Lotus Elise common problems and MOT failures
What goes wrong on a used Lotus Elise, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 14,696 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.
The 1996 Lotus Elise
Too few Lotus Elise cars first registered in 1996 had an MOT during 2025 for reliable MOT figures. There are no known faults on record for this year in the UK buying guides we use, so the rest of this page covers the Lotus Elise as a whole.
What to check on a 1996 car
- MOT history
Check the reg below: its MOT history shows what has been failed or advised, and whether the mileage adds up.
- Service history
Look for regular servicing and receipts for big jobs like a cambelt or clutch.
- Finance and write-offs
MOT records don’t show outstanding finance or insurance write-offs. A history check does.
- Test drive
Listen for knocks over bumps, check every warning light goes out, and make sure the gears and brakes feel right.
Other years
Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).
202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996
What usually goes wrong with a Lotus Elise?
We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Lotus Elise in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.
Lotus Elise MOT pass rate by year
Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2005 Lotus Elise did best (89% passed first time, 32 points above all 2005 cars) and the 2008 did worst (87%, 30 points above all 2008 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.
| Year | Pass first time | All cars that year | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 95% | 87% +8 | 179 (small sample) |
| 2020 | 94% | 87% +7 | 211 (small sample) |
| 2019 | 94% | 85% +9 | 288 (small sample) |
| 2018 | 89% | 83% +6 | 207 (small sample) |
| 2017 | 93% | 80% +13 | 255 (small sample) |
| 2016 | 92% | 77% +15 | 274 (small sample) |
| 2015 | 94% | 74% +20 | 282 (small sample) |
| 2014 | 89% | 70% +19 | 244 (small sample) |
| 2013 | 89% | 67% +22 | 149 (small sample) |
| 2011 | 81% | 62% +19 | 156 (small sample) |
| 2010 | 86% | 60% +26 | 310 (small sample) |
| 2009 | 89% | 59% +30 | 279 (small sample) |
| 2008 | 87% | 57% +30 | 525 |
| 2007 | 87% | 57% +30 | 647 |
| 2006 | 87% | 56% +31 | 660 |
| 2005 | 89% | 57% +32 | 720 |
| 2004 | 85% | 57% +28 | 702 |
| 2003 | 87% | 57% +30 | 832 |
| 2002 | 84% | 58% +26 | 1,183 |
| 2001 | 86% | 60% +26 | 768 |
| 2000 | 84% | 61% +23 | 1,452 |
| 1999 | 83% | 63% +20 | 1,909 |
| 1998 | 81% | 65% +16 | 1,807 |
| 1997 | 80% | 65% +15 | 657 |
Looking at a Lotus Elise?
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Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score