Is the Lexus NX reliable?

On MOT evidence the Lexus NX is well above average. It passes 89.3% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

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

The item recorded most often is "Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen", which appears in 21.7% of failed Lexus NX 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 NX?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.4% of all Lexus NX tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 49,544 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.

Does a Lexus NX get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 92.9% of Lexus NX tests pass. By 9 to 11 years, that falls to 86.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Lexus NX models petrol or diesel?

Of the Lexus NX cars tested, 99% are hybrid, 1% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Lexus NX MOT pass rate & common failures

From 31,766 recorded MOT tests of the Lexus NX, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Lexus NX passes 89.3% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well above average. Based on 31,766 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, which appears in 21.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 49,544 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

89.3%national average72.3%unadjusted90.2%range covered62%

The NX is 17.0 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 90.2%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen21.7%
467 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged20.5%
442 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn17.2%
371 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm15.2%
328 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements14.2%
306 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged11.8%
253 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative5.5%
118 occurrencesTyre pressure monitoring system inoperative explained
8.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc5.4%
117 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
9.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.9%
85 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
10.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc2.6%
55 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Lexus NX 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 requirements20.4%
6,467 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged14.6%
4,633 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.5%
3,956 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured7.1%
2,255 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.8%
2,161 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.4%
1,090 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.4%
1,066 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2.2%
702 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs93%

6–8 yrs90%

9–11 yrs87%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The NX fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 49,544
Fuel mix of tested cars: Hybrid99.4%
Petrol0.5%

Trim names grouped into this model (13)

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

NX 300 H
NX 300 LUXURY CVT
NX 300H
NX 300H 4X2 CVT
NX 300H SPORT CVT
NX 350H 4X2 CVT
NX 350H CVT
NX 350H F SPORT CVT
NX 350H TAKUMI CVT
NX 450H + F SPORT PHEV CVT
NX 450H + PHEV CVT
NX 450H + TAKUMI PHEV CVT
NX 450H PREMIUM PHEV CVT

Check a specific Lexus NX

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

Compare within the range

Other Lexus models

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
Lexus RX450H — 75.1% unadjusted
All Lexus models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Porsche Cayenne — 85.3% adjusted, ranked 18
Suzuki Ignis — 73.5% adjusted, ranked 127
Porsche Boxster — 85.7% adjusted, ranked 16
Ford Transit Courier — 72.6% adjusted, ranked 138

Common questions

Is the Lexus NX reliable?: On MOT evidence the Lexus NX is well above average. It passes 89.3% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Lexus NX?: The item recorded most often is "Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen", which appears in 21.7% of failed Lexus NX 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 NX?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.4% of all Lexus NX tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Lexus NX usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 49,544 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.
Does a Lexus NX get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 92.9% of Lexus NX tests pass. By 9 to 11 years, that falls to 86.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Lexus NX models petrol or diesel?: Of the Lexus NX cars tested, 99% are hybrid, 1% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.