77.7%
Lexus IS pass rate
Used Lexus IS buying guide
In 2025, Lexus IS cars passed 77.7% of 34,616 initial MOT tests, 5.4 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific IS? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Lexus IS MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+5.4
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the IS sits 230th of 575 models in the data. Lexus as a brand averaged 84%, so this model runs 6.3 points behind its own brand. Lexus IS cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 72.9%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Lexus IS MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the IS compares with similar cars.
IS fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Lexus IS cars tested in 2025. Diesel still made up 12.8% of tests.
Where the IS fails its MOT
Where Lexus IS 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 position lamp not working (7%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.7%) and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (4.6%). See every common IS MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Lexus IS that failed, not a claim that every IS has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used IS?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
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. 29.7% of IS failure items.
2
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. 17.2% of IS failure items.
3
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. 17% of IS failure items.
4
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 11.7% of IS failure items.
5
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 8.5% of IS 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 IS failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes 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 IS 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 IS.
Used Lexus IS FAQs
Is the Lexus IS 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 77.7% first-time pass rate for the Lexus IS across 34,616 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Lexus IS cars fail their MOT more often?
Lexus IS cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 72.9%. 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 IS?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and tyres. 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 IS'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.