1997 Lotus Elise 1.8L Petrol · 832 REV
1997 Lotus Elise (1.8L, petrol). First registered 27 Mar 1997. Recorded mileage 50,366 miles. MOT valid until 01 Apr 2027.
- Make & Model
- LOTUS ELISE
- Year / Origin
- 1997
- Safety Recall
- Unknown
- MOT Status
- Valid until 01 Apr 2027
- Road Tax
- —
- Recorded Mileage
- 50,366 mi
- ULEZ Compliance
- Check Required (Pre-Euro 4 Petrol)
- Fuel & Engine
- Petrol · 1.8L
- Reliability Guide
- Common Faults
Thinking of buying this vehicle? Free MOT and tax checks do not cover legal ownership. If outstanding finance exists, finance companies have legal right to repossess without compensation.
832 REV Key Findings
- 5 MOT tests recorded
- Latest MOT passed on 23/03/2026
- 50,366 miles recorded at latest MOT
- 1 historical MOT failure
- No defects recorded at the latest MOT
- Recurring exhaust & emissions items (3 mentions)
Derived directly from the recorded DVSA and DVLA data shown on this page.
832 REV MOT History
Interpretation generated from the recorded test data above — not an official DVSA statement and not a substitute for an independent inspection.
5 MOT tests are recorded for this 1997 Lotus Elise (832 REV) between March 2023 and March 2026.
The record contains 4 passes and 1 failure.
The most recent test on 23 March 2026 was a pass, although the earlier record includes 1 failure that buyers may want to investigate.
Across all tests, the most frequently flagged areas are: Exhaust & Emissions (3 issues). Repeated mentions in one area can indicate an ongoing pattern worth checking in person.
Recorded failure items include: “Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))”; “Exhaust hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))”; “Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))”.
832 REV Mileage History
- 31/03/202350,017 mi
- 03/04/202450,229 mi+212 mi
- 27/03/202550,308 mi+79 mi
- 27/03/202550,311 mi+3 mi
- 23/03/202650,366 mi+55 mi
Average of roughly 117 miles per year across 5 recorded odometer readings.
Technical Specifications
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Dimensions & Weights
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Known faults for Lotus Lotus Elise S1
Our database tracks 3 specific mechanical faults and recurring failure patterns identified across UK MOT testing stations for this generation.
MOT Roadworthiness: Good
This rating reflects historical MOT pass rates and recurring advisory wear patterns from official DVSA test logs. Note that roadworthiness does not verify outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen records.
Verify lender finance agreements, insurance write-offs, police stolen registers, and mileage rollback.
Vehicle & Plate History
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Plate Neighbors
Batch Registration Neighbors (832R Series)
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LOTUS ELISE Model Intelligence & Reliability
Verified MOT failure trends, buying advice, and technical directory specifications.
Owner-reported defects, recurring MOT failure points, and estimated repair costs.
Browse production generations, registration statistics, and trim variants.
Historical MOT pass rates and DVLA records for 1997 model year cars.
- Rover K-Series Cylinder Head Gasket FailureSerious
The 1.8-litre Rover K-Series engine (18 K4F) is notorious for cylinder head gasket failure, largely caused by low coolant volume, thermal shock from the front-mounted radiator setup, plastic locating dowels that fatigue, and cylinder liner height settling. Once overheated, the factory elastomeric beaded gasket fails, allowing oil and coolant to cross-contaminate or pressurising the cooling system. Proper remedial repair requires skimming the cylinder head, checking liner stand-out, fitting steel locating dowels, an upgraded multi-layer steel (MLS) gasket, and an uprated lower oil rail.
- Galvanic Chassis and Suspension Mount CorrosionSerious
The Elise S1 bonded aluminium chassis tub incorporates steel threaded inserts and bobbins for the suspension wishbone mounting brackets. Exposure to moisture and salt on UK winter roads sets up a galvanic reaction between the steel inserts and the extruded aluminium. This causes the aluminium surrounding the front upper wishbone mounts to oxidise into a white, powdery residue and crack or delaminate. Because the bonded aluminium tub cannot be repaired with conventional welding, severe galvanic corrosion compromises the structural integrity of the chassis and will result in an MOT failure.
- Radiator Plastic End-Tank Seam LeakageModerate
The factory-fitted front radiator on the Elise S1 utilises an aluminium cooling core crimped to moulded plastic end tanks. Over repeated heat cycles and British road vibrations, the plastic end tanks distort and the crimped rubber sealing gaskets perish, leading to coolant seepage. Because the radiator is housed within the composite front crash structure beneath the front bodywork, replacement requires removing the entire front clamshell. Specialists recommend replacing failed original units with an all-aluminium radiator featuring fully TIG-welded end tanks to avoid repeating the labour-intensive procedure.
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