2005 Lotus Elise: MOT pass rate and reliability
92.1% of 2005 Lotus Elises pass the MOT first time, measured across 240 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 51,171 miles.
How the 2005 compares
- Against all Lotus Elises (87.9%, 4,931 tests): +4.2 points
- Against all 2005 cars (64.2%): +27.9 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Lotus Elise model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2005 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Lotus Elise:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 79.1% | 215 | 56,154 |
| 1998 | 84.4% | 601 | 62,408 |
| 1999 | 87.1% | 626 | 59,533 |
| 2000 | 85.2% | 473 | 54,282 |
| 2001 | 88% | 258 | 53,485 |
| 2002 | 87.8% | 403 | 51,657 |
| 2003 | 87.6% | 283 | 56,918 |
| 2004 | 87.2% | 227 | 53,793 |
| 2005 | 92.1% | 240 | 51,171 |
| 2006 | 88.2% | 229 | 46,852 |
| 2007 | 89.2% | 213 | 46,388 |
What this means if you are buying a 2005 Elise
The 2005 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 4.2 points more often than the Lotus Elise average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 21-year-old car fails on
A 2005 car is 21 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is around average, so condition and service history will tell you more than the odometer does. On a 2005 Lotus Elise the average at test was 51,171 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
2005 is the strongest year on record for this model at 92.1%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.
Nearby model years
- 2002 Lotus Elise - 87.8%
- 2003 Lotus Elise - 87.6%
- 2004 Lotus Elise - 87.2%
- 2006 Lotus Elise - 88.2%
- 2007 Lotus Elise - 89.2%