Lexus CT MOT failure rate and common faults
30,943 Lexus CT cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 17.4% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 28.5% of the time, which makes the Lexus CT 39% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
17.4%
failed first time
30,943 MOT tests in 2025
-39%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 28.5%
6 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
74.5
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 106.0
What fails on a Lexus CT MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Lexus CT MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 26.2 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 23.8 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 17.8 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 17.8 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 15.3 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 15.0 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 11.1 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 10.9 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 10.8 |
| Tyres: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure | Tyres | 9.6 |
Lexus CT MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,264 | 10.4% | 14.1% | 37,100 |
| 2019 | 1,909 | 11.9% | 16.5% | 48,200 |
| 2018 | 2,753 | 11.8% | 19.1% | 54,400 |
| 2017 | 2,981 | 13.1% | 21.8% | 62,700 |
| 2016 | 2,934 | 15.0% | 25.1% | 75,400 |
| 2015 | 3,475 | 17.1% | 28.1% | 85,000 |
| 2014 | 3,741 | 17.2% | 31.4% | 90,900 |
| 2013 | 3,649 | 22.3% | 34.3% | 100,700 |
| 2012 | 4,180 | 22.1% | 36.6% | 107,800 |
| 2011 | 3,767 | 23.0% | 38.8% | 112,100 |
Advisories to look for in a Lexus CT's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Lexus CT, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge211.6
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing140.3
- Brake pads: wearing thin101.3
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened83.4
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement64.0
- Tyres: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords44.5
Checking a used Lexus CT before you buy
The Lexus CT has no part of the car that fails well above average for its age, so check the areas that fail most often overall.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Lexus CT cars tested: Hybrid 91%, Other 4%. Average age at test 10.2 years, average recorded mileage 83,500.
Lexus CT MOT questions
What is the Lexus CT MOT failure rate?
17.4% of Lexus CT cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 30,943 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 28.5% of the time, so the Lexus CT was 39% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Lexus CT MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 91 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Headlamp: not working on dipped beam", recorded 26.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Lexus CT year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2014 registrations did best: 17.2% failed against an average of 31.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Lexus CT will pass?
No. These are averages across every Lexus CT tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Lexus models
- Lexus NX9.8% failed
Ranked close to the Lexus CT
- Porsche Cayennerank 4
- Mercedes-Benz S-Classrank 5
- Honda HR-Vrank 7
- Jaguar I-Pacerank 8
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Lexus CT cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.