Does the Lotus Elan fail the MOT on tyres more than it should?
The Lotus Elan records 1.59 tyres failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 3.99 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.40, 95% interval −2.81 to −1.98). It ranks 547 of 751 models on tyres (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on tyres · check a Lotus Elan by registration
What exactly fails on tyres?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Lotus Elan is “A tyre seriously damaged”, recorded 56 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A tyre seriously damaged | 56 | 0.64 |
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 tyres advisory, how often does it fail next time?
4.0% of Lotus Elan MOTs with a tyres advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 528 miles later (504 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 504 (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 suspension failures · Lotus Elan visibility failures