Pass rate, every year
25,530 tests across 5 model years, 2005–2009.
+0.2 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
25,530 tests across 5 model years, 2005–2009.
+0.2 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2009 82.9%
The strongest of the 5 years on record. See the 2009 page →
Worst year to buy
2005 78.5%
4.4 points below the 2009 peak. See the 2005 page →
The Lexus RX400H MOT pass rate is 81.2%, +0.2 percentage points above the UK average. That is 25,530 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2005 and 2009. This page lists the most common Lexus RX400H MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Lexus RX400H MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Lexus RX400H passed on its first attempt in 77.8%, and its overall record sits +0.2 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Lexus RX400H in the 2023–2025 data: 25,530 tests across 5 model years (2005–2009). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 25,530 |
| Overall pass rate | 81.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 77.8% |
| Average mileage at test | 135,833 mi |
| Model years covered | 2005–2009 (5 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +0.2 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 RX400H, 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 | 42% |
| Suspension | 33% |
| Visibility | 13% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11% |
| Brakes | 2% |
Shares are over the Lexus RX400H's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 42% of the recorded Lexus RX400H failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (5.7%), "Position lamp not working" (5.7%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (2.2%) among the Lexus RX400H's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 33% of the recorded Lexus RX400H failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (6.1%), "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (2.6%), "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (0.9%) among the Lexus RX400H's suspension faults.
Around 13% of the recorded Lexus RX400H failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.2%), "Mirrors slightly damaged" (1.9%) among the Lexus RX400H's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Lexus RX400H, each with how many of the model's 25,530 tests it was noted on.
8 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model. One has a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-frame mounting corroded | 1.9% | 0.3% | 6.3× | £180–£450 |
| Mirrors slightly damaged | 2.3% | 0.4% | 5.7× | £3–£15 |
| Suspension component corroded | 1.7% | 0.3% | 5.7× | £180–£450 |
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 6.1% | 1.3% | 4.7× | £18–£45 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated | 2.6% | 0.6% | 4.3× | £18–£45 |
| Suspension pin or bush excessively worn | 32.7% | 8.0% | 4.1× | £40–£150 part £35–£75 |
| Sub-frame corroded | 8.8% | 2.4% | 3.7× | £180–£450 |
| Registration plate inscription illegible | 6.9% | 2.8% | 2.5× | £20–£80 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (25,530 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items RX400H records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
The strongest Lexus RX400H model year on record is 2009 (82.9% across 3,624 tests), and the weakest is 2005 (78.5%). The gap between them is 4.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Lexus RX400H 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 RX400H | 3,624 | 82.9% |
| 2008 RX400H | 6,853 | 82.4% |
| 2007 RX400H | 7,481 | 80.7% |
| 2006 RX400H | 5,082 | 80.3% |
| 2005 RX400H | 2,490 | 78.5% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Lexus RX400H's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Lexus RX400H.
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 — “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.
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 RX400H. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
81.2% of the 25,530 recorded Lexus RX400H MOT tests ended in a pass, +0.2 percentage points above the national average. 77.8% of those passed on the first attempt.
2009 is the strongest Lexus RX400H year on record at 82.9%, while 2005 is the weakest at 78.5%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Lexus RX400H failures are "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" and "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" — together around 12% of tests, mostly in the Suspension section.