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Lexus vs Mercedes Reliability

In our inspections, Lexus’ average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 127k miles, versus 92k for Mercedes.

Based on 310 Lexus vehicles and 278 Mercedes vehicles. “Decent” means a condition score of 55/100.

vs
Head to head
LexusMercedes
Cars inspected310278
Average condition61/10062/100
In good shape (60+/100)57%56%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~127k mi~92k mi
Repainted or replaced panel82%77%
Structural repair found3%1%
Fault codes recently cleared20%20%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Lexus
Excellent 25% Good 32% Mediocre 21% Poor 23%
Mercedes
Excellent 27% Good 29% Mediocre 24% Poor 20%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Lexus▬ Mercedes▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Lexus, 0–20k mi: 100% in good shape (10 cars)Lexus, 20–40k mi: 94% in good shape (31 cars)Lexus, 40–60k mi: 91% in good shape (35 cars)Lexus, 60–80k mi: 67% in good shape (27 cars)Lexus, 80–100k mi: 73% in good shape (45 cars)Lexus, 100–120k mi: 56% in good shape (36 cars)Lexus, 120–140k mi: 35% in good shape (37 cars)Lexus, 140–160k mi: 29% in good shape (31 cars)Lexus, 160–180k mi: 15% in good shape (27 cars)Lexus, 180–200k mi: 19%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars in this band)Lexus, 200–220k mi: 25% in good shape (8 cars) Mercedes, 0–20k mi: 90% in good shape (29 cars)Mercedes, 20–40k mi: 78% in good shape (50 cars)Mercedes, 40–60k mi: 71% in good shape (49 cars)Mercedes, 60–80k mi: 53% in good shape (45 cars)Mercedes, 80–100k mi: 46% in good shape (37 cars)Mercedes, 100–120k mi: 13% in good shape (23 cars)Mercedes, 120–140k mi: 11%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars in this band)Mercedes, 140–160k mi: 9%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band)Mercedes, 160–180k mi: 8%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Lexus▬ Mercedes▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Lexus, 2 years old: 93%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age)Lexus, 3 years old: 93%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars this age)Lexus, 4 years old: 83% in good shape (24 cars)Lexus, 5 years old: 81%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Lexus, 6 years old: 81%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Lexus, 7 years old: 82%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Lexus, 8 years old: 90% in good shape (21 cars)Lexus, 9 years old: 76% in good shape (21 cars)Lexus, 10 years old: 74%, drawn from the nearby bands (13 cars this age)Lexus, 11 years old: 67% in good shape (21 cars)Lexus, 12 years old: 48% in good shape (25 cars)Lexus, 13 years old: 39% in good shape (31 cars)Lexus, 14 years old: 35%, drawn from the nearby bands (13 cars this age)Lexus, 15 years old: 32%, drawn from the nearby bands (18 cars this age)Lexus, 16 years old: 23% in good shape (13 cars) Mercedes, 1 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mercedes, 2 years old: 92%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Mercedes, 3 years old: 88% in good shape (25 cars)Mercedes, 4 years old: 80% in good shape (25 cars)Mercedes, 5 years old: 68% in good shape (28 cars)Mercedes, 6 years old: 61% in good shape (23 cars)Mercedes, 7 years old: 59% in good shape (22 cars)Mercedes, 8 years old: 51%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mercedes, 9 years old: 39%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mercedes, 10 years old: 39%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mercedes, 11 years old: 31%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mercedes, 12 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Mercedes, 13 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mercedes, 14 years old: 19%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Mercedes, 16 years old: 29%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Lexus
Oil leaks · Engine
53%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
36%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
35%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
32%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
25%
Mercedes
Oil leaks · Engine
64%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
49%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
39%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
36%
Electronic components issues · Engine
19%
Trajectory by generation
Lexus ▲ Newer Lexus vehicles are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 66% in good shape (age-adjusted; 19 cars, raw 63%) 66 2015–17: 85% in good shape (age-adjusted; 47 cars, raw 81%) 85 2018–20: 86% in good shape (age-adjusted; 22 cars, raw 91%) 86 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Mercedes ▲ Newer Mercedes vehicles are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 43% in good shape (age-adjusted; 32 cars, raw 44%) 43 2015–17: 56% in good shape (age-adjusted; 44 cars, raw 57%) 56 2018–20: 61% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 68%) 61 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Lexus or Mercedes?
In our inspections, Lexus’ average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 127k miles, versus 92k for Mercedes.
?
What are the most common problems with used Lexus vehicles and Mercedes vehicles?
On Lexus vehicles we flag oil leaks (53%), fuel trim out of range (36%), tires condition & wear (35%). On Mercedes vehicles: oil leaks (64%), active error codes (49%), tires condition & wear (39%).
?
How many Lexus and Mercedes vehicles have you inspected?
310 Lexus vehicles and 278 Mercedes vehicles — 588 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Nov 12, 2026.
?
How long do Lexus and Mercedes stay in decent condition?
In our data, decent is a 55/100 score. The average Lexus dips below it around 127k mi; Mercedes around 92k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
Buying a used Lexus or Mercedes? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 588 inspections · updated Nov 12, 2026