Lexus IS 2002: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 66 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2002 Lexus IS were passes.

Summary

With 864 first tests, there are too few to say whether the 2002 Lexus IS differs from the model years either side. Treat the faults below as a checklist.

At a glance

How 864 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
66 in every 100
Did not pass first time
34 in every 100290 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
23 yearsabout 116,273 miles
First tests counted
864

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail.

Suspension sub-frame (rear)

Noted on 32 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
66in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
8in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
26in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 66.4% of 864 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 74.1%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 8 fixed and the 26 not fixed make the 34 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

40608010020022005201020152020Newer cars
406080100200220102020Newer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 65 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
200065 in every 100305
200171 in every 100613
2002 This car66 in every 100864
200366 in every 1001,069
200465 in every 1001,218
200566 in every 1001,295
200669 in every 1002,272
200770 in every 1002,839
200874 in every 1002,328
200973 in every 1002,138
201075 in every 1002,076
201178 in every 1001,397
201282 in every 100855
201383 in every 1001,609
201485 in every 1002,925
201586 in every 1002,603
201685 in every 1001,827
201790 in every 1001,457
201891 in every 1001,338
201989 in every 1001,075
202092 in every 100516

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

With 864 first tests, there are too few to say whether the 2002 Lexus IS differs from the model years either side. Treat the faults below as a checklist. In 2025, 66.4% of 864 first MOTs on the 2002 Lexus IS passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 74.1%. Among 290 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), we highlight MOT failure patterns that show up more often than on cars of a similar age and mileage when the sample is large enough to trust. There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2002 Lexus IS (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Check any vehicle’s MOT history

Full MOT history, mileage records, and reliability insights for any UK vehicle.

Run a free check