All generations and engines together · 23,310 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 60k
One of the best SUVs, by age and by mileage. Watch suspension and lights & electrics. A solid used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
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.
On the RX300/330/350/400h, the dash top and door cappings go tacky and then crack or bubble in sun and heat, a plasticiser problem in the trim rather than anything mechanical. Lexus ran a Warranty Enhancement Program from 2014 (TSB L-SB-0011-15) covering some cars up to 10 years old, but that window has now closed for virtually every example on the road. A full dash replacement runs to roughly £1,000-1,800 if you don't fix it yourself with a cheaper dash cap or wrap.
Higher-spec RX400h and RX450h models (2005-2015) came with self-levelling air suspension, and the struts and compressor are a known wear point: leaks leave the car sitting low, especially at the back, and the compressor works overtime trying to keep up before it burns out. Repairs are steep, £800-2,000+ for struts or compressor depending on how many corners need doing. The measured MOT data for this class flags suspension generally as the standout fault area, and this is the specific, expensive version of it that owners of air-sprung cars actually talk about; cars on ordinary steel springs don't have this problem at all.
A rumbling or marbles-in-a-can noise from the front of the engine, worse from cold, points to a failing water pump on the 3.5-litre RX350/450h of this era. It's not universal, some cars run past 100k miles on the original pump, but enough owners report it in the 60-90k mile range that it's worth budgeting for. Expect £800-1,800 once the belt, pulley and coolant are done at the same time, since it's a fiddly job.
Regenerative braking does most of the work up front on the hybrid RX400h/450h, so the rear calipers, pads and discs barely get used and go rusty and sticky instead of wearing out normally. Owners have reported pad and disc life as short as 15,000 miles on early cars because corrosion eats them faster than driving does, and sticking slide pins or seized pistons can show up as a pull or a grinding noise at low speed. It's a trait of hybrid braking generally, not a Lexus-specific defect, and a full rear brake service is a few hundred pounds rather than a big bill.
On RX400h/450h, the main hybrid battery pack can lose enough capacity by 7-8 years/roughly 75-80k miles to trigger warning lights and a flat-feeling drive, with a replacement or reconditioned pack costing around £2,500-3,500. Separately, the small 12V battery that runs everything else goes flat if the car sits for more than two or three weeks, catching out anyone buying a car that's been stored. Doesn't apply to petrol-only RX cars.
A handful of owners across different RX generations report the glass sunroof cracking or shattering with a loud bang, sometimes at very low mileage and with no obvious impact. Lexus and most owners put it down to stone chips or thermal stress in the glass rather than a build fault, and it's rare enough that it's more a case of knowing it can happen than expecting it. Replacement glass and reseal is typically £600-1,600 and isn't usually covered once the warranty's expired.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
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. 7,022 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.
Same segment (Family & large SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.