MOT performance

Lexus IS diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures

Of 12,257 MOT tests on diesel Lexus ISs in 2023–2024 (on average 14.7 years old at test, median 121,966 miles), 68.6% passed first time, against 72.2% of 37,146 petrol Lexus IS tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Lexus ISs failed 26% less often than comparable cars — 0.74× against 0.68× for the Lexus IS as a whole.

12,257 MOT tests on 6,833 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

Lexus IS diesel MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	68.6%	±0.8 pts (95%), n = 12,257
All Lexus ISs	77.1%	n = 77,300
Failures vs similar cars	0.74×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Lexus IS overall 0.68×
Tests with a dangerous defect	10.6%	n = 12,257
Average age at test	14.7 years	n = 12,257
Registration years covered	1997–2016	DVSA first-use date

Diesel against the other Lexus IS fuels

Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 1.8 years younger on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.

Lexus IS MOT results by fuel
Fuel	Tests	Average age	First-time pass	vs similar cars	Dangerous
Petrol	37,146	16.5 yrs	72.2%	-35%	8.4%
Hybrid	26,627	6.9 yrs	87.5%	-28%	5.0%
Diesel	12,257	14.7 yrs	68.6%	-26%	10.6%

Where diesel Lexus ISs differ

Seat belts and airbags: diesel Lexus ISs failed 41% less often than the Lexus IS overall, relative to comparable cars (0.25× vs 0.42×).
Brakes: diesel Lexus ISs failed 34% more often than the Lexus IS overall, relative to comparable cars (0.95× vs 0.71×).
Lights, reflectors and electrical: diesel Lexus ISs failed 33% more often than the Lexus IS overall, relative to comparable cars (0.84× vs 0.63×).
Suspension: diesel Lexus ISs failed 23% less often than the Lexus IS overall, relative to comparable cars (0.24× vs 0.32×).

Lexus IS diesel MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Diesel (vs similar)	All Lexus ISs (vs similar)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	16.3% (-16%)	9.7% (-37%)
Brakes	11.8% (-5%)	6.2% (-29%)
Tyres	7.8% (-3%)	6.9% (+2%)
Suspension	4.4% (-76%)	3.7% (-68%)
Driver's view of the road	4.3% (-33%)	3.6% (-36%)
Body, chassis and structure	2.7% (-65%)	1.8% (-65%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	2.7% (-46%)	2.4% (-48%)
Road wheels	1.0% (+52%)	0.5% (+15%)

Most common diesel Lexus IS failure items

Most common diesel Lexus IS MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Position lamp: not working	Lights, reflectors and electrical	6.13%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect	Lights, reflectors and electrical	4.23%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	4.08%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick	Brakes	3.16%
Headlamp: not working on dipped beam	Lights, reflectors and electrical	2.44%

Pass rate by age, by fuel

Lexus IS MOT pass rate by age and fuel
Age at test (years)	diesel pass rate (tests)	petrol pass rate (tests)	hybrid pass rate (tests)
3-4	—	—	89.6% (3,744)
5-6	—	—	89.8% (5,884)
7-8	—	87.7% (414)	87.5% (9,368)
9-10	—	85.7% (1,178)	84.4% (7,072)
11-12	69.7% (1,368)	82.3% (3,450)	—
13-15	69.3% (6,295)	76.7% (9,389)	—
16+	67.3% (4,549)	67.7% (22,620)	—

Lexus IS by registration year

Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.

2002 Lexus IS · 64.6%
2003 Lexus IS · 66.7%
2004 Lexus IS · 65.7%
2005 Lexus IS · 67.5%
2006 Lexus IS · 68.9%
2007 Lexus IS · 70.0%
2008 Lexus IS · 72.3%
2009 Lexus IS · 74.2%
2010 Lexus IS · 75.9%
2011 Lexus IS · 77.9%
2013 Lexus IS · 85.1%
2014 Lexus IS · 85.3%
2015 Lexus IS · 87.3%
2016 Lexus IS · 87.3%
2017 Lexus IS · 89.1%
2018 Lexus IS · 90.6%
2019 Lexus IS · 89.4%

What this does and doesn't tell you

Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.

Check a specific diesel Lexus IS

Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.

UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.