The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Lexus RX450H common problems

What fails on the Lexus RX450H at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 6,820 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Lexus RX450H's most common MOT problems are suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, tyres, recorded in 42.3%, 36.9% and 33.5% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2012 cars pass most often (80.1%) and 2011 cars least (72.6%), 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 RX450H 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 6,820 cars.

By component

What wears out on a RX450H

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Lexus RX450H 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.Suspension bushes

    42.3% 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 joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained16.3%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained12.5%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained6.0%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained2.6%

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

  2. 2.Bulbs and lamps

    36.9% 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” — explained28.0%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained2.7%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained2.7%
    • “Headlamp levelling device inoperative” — explained2.2%

    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.Tyres

    33.5% 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” — explained12.5%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained9.6%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained8.6%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained2.8%

    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

  4. 4.Shock absorbers

    12.3% 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” — explained12.3%

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

  5. 5.Brake pads and shoes

    10.8% 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” — explained10.8%

    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

  6. 6.Wiper blades and washers

    10.1% 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” — explained5.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.3%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.9%

    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

  7. 7.Headlamp aim

    7.7% 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” — explained3.3%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained2.9%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained1.4%

  8. 8.Coil springs

    7.4% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained7.4%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

By registration year

RX450H problems by year

MOT pass rate for Lexus RX450H 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 2012, up 7.5 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200975%
201075%+0.4
201173%−2.4
201280%+7.5

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 RX450H owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Lexus RX450H tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the RX450H file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Lexus RX450H?
Going by what fails the MOT, suspension bushes (recorded in 42.3% of failed tests), bulbs and lamps (recorded in 36.9% of failed tests), and tyres (recorded in 33.5% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 6,820 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Lexus RX450H year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Lexus RX450H cars registered in 2012 do best at 80.1% and 2011 cars do worst at 72.6%. 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 2012, up 7.5 points on 2011.
Is the Lexus RX450H reliable?
The Lexus RX450H passes 75.1% 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 RX450H?
Start with what fails most: suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, tyres. 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