All generations and engines together · 3,474 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 172k
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 3,106 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
A defective brush holder in the hybrid brake booster pump motor can make the pump stop working. Owners get multiple warning lights on the dash and, after a handful of pedal presses, the pedal goes hard and brake assistance drops away. Lexus/Toyota issued recall R/2019/249 (UK) covering 2019-model-year hybrids including the ES 300h, so the fix is free if it hasn't been done, but check it has actually been carried out on any used car you're viewing.
A batch of 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid engines (the unit used in the ES 300h) left the factory with porous casting that can crack over time, letting coolant leak internally or externally. Left unchecked it can lead to overheating or stalling. Toyota/Lexus recalled roughly 44,000 cars worldwide (2019-2020 model year, including ES 300h) to inspect and, where needed, replace the engine block free of charge.
Owners on Lexus forums report creaking and clunking from the front suspension at low speed and in car parks, and separately some rear shock absorber replacements on F Sport cars. The measured MOT data for this model flags suspension as the standout fault category, so the pattern buyers should expect a used ES to throw up suspension-related advisories is real. What forums can't agree on is which part is to blame, bushes, top mounts or the dampers themselves, so treat any specific part-name theory with caution.
The Remote Touch trackpad used to control the infotainment screen is over-sensitive, and the cursor can shoot off target with a light touch, which is annoying rather than a genuine fault. It's not something that breaks or costs money to fix, and some owners get used to it and stop noticing, so opinion is split on how big a problem it really is.
A rhythmic clicking noise from behind the dashboard, sometimes paired with air coming from the wrong vents or the temperature not matching the setting, points to a failing HVAC blend-door actuator. It's a small motor and a known wear item across Toyota and Lexus hybrids generally, not something Lexus has put out a bulletin for on the ES specifically. Replacement is a parts-and-labour job rather than a big one, but it's fiddly to get at.
Some owners describe a jerk or brief lag when pulling away or when the petrol engine cuts in to hand over from EV mode, most noticeable in stop-start traffic. It's a repeated theme on owner forums but Lexus hasn't acknowledged it as a fault needing a fix, and many cars don't show it at all, so it may come down to individual driving style as much as the car.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.