93.7%
Lexus ES
Lexus ES MOT pass rate and common problems
The Lexus ES passed 93.7% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 21.4 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the ES compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
84%
Lexus average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The ES runs 9.8 points ahead of the Lexus average. It is 1st of the 10 Lexus models in the data. The average ES arrived at its test 4.2 years old with 44,780 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
ES MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
Lexus ES cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 93.1% of MOT tests. For cars aged 6 to 10 years it rose to 93.7%, 0.6 percentage points higher.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 3,098 | 93.1% | 20.8 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 333 | 93.7% | 21.4 pts above |
| 11 years and over (small sample) | 8 | 75% | 2.7 pts above |
Older examples test at least as well as newer ones here, which usually says more about how the surviving cars have been kept than about age itself. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where ES failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Lexus ES cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Tyres and visibility together account for 69.3% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common ES MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Lexus ES cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 79.2% of everything testers recorded against failed Lexus ES cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a ES
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Tyres
Recorded most often: condition has ply or cords exposed, condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm and condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. 37.6% of failure items.
2
Visibility
Recorded most often: wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively and washers provides insufficient washer liquid. 22.5% of failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: headlamp aim too low. 8.2% of failure items.
4
Suspension
Recorded most often: shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak. 4.5% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific ES has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Lexus ES buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Lexus ES MOT FAQs
What is the Lexus ES MOT pass rate?
93.7% of Lexus ES cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 4,606 tests. That is 21.4 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 11th of 575 models.
What does a Lexus ES most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Lexus ES cars failing their 2025 MOT was wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively, on 20.3% of failure items. Next were 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%).
Which area causes the most Lexus ES MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was tyres at 45.1%, followed by visibility at 24.3%.
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, against 93.7% for cars aged 6 to 10 years.
Does this mean every Lexus ES has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Lexus ES that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific Lexus ES's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.