The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Lexus IS common problems

What fails on the Lexus IS at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 15,275 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Lexus IS's most common MOT problems are tyres, bulbs and lamps, wiper blades and washers, recorded in 63.0%, 20.1% and 13.8% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2018 cars pass most often (91.2%) and 2013 cars least (83.0%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Lexus IS that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 15,275 cars.

By component

What wears out on a IS

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Lexus IS tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    63.0% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained18.5%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained16.7%
    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained13.6%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.6%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Bulbs and lamps

    20.1% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained9.7%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained4.5%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained3.4%
    • “A headlamp cleaning device inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)” — explained2.5%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  3. 3.Wiper blades and washers

    13.8% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained9.4%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.5%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.8%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  4. 4.Headlamp aim

    13.6% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained4.6%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained4.0%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained2.7%
    • “Headlamp aim unable to be tested” — explained2.2%

  5. 5.Tyre pressure sensors

    8.5% of failed tests

    Valve-mounted sensors have sealed batteries that expire after roughly seven to ten years; a system fault lamp is a failure on cars first used from 2012.

    • “A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative” — explained8.5%

  6. 6.Brake pads and shoes

    7.0% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained7.0%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long brake pads and shoes last

  7. 7.Brake discs

    5.7% of failed tests

    Discs thin with each pad set and pit or corrode when lightly used; failure is for significant wear, fracture or insecurity, advisory for surface condition.

    • “Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.” — explained2.2%
    • “Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn” — explained2.1%
    • “Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured” — explained1.4%

    Across all cars, brake discs failures climb 3-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long brake discs last

  8. 8.Brake pipes

    3.9% of failed tests

    Steel pipes under the car corrode from salt and moisture, fastest on cars kept outside in wet or coastal areas; failure is for excessive corrosion or damage.

    • “Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded” — explained3.9%

    Across all cars, brake pipes failures climb from nothing between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long brake pipes last

By registration year

IS problems by year

MOT pass rate for Lexus IS cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2017, up 4.7 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201383%
201485%+1.9
201586%+1.0
201685%−0.6
201790%+4.7
201891%+1.2
201989%−1.9

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn IS owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Lexus IS tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the IS file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Lexus IS?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 63.0% of failed tests), bulbs and lamps (recorded in 20.1% of failed tests), and wiper blades and washers (recorded in 13.8% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 15,275 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Lexus IS year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Lexus IS cars registered in 2018 do best at 91.2% and 2013 cars do worst at 83.0%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2017, up 4.7 points on 2016.
Is the Lexus IS reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Lexus IS passes 84.3% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Lexus IS?
Start with what fails most: tyres, bulbs and lamps, wiper blades and washers. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of