Used car guide

2017 Lexus RX: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2017 Lexus RXs, from 1,787 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,787MOT tests in 2025
91%pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%)
7,500typical miles a year
2.2×the usual rate for suspension arm bushes and joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2017 Lexus RXs than on all cars registered in 2017.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints2.2× usual
    Lexus RX
    10.6% All 2017 cars
    4.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.2%, against 0.9% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

By area

The share of 2017 Lexus RX MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    23% 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
    14% 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.

  • Brakes
    11% 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.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    5% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

  • Lights and electrics
    3% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Seats and seatbelts
    2% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Looking at a Lexus RX?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20222,327Tyres 20%
20211,657Tyres 25%
20201,610Tyres 23%
20192,113Tyres 23%
20181,676Tyres 25%
20162,061Tyres 25%
20151,239Tyres 26%
20141,609Tyres 28%
20131,749Suspension 29%
2012671Suspension 32%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2017 Lexus RXs registered in 2017. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score