Does the Lotus Esprit fail the MOT on noise, emissions and leaks more than it should?
The Lotus Esprit records 6.18 noise, emissions and leaks failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 8.11 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.93, 95% interval −2.72 to −1.14). It ranks 540 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 Esprit by registration
What exactly fails on noise, emissions and leaks?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Lotus Esprit is “Emissions levels exceed default limits”, recorded 166 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Emissions levels exceed default limits | 166 | 3.31 |
| Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits | 37 | 0.74 |
| Emissions test unable to be completed | 32 | 0.64 |
| Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 31 | 0.62 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 5,018 (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 Esprit by postcode area · Lotus Esprit body, chassis and structure failures · Lotus Esprit brakes failures · Lotus Esprit vehicle identification failures · Lotus Esprit lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Lotus Esprit steering failures · Lotus Esprit suspension failures · Lotus Esprit tyres failures · Lotus Esprit visibility failures