Does the Lotus Elan fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Lotus Elan records 7.00 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 19.51 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−12.51, 95% interval −13.44 to −11.58). It ranks 630 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Lotus Elan by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Lotus Elan is “A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated”, recorded 165 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 165 | 1.89 |
| A wheel bearing with excessive play | 92 | 1.06 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 73 | 0.84 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 58 | 0.67 |
| A wheel bearing excessively rough | 55 | 0.63 |
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
If a Lotus Elan gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.2% of Lotus Elan MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 438 miles later (1,106 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,106 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · 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 steering failures · Lotus Elan tyres failures · Lotus Elan visibility failures