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Lexus ES, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

6,530 Lexus ES cars are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 93.7% of initial MOT tests, 21.4 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific ES? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Lexus ES at the MOT

93.7% of 4,606 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the ES 11th of 575 models. 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%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Lexus ES93.7%
  • All Lexus modelsThe ES is 9.7 pts ahead84%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Lexus ES tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years3,098 tests93.1%
  • 6 to 10 years333 tests93.7%

Where ES cars fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Lexus ES tests in 2025.

  • Tyres45.1%
  • Visibility24.3%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment11.6%
  • Brakes9.7%
  • Suspension4.5%

The 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%).

The MOT page lists every common ES MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Lexus ES MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The ES's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks 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

Lexus ES cars in the UK

6,530 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 228% since the end of 2020.

Change since 2020
+228%from 1,989 licensed
First registered in 2025
308against 1,874 in 2023
Declared off the road
941.4% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Lexus ES cars since 2018

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 20182
End of 2019970
End of 20201,989
End of 20213,406
End of 20224,440
End of 20236,023
End of 20246,283
End of 20256,442
End of June 20266,530

ES engine sizes

2.5 litre engines made up 99% of Lexus ES MOT tests in 2025. Hybrid electric accounts for 100% of licensed ES cars.

Lexus ES recalls

6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Lexus ES. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every ES is affected.

  1. Dec 2025 R/2025/467

    Parking Assist ECU reprogram on multiple models

    ES cars built Aug 2022 to Sep 2025 · 20,855 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    For certain vehicles equipped with a Parking Assist ECU a component of the Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system that displays the rear view image the software may cause the rear view image to freeze or not display
    Remedy
    Reprogram the parking assist ECU.

  2. Aug 2024 R/2024/252

    Camera Replacement on Multiple Models

    ES cars built Feb 2023 to Aug 2023 · 5,786 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Due to insufficient laser welding of the camera case at the supplier during a specific production period there is a possibility that the camera case may separate when exposed to external stress over time allowing water to leak into the camera. If this occurs the circuit inside the camera can short leading to an inability to display an image of the area in front of and/or behind the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Inspect camera and replace if necessary.

  3. Oct 2023 R/2023/280

    Due to the software programming for the DCM memory capacity there is a possibility that the DCM may not complete the shutdown process within a specific period of time when the ignition is turned off causing the DCM to not restart at the next ignition cycle and making the e-Call function unavailable

    ES cars built Jan 2023 to Jun 2023 · 4,261 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles there is a possibility that the DCM may not complete the shutdown process within a specific period of time when the ignition is turned off causing the DCM to not restart at the next ignition cycle and making the e-Call function unavailable. As a result the vehicles do not comply with relevant regulations.
    Remedy
    The software of the DCM (Data Communication Module) will be updated via an Over the Air (OTA) wireless update.

  4. Oct 2020 R/2020/060

    Fuel pump impeller can crack and cause fuel pump to become inoprative

    ES cars built Jul 2017 to Sep 2019 · 6,787 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the low pressure fuel pump located in the fuel tank could become inoperative.
    Remedy
    Replace the fuel pump.

  5. Nov 2019 R/2019/249

    Brake booster pump may stop working

    ES cars built May 2019 · 228 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    An electrical connection within the motor may cause the brake booster pump to stop operating.
    Remedy
    Inspect and replace the brake booster pump assembly if necessary.

  6. May 2019 R/2019/123

    The emergency calling system may not be enabled

    ES cars built Oct 2018 to Mar 2019 · 1,201 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    There is a possibility that the emergency calling system has not been activated.
    Remedy
    Inspect and activate the emergency call system if necessary.
How to check a specific ES for recalls

Other Lexus models

The most-tested Lexus models in 2025, against the ES's 93.7% MOT pass rate.

All 10 Lexus models

Lexus ES FAQs

How many Lexus ES cars are there in the UK?

6,530 Lexus ES cars were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 94 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

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.

Has the Lexus ES had any recalls?

6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Lexus ES. The most recent was published in December 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

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 own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

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.

Already found an ES?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Lexus history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Lexus VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.