Used Lexus LS buying guide

In 2025, Lexus LS cars passed 79% of 3,139 initial MOT tests, 6.7 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.

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

Lexus LS MOT record in brief

Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.

79%

Lexus LS pass rate

72.3%

UK average, all cars

+6.7

percentage points above average

Ranked on pass rate the LS sits 210th of 575 models in the data. Lexus as a brand averaged 84%, so this model runs 5 points behind its own brand. Lexus LS cars aged 6 to 10 years passed 89.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 78.2%.

A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Lexus LS MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the LS compares with similar cars.

LS fuel types

Petrol was the most common fuel among Lexus LS cars tested in 2025. Diesel made up just 0.2% of tests.

Where the LS fails its MOT

Where Lexus LS cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment21.8%
  • Suspension20.6%
  • Brakes17.6%
  • Tyres11.4%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks8.1%
  • Visibility6.6%

The specific items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (6%), pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (4.8%) and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (4.1%). See every common LS MOT failure.

These are DVSA failure records across every Lexus LS that failed, not a claim that every LS has these problems.

What should you check when buying a used LS?

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. 21.8% of LS failure items.

2

Suspension

Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 20.6% of LS failure items.

3

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. 17.6% of LS failure items.

4

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. 11.4% of LS failure items.

5

Noise, emissions and leaks

Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 8.1% of LS 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 LS failures cluster around lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension 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 LS 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

Used Lexus LS FAQs

Is the Lexus LS 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 79% first-time pass rate for the Lexus LS across 3,139 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Do older Lexus LS cars fail their MOT more often?

Lexus LS cars aged 6 to 10 years passed 89.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 78.2%. 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 LS?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. 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 LS'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.