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Lexus NX

All generations and engines together · 29,116 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 58k

Reliability verdict
ABy age
BBy miles

Graded against its peers

One of the best SUVs for its age, though better than most per mile driven. Watch suspension and seatbelts/airbags. A solid used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.

First-time failure at age 7
10.2%
Across 3,947 tests. The average for SUVs is 16.4%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
11.3%
Across 3,820 tests. The average for SUVs is 15.1%.
Rank in its class
3 of 38
1 = lowest failure rate among the 38 SUVs we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
58k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

Generation

Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Low-pressure fuel pump failure (early petrol NX)

Confirmed pattern

On 2019 petrol NX cars a faulty low-pressure fuel pump can starve the engine of fuel and make it stall or fail to restart, sometimes with no warning at all. Toyota and Lexus recalled the affected cars to replace the pump assembly free of charge. If you're looking at a 2019 petrol NX, check the recall has actually been carried out before you rely on the car.

2019 petrol NX only · recall remedy is free · sources: NHTSA recall data, carbuzz Lexus recalls roundup

Electronic parking brake won't engage (fails safe)

Confirmed pattern

A fault traced to noise-filter resistors in the brake ECU can make the electronic parking brake refuse to engage or release on NX250 and NX350 cars built between April 2021 and August 2022, throwing up a 'Parking Brake Malfunction, visit your dealer' message. Lexus recalled the affected cars for a free software update. Check the service history for the recall on any car from that build window.

NX250/NX350 built Apr 2021-Aug 2022 · free software fix · sources: Toyota/Lexus TSB 22LA04, Motor1, autoevolution

Front suspension creaks and knocks

Partly in the MOT data

Owners regularly report creaks, knocks and rattles from the front end, most often traced to strut top mounts, bushes or a loose brace or side-step fitting rather than anything structural, usually from around 60k miles. Fixing it can take more than one visit since it's often a degrease-and-retorque job rather than new parts. Suspension is the measured MOT signature fault for large SUVs as a class, and on the NX the owner complaints line up with that, though what forums describe is closer to an annoying rattle-hunt than a safety-critical wear item.

Reported from 60k miles · sources: Lexus Owners Club UK forum, ClubLexus 'Noises, Squeaks, Rattles' thread

Remote Touch trackpad makes the infotainment a chore

Emerging

Pre-2022 NX cars control the infotainment with a touchpad or joystick instead of a touchscreen, and it's a near-universal gripe: the cursor overshoots, the steering-wheel-mounted pad on some trims shifts as you steer, and simple jobs like changing radio station take longer than they should. It's not a fault that breaks, more a design flaw that grates daily, and Lexus replaced it with a touchscreen from the second-generation NX in 2022. Worth trying it for a few minutes on a test drive, since some buyers genuinely can't live with it.

Pre-2022 (1st-gen) NX only · sources: The Drive, ClubLexus touchpad thread, Four Wheel Trends reliability review

Carbon build-up on turbo petrol intake valves

EmergingPetrol turbo only

The 2.0-litre turbo petrol engines (NX200t, NX300, NX250, NX350) use direct injection, which can leave carbon deposits on the backs of the intake valves over time, showing up as a rough idle, hesitation or a misfire warning light from around 60k miles. The NX's dual-injection set-up, direct plus port injectors, is meant to reduce this compared with pure direct-injection rivals, but owners still report needing a walnut-blast clean at higher mileage. It's a maintenance job rather than a warranty claim, typically a few hundred pounds.

Petrol turbo models only, from ~60k miles · sources: ClubLexus carbon build-up thread, RepairPal NX200t reliability data

DC-DC converter overheating risk (NX450h+)

Confirmed patternPlug-in hybrid only

On 2022 NX450h+ plug-in hybrids, a component inside the DC-DC converter could have been damaged during manufacture, risking a short circuit, overheating and in the worst case a fire. Lexus recalled affected cars to replace the converter free of charge. Check the recall has been completed on any 450h+ before you buy it; there are no equivalent reports on the regular NX300h or NX350 hybrid, which don't use this part.

2022 NX450h+ PHEV only · free recall fix · sources: NHTSA recall data, carbuzz Lexus recalls roundup

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 18.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%
Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this model On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 2.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 20.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discs Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 9.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%
Windscreen and wipersRuns high on this model Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 3.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check the VIN against Lexus UK's recall checker for the fuel pump, parking brake and DC-DC converter recalls. An open recall left undone means a stall risk, a dead parking brake, or on the 450h+ a fire risk still sitting there.
With the engine running, apply and release the parking brake a couple of times. A 'Parking Brake Malfunction, visit your dealer' message on the display is the EPB fault, not a flat battery.
Drive over a speed bump or rough patch at low speed with the radio off. Creaks or knocks from the front end point to worn top mounts or bushes, common from 60k miles on.
Let a petrol turbo car idle for a minute and watch for a rough idle or check-engine light. That's the tell for carbon build-up on the intake valves, more likely from 60k miles up.
Spend five minutes working the infotainment trackpad or touchscreen yourself. On pre-2022 cars the touchpad genuinely annoys some owners daily, it's not just unfamiliarity.
On a hybrid or PHEV, check the dash for hybrid warning lights and note the electric range shown. A lit warning light or a noticeably short EV range hints at hybrid battery or converter trouble.
Ask for the full service book and look specifically for recall stamps, not just routine servicing. Recall work isn't always logged the same way as a service, so a clean-looking book can still hide unfinished recall work.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Lexus NXClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

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.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 15,092 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
18.4%class 5.9%
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
Minor
3.8%class 1.8%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
1.9%class 0.9%
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
0.5%class 0.6%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
0.3%class 1.3%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
24.0%class 22.9%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
17.1%class 13.4%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
9.6%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
9.3%class 10.1%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.7%class 3.4%
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
Fail
3.7%class 1.7%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
2.4%class 2.2%
Wiper blade defective
Minor
2.0%class 1.0%

Others in its class

Same segment (Family & large SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

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