 561 Lexus RX300 tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Mirrors slightly damaged" (Minor) — noted on about 360 Lexus RX300 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 356 Lexus RX300 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 344 Lexus RX300 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 344 Lexus RX300 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Lexus RX300 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Lexus RX300 model year on record is 2006 (78.7% across 1,016 tests), and the weakest is 2002 (71.2%). The gap between them is 7.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Lexus RX300 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 RX300 Owners

These checks follow this Lexus RX300's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Lexus RX300.

• the suspension joints — “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.

• 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 RX300. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Lexus RX300 is most common

Across every RX300 model year on record (2000–2006): 5,222 Lexus RX300 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 12,427 tests. Ipswich (IP) has the most, with 234 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Lexus RX300 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Lexus RX300 MOT & Reliability