Is the Lexus RX reliable?

On MOT evidence the Lexus RX is well above average. It passes 88.2% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 84% 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 RX?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 17.7% of failed Lexus RX 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 RX?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.4% of all Lexus RX tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 61,241 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.

Which Lexus RX years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Lexus RX cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 95.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 73.0%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

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

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 95.0% of Lexus RX tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 73.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Lexus RX MOT pass rate & common failures

From 18,965 recorded MOT tests of the Lexus RX, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Lexus RX passes 88.2% 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 18,965 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 17.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 61,241 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

88.2%national average72.3%unadjusted90.8%range covered84%

The RX is 15.9 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 90.8%; 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 RX tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements17.7%
236 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged16.4%
218 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.4%
178 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A tyre cords visible or damaged11.2%
149 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen10.5%
140 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.6%
114 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
7.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.1%
95 occurrencesLamp not working explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.8%
91 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
9.A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative5.3%
71 occurrencesTyre pressure monitoring system inoperative explained
10.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc3.8%
50 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Lexus RX 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 requirements23.4%
4,443 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn16.7%
3,167 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged10.4%
1,977 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.2%
1,367 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured6.9%
1,310 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.3%
622 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged2.0%
377 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt1.9%
360 tests

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Lexus RX

The 20 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Lexus RX common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a RX, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

RX common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

RX pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Lexus RX passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202295%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201993%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201688%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201384%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier73%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer RX outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The RX fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 61,241
Fuel mix of tested cars: Hybrid99.5%

Trim names grouped into this model (26)

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

RX 200T
RX 330
RX 350H PREMIUM + CVT
RX 350H PREMIUM CVT
RX 400
RX 400 H
RX 400H
RX 400H LIMITED EDTN CVT
RX 400H LTD EDTN EXEC CVT
RX 400H SE/LCVT
RX 400H SR AUTO
RX 450
RX 450 H
RX 450H
RX 450H ADVANCE PAN ROOF CVT
RX 450H ADVANCE SUN ROOF CVT
RX 450H F SPORT CVT
RX 450H LUXURY CVT
RX 450H PREMIER CVT
RX 450H SE CVT
RX 450H SE-1 CVT
RX 450H SE-I CVT
RX 450H SE-L CVT
RX 450H SE-L PREMIER CVT
RX 500H F SPORT AUTO
RX 500H F SPORT TAKUMI AUTO

Check a specific Lexus RX

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 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

Toyota Estima — 80.3% adjusted, ranked 51
Renault Grand Scenic — 59.4% adjusted, ranked 253
Volvo S60 — 76.6% adjusted, ranked 90
Abarth 595 — 76.0% adjusted, ranked 95

Common questions

Is the Lexus RX reliable?: On MOT evidence the Lexus RX is well above average. It passes 88.2% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 84% 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 RX?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 17.7% of failed Lexus RX 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 RX?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.4% of all Lexus RX tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Lexus RX usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 61,241 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.
Which Lexus RX years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Lexus RX cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 95.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 73.0%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Lexus RX get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 95.0% of Lexus RX tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 73.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

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.