The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Lexus IS250 common problems

What fails on the Lexus IS250 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 9,055 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Lexus IS250's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, tyres, headlamp aim, recorded in 37.0%, 35.4% and 25.9% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2010 cars pass most often (78.0%) and 2006 cars least (68.2%), 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 IS250 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 9,055 cars.

By component

What wears out on a IS250

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Lexus IS250 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.Bulbs and lamps

    37.0% of failed tests

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

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained18.0%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained9.5%
    • “Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow” — explained6.0%
    • “Headlamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements” — explained2.1%

    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

  2. 2.Tyres

    35.4% 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.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained13.6%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained8.3%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained6.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.4%

    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

  3. 3.Headlamp aim

    25.9% 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” — explained15.0%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained6.0%
    • “Headlamp aim unable to be tested” — explained3.2%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained1.7%

  4. 4.Brake pads and shoes

    13.5% 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” — explained13.5%

    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

  5. 5.Wiper blades and washers

    12.6% 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” — explained9.3%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.9%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.4%

    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

  6. 6.Shock absorbers

    11.0% of failed tests

    Seals wear and the damper leaks fluid or loses its action; failure is for a leak or no damping, not for being tired.

    • “A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage” — explained11.0%

    Across all cars, shock absorbers failures climb 7-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long shock absorbers last

  7. 7.Catalytic converter and emissions

    10.2% of failed tests

    Catalysts degrade with age and misfires; a failed emissions reading is usually the catalyst, a lambda sensor or a tired engine.

    • “Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer” — explained8.6%
    • “Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits” — explained1.6%

  8. 8.Exhaust system

    9.1% of failed tests

    Silencers and pipes rust through from the inside on short-trip cars; rubber hangers perish.

    • “Exhaust system leaking or insecure” — explained6.9%
    • “An induction or exhaust leak that could affect emissions levels” — explained2.2%

    Across all cars, exhaust system failures climb 104-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long exhaust system last

By registration year

IS250 problems by year

MOT pass rate for Lexus IS250 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 2008, up 4.5 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200668%
200771%+2.4
200875%+4.5
200975%−0.2
201078%+3.1

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 IS250 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Lexus IS250 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the IS250 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Lexus IS250?
Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 37.0% of failed tests), tyres (recorded in 35.4% of failed tests), and headlamp aim (recorded in 25.9% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 9,055 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Lexus IS250 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Lexus IS250 cars registered in 2010 do best at 78.0% and 2006 cars do worst at 68.2%. 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 2008, up 4.5 points on 2007.
Is the Lexus IS250 reliable?
The Lexus IS250 passes 73.7% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. 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 IS250?
Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, tyres, brake pads and shoes. 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