Does the Lotus Elan fail the MOT on noise, emissions and leaks more than it should?
The Lotus Elan records 6.87 noise, emissions and leaks failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.41 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (−0.54, 95% interval −1.11 to +0.03). It ranks 378 of 678 models on noise, emissions and leaks (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on noise, emissions and leaks · check a Lotus Elan by registration
What exactly fails on noise, emissions and leaks?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Lotus Elan is “Emissions levels exceed default limits”, recorded 364 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Emissions levels exceed default limits | 364 | 4.18 |
| Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 73 | 0.84 |
| Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits | 56 | 0.64 |
| Emissions test unable to be completed | 43 | 0.49 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 8,716 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Lotus Elan by postcode area · Lotus Elan body, chassis and structure failures · Lotus Elan brakes failures · Lotus Elan vehicle identification failures · Lotus Elan lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Lotus Elan seat belts and airbags failures · Lotus Elan steering failures · Lotus Elan suspension failures · Lotus Elan tyres failures · Lotus Elan visibility failures