Lotus Elise
Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 25 years from 10,587 real MOT tests.
Avg Pass Rate
91%
Total Tests
10,587
Best Year
2020 (98%)
Years Covered
25
How reliable is the Lotus Elise?
Lotus Elise by Year
| Year | Pass Rate | Tests | Avg Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 98% | 99 | 6,662 mi |
| 2020 | 98% | 125 | 7,895 mi |
| 2019 | 95% | 168 | 9,957 mi |
| 2018 | 90% | 138 | 12,770 mi |
| 2017 | 94% | 160 | 15,467 mi |
| 2016 | 93% | 184 | 22,486 mi |
| 2015 | 97% | 196 | 20,795 mi |
| 2014 | 92% | 170 | 29,609 mi |
| 2013 | 95% | 112 | 32,059 mi |
| 2011 | 90% | 86 | 38,630 mi |
| 2010 | 88% | 193 | 42,034 mi |
| 2009 | 92% | 161 | 39,212 mi |
| 2008 | 91% | 251 | 46,048 mi |
| 2007 | 91% | 391 | 43,309 mi |
| 2006 | 89% | 441 | 47,541 mi |
| 2005 | 92% | 379 | 52,160 mi |
| 2004 | 88% | 453 | 59,878 mi |
| 2003 | 90% | 518 | 53,891 mi |
| 2002 | 90% | 740 | 52,926 mi |
| 2001 | 91% | 440 | 54,642 mi |
| 2000 | 85% | 834 | 57,132 mi |
| 1999 | 88% | 1,729 | 58,352 mi |
| 1998 | 85% | 1,897 | 64,125 mi |
| 1997 | 83% | 642 | 55,220 mi |
| 1996 | 90% | 80 | 58,568 mi |
Checking a specific Lotus Elise?
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About the Lotus Elise
The Lotus Elise has been tested 10,587 times in 2024 MOT data across 25 model years (1996 to 2021), with an average pass rate of 91%. That's comfortably above the national average of 82%, making it a reliable choice. Available as petrol.
Best and Worst Years
The 2020 model is the most reliable with a 98% pass rate from 125 tests. The 1997 model has the lowest at 83%. The 15 point spread between years means reliability varies somewhat, but no year is dramatically different.
Reliability Trend
Newer LOTUS ELISEs show better MOT pass rates than older ones, with an average improvement of 5 percentage points.
Mileage Across Years
The oldest model in our data (1996) averages 58,568 miles, while the newest (2021) averages 6,662 miles.
Click any year in the table above to see detailed running costs, individual reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.