The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Lexus NX common problems

What fails on the Lexus NX at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 31,766 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Lexus NX's most common MOT problems are tyres, suspension bushes, wiper blades and washers, recorded in 51.7%, 27.4% and 23.9% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2022 cars pass most often (95.5%) and 2015 cars least (85.7%), 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 NX 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 31,766 cars.

By component

What wears out on a NX

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Lexus NX 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

    51.7% 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 seriously damaged” — explained20.5%
    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained14.2%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained11.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained2.0%

    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.Suspension bushes

    27.4% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained17.2%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained5.4%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained2.6%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained2.1%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  3. 3.Wiper blades and washers

    23.9% 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” — explained21.7%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.3%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained0.9%

    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.Brake pads and shoes

    16.3% 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” — explained15.2%
    • “Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator” — explained1.0%

    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

  5. 5.Tyre pressure sensors

    5.5% 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” — explained5.5%

  6. 6.Brake discs

    5.3% 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.

    • “Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn” — explained3.9%
    • “Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured” — explained1.3%

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

  7. 7.Bulbs and lamps

    4.5% of failed tests

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

    • “A headlamp cleaning device inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)” — explained2.1%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained1.0%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.9%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained0.4%

    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

  8. 8.Seat belts

    3.4% of failed tests

    Webbing frays and buckles stick; a corroded anchorage is structural and fails as such.

    • “Seat belt retractor not functioning as intended” — explained1.2%
    • “Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type” — explained1.0%
    • “Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended” — explained0.7%
    • “Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended” — explained0.4%

By registration year

NX problems by year

MOT pass rate for Lexus NX 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. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

201586%
201688%+2.2
201789%+1.3
201890%+0.9
201990%−0.3
202092%+1.7
202192%+0.7
202296%+3.2

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 NX owners about

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

Go deeper

The rest of the NX file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Lexus NX?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 51.7% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 27.4% of failed tests), and wiper blades and washers (recorded in 23.9% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 31,766 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Lexus NX year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Lexus NX cars registered in 2022 do best at 95.5% and 2015 cars do worst at 85.7%. 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.
Is the Lexus NX reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Lexus NX passes 89.3% 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 NX?
Start with what fails most: tyres, suspension bushes, 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