93.7%
Lexus ES pass rate
Used Lexus ES buying guide
In 2025, Lexus ES cars passed 93.7% of 4,606 initial MOT tests, 21.4 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific ES? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Lexus ES MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+21.4
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the ES sits 11th of 575 models in the data. Lexus as a brand averaged 84%, so this model runs 9.8 points ahead of its own brand. Lexus ES cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 93.1% of MOT tests in 2025; examples aged 6 to 10 years did better, at 93.7%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Lexus ES MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the ES compares with similar cars.
ES fuel types
Hybrid electric was the most common fuel among Lexus ES cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the ES fails its MOT
Where Lexus ES cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (20.3%), condition has ply or cords exposed (14.6%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (12.6%). See every common ES MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Lexus ES that failed, not a claim that every ES has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used ES?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 45.1% of ES failure items.
2
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 24.3% of ES failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 11.6% of ES failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 9.7% of ES failure items.
5
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 4.5% of ES failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Lexus ES failures cluster around tyres and visibility tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact ES you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Lexus history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Lexus models
The most-tested Lexus models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the ES.
Used Lexus ES FAQs
Is the Lexus ES reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 93.7% first-time pass rate for the Lexus ES across 4,606 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Lexus ES cars fail their MOT more often?
Lexus ES cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 93.1% of MOT tests in 2025; examples aged 6 to 10 years did better, at 93.7%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Lexus ES?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, visibility and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Lexus ES's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.