Lotus
Elan
3,428 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Elans pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's in line with the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models.
Pass
78.0%
Pass-after-fix
2.6%
Fail
18.6%
Avg miles
77,889
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
Elan: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 1,510 MOT tests, the Elan returns 77.4% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a weak handbrake. Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement and brakes imbalance across an axle such round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 75,025, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
133 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 02
Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement
84 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 03
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
78 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 04
Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.
73 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 05
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
69 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 06
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
63 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 07
Emissions levels exceed default limits
60 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 08
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
54 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 09
Braking effort inadequate at a wheel
51 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 10
Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value
50 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
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Buying or keeping an Elan?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an Elan and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.