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What to check: Lexus NX

ABy age

BBy miles

Ranked across all years of the Lexus NX, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

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 modelDrive 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 modelOn 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.

Tyres, all fourCheck 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 discsLook 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 modelScan 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 owner reports 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.

Full Lexus NX reliability report