How reliable is the Lexus ES compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Lexus ES, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 93.7% across 4,598 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Lexus ES?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 25.6% of failed Lexus ES tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Lexus ES?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 17.9% of all Lexus ES tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Lexus ES usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 44,775 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

Lexus ES MOT pass rate & common failures

From 4,598 recorded MOT tests of the Lexus ES, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 4,598 MOT tests, 93.7% of Lexus ES tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Lexus ES fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre cords visible or damaged, which appears in 25.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 44,775 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

93.7%unadjusted, not comparable4,598 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the ES. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 4,598 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Lexus ES tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre cords visible or damaged25.6%
54 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged23.2%
49 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.2%
32 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen13.3%
28 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage8.5%
18 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm5.2%
11 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged4.3%
9 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements4.3%
9 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
9.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen3.3%
7 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative3.3%
7 occurrencesTyre pressure monitoring system inoperative explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Lexus ES tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements17.9%
821 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged5.4%
248 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged2.7%
122 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.2%
101 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Nail in tyre1.7%
79 tests
6.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured1.6%
75 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm1.6%
75 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
8.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt1.0%
44 tests

What gets tested

The ES fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 44,775
Fuel mix of tested cars: Hybrid99.8%

Trim names grouped into this model (5)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

ES 250
ES 300H PREMIUM CVT
ES 300H PREMIUM EDITION CVT
ES 300H TAKUMI CVT
ES 350

Check a specific Lexus ES

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Lexus models

Lexus NX — 89.3% adjusted
Lexus CT — 85.0% adjusted
Lexus RX — 88.2% adjusted
Lexus UX — 93.7% unadjusted
Lexus IS — 84.3% adjusted
Lexus IS250 — 73.7% unadjusted
All Lexus models

Common questions

How reliable is the Lexus ES compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Lexus ES, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 93.7% across 4,598 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Lexus ES?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 25.6% of failed Lexus ES tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Lexus ES?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 17.9% of all Lexus ES tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Lexus ES usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 44,775 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.