Does the Lotus Exige fail the MOT on noise, emissions and leaks more than it should?
The Lotus Exige records 4.06 noise, emissions and leaks failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.66 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−0.60, 95% interval −1.10 to −0.09). It ranks 385 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 Exige by registration
What exactly fails on noise, emissions and leaks?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Lotus Exige is “Emissions levels exceed default limits”, recorded 104 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Emissions levels exceed default limits | 104 | 1.47 |
| Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 68 | 0.96 |
| Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits | 45 | 0.63 |
| Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction | 42 | 0.59 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,087 (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 Exige by postcode area · Lotus Exige body, chassis and structure failures · Lotus Exige brakes failures · Lotus Exige vehicle identification failures · Lotus Exige lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Lotus Exige steering failures · Lotus Exige suspension failures · Lotus Exige tyres failures · Lotus Exige visibility failures