Used car guide

2015 Lexus RX: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the Lexus RX first registered in 2015: we looked at the 1,239 MOTs these cars had during 2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,239MOTs of 2015 cars, done in 2025
86%pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%)
7,500typical miles a year
2×the usual rate for suspension arm bushes and joints

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2015 Lexus RX?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2015 Lexus RX than on all cars registered in 2015.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints2× usual
    Lexus RX
    14.2% All 2015 cars
    7.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.6%, against 1.4% of all 2015 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.

Better than most

Shock absorbers: 1.9% here, against 5.2% of all 2015 cars.

Common 2015 Lexus RX MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2015 Lexus RX MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    26% 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
    21% 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
    17% 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
    7% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    6% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

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

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

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2015 Lexus RX

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the suspension arm bushes and joints? (Flagged at MOT 2× as often on the 2015 Lexus RX as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Lexus RX?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Lexus RX compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2025–Too new for MOT data
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023–Too new for MOT data
20222,327Tyres 20%
20211,657Tyres 25%
20201,610Tyres 23%
20192,113Tyres 23%
20181,676Tyres 25%
20171,787Tyres 23%
20162,061Tyres 25%
20141,609Tyres 28%
20131,749Suspension 29%
2012671Suspension 32%
2011104Suspension 42%
20102,413Suspension 41%
2009158Suspension 42%
20081,884Suspension 49%
20071,981Suspension 49%
20061,320Suspension 53%
2005614Suspension 54%
2004963Suspension 52%
2003420Suspension 50%
2002135Suspension 53%
2001109Suspension 50%
2000–Too few tests

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2025, counting the MOTs of Lexus RX cars first registered in 2015. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score