Lotus Esprit: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Lotus Esprit passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 11.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 748 individual Lotus Esprit tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 88% first-time pass rate means roughly 12 in every 100 Lotus Esprits presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Lotus Esprit tested had covered 53,700 miles and was built around 1991.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Lotus Esprit bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Lotus Esprit rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Lotus Esprits actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Lotus Esprit

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.9% of tests (6.63x the national rate for this defect)
2. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2% of tests
3. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.1% of tests
4. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1% of tests
5. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 0.7% of tests (3.34x the national rate for this defect)
6. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 0.6% of tests
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 0.6% of tests
8. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.6% of tests (3.55x the national rate for this defect)
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 0.6% of tests
10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.5% of tests

From 1,909 DVSA-tracked Lotus Esprit tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 1.99% of these flagged Lotus Esprit defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Other Lotus models

• Lotus Elise - 87.3%
• Lotus Exige - 90.9%
• Lotus Elan - 78.4%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Vauxhall Mokka Se Turbo - 88%
• Peugeot 2008 Signature Puretech S/S - 88%
• Kia Sportage GT-Ln Crdi Mhev4x4 Sa - 88%
• Hyundai Tucson Se Connect T-Gdi Mhev - 88%
• Mercedes-Benz Amg A 45 S 4matic+ Plus Auto - 88%
• Ford Transit Custom 320sprt Eblue A - 88%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate