Used car guide

2007 Lexus IS220: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2007 Lexus IS220s, from 913 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

913MOT tests in 2025
68%pass first time (all 2007 cars: 57%)
7,300typical miles a year
3.9×the usual rate for battery

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2007 Lexus IS220s than on all cars registered in 2007.

  • Battery3.9× usual
    Lexus IS220
    3.9% All 2007 cars
    1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.2%, against 0.2% of all 2007 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £80–£200 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the car starts cleanly and there are no warning lights once running.

Better than most

Suspension arm bushes and joints: 4.7% here, against 10.9% of all 2007 cars. Exhaust system: 4.4% here, against 9.1% of all 2007 cars.

By area

The share of 2007 Lexus IS220 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Brakes
    40% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    36% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Tyres
    35% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Suspension
    33% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    10% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    9% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

Looking at a Lexus IS220?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2010591Brakes 40%
2009809Brakes 39%
2008667Brakes 38%
2006538Tyres 38%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2007 Lexus IS220s registered in 2007. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score