Lotus Elise
Registered from 1996 to 2020.
About this model
The Lotus Elise is a sports car conceived in early 1994 and released in September 1996 by the British manufacturer Lotus Cars. A two-seater roadster with a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, the Elise has a fibreglass body shell atop its bonded extruded aluminium chassis that provides a rigid platform for the suspension, while keeping weight and production costs to a minimum. The Elise was named after Elisa Artioli, the granddaughter of Romano Artioli, who was chairman of Lotus and Bugatti at the time of the car's launch.
From the Wikipedia article Lotus Elise, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 1999 1.8 petrol. 105 of 734 tests failed, 14%.
Better than 93% of 1999 cars. The typical one fails 26%, across 348 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaust and emissions | 47% | 49 |
| Lights and electrics | 41% | 43 |
| Visibility | 23% | 24 |
| Suspension | 16% | 17 |
| Steering | 15% | 16 |
| Brakes | 9% | 9 |
The defects inspectors cite
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Emissions levels exceed default limits
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
- Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
Where it stands out against its peers
- Exhaust and emissions: failed more often than 91% of 1999 cars — 47% of its 105 failed tests, where an ordinary 1999 car has 22%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Exhaust and emissions — 47% of its failures
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
- Emissions levels exceed default limits
- Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits
- Suspension — 16% of its failures
- Steering — 15% of its failures
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Brakes — 9% of its failures
- Lights and electrics — 41% of its failures
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Visibility — 23% of its failures
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
When it starts failing
At 100–120k miles this one fails 15% of its inspections, against the 26% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 9% | — | 46 | |
| 20–40k miles | 13% | 17% | 166 | |
| 40–60k miles | 15% | 23% | 206 | |
| 60–80k miles | 12% | 25% | 155 | |
| 80–100k miles | 22% | 27% | 86 | |
| 100–120k miles | 15% | 26% | 41 |
700 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 40k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.8 petrol · 217 hp · 999 kg · 2300 mm wheelbase · 7.4 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 1.8 petrol · 217 hp · 999 kg · 2300 mm wheelbase · 7.3 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 1.8 petrol · 217 hp · 999 kg · 2300 mm wheelbase · 7.2 L/100km (WLTP) |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
A12/00048/20
The plastic spacers between the engine fuel rail and cylinder head may expand and contract. Consequently, the cylinder head's securing bolts might suffer excessive fatigue, leading to fuel leak, increasing the risk of accident and fire.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/0919/14
The oil cooler pipes may detach from their fittings and deposit oil in the engine compartment and on the road/tyres which can lead to an increased risk of fire and loss of vehicle control.
Recall of the product from end users