Does the Lotus Elan fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Lotus Elan records 1.82 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.66 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−5.84, 95% interval −6.42 to −5.25). It ranks 638 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Lotus Elan by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Lotus Elan is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc”, recorded 53 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 53 | 0.61 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 38 | 0.44 |
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 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Lotus Elan seat belts and airbags failures · Lotus Elan suspension failures · Lotus Elan tyres failures · Lotus Elan visibility failures