2005 Lexus Rx300: MOT pass rate and reliability

75.6% of 2005 Lexus Rx300s pass the MOT first time, measured across 1,081 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 120,087 miles.

How the 2005 compares

  • Against all Lexus Rx300s (73%, 3,370 tests): +2.6 points
  • Against all 2005 cars (64.2%): +11.4 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Lexus Rx300 model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2005 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Lexus Rx300:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
2003 74.3% 506 123,014
2004 71.9% 1,183 120,739
2005 75.6% 1,081 120,087
2006 77.8% 261 115,845

What this means if you are buying a 2005 Rx300

The 2005 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 2.6 points more often than the Lexus Rx300 average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 21-year-old car fails on

A 2005 car is 21 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

  • Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
  • Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
  • Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
  • Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
  • Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
  • Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself. On a 2005 Lexus Rx300 the average at test was 120,087 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

The strongest year for this model is 2006 at 77.8%, and the weakest in our data is 2004 at 71.9%. That 5.9 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2005 car against a newer one tells you very little.

Nearby model years

All Lexus Rx300 MOT data · Every model