1997 Lamborghini Diablo 5.7L Petrol · P40 LAM
1997 Lamborghini Diablo (5.7L, petrol). First registered 28 May 1997. Recorded mileage 12,455 km. MOT valid until 16 Jun 2027.
- Make & Model
- LAMBORGHINI DIABLO
- Year / Origin
- 1997 · Preston
- Safety Recall
- Unknown
- MOT Status
- Valid until 16 Jun 2027
- Road Tax
- —
- Recorded Odometer
- 12,455 km
- ULEZ Compliance
- Check Required (Pre-Euro 4 Petrol)
- Fuel & Engine
- Petrol · 5.7L
- 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.
P40 LAM Key Findings
- 3 MOT tests recorded
- Latest MOT passed on 18/06/2026
- 12,455 km recorded at latest MOT
- No defects recorded at the latest MOT
Derived directly from the recorded DVSA and DVLA data shown on this page.
P40 LAM MOT History
Interpretation generated from the recorded test data above — not an official DVSA statement and not a substitute for an independent inspection.
3 MOT tests are recorded for this 1997 Lamborghini Diablo (P40 LAM) between January 2024 and June 2026.
The record contains 3 passes and 0 failures.
No failures or advisories appear anywhere in the recorded tests, so the documented MOT record is relatively clean.
P40 LAM Odometer History
- 31/01/202410,786 km
- 09/05/202511,551 km+765 km
- 18/06/202612,455 km+904 km
Average of roughly 701 km per year across 3 recorded odometer readings.
Technical Specifications
Core Specifications
Identification & Status
Dimensions & Weights
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Known faults for Lamborghini Lamborghini Diablo
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.
Common Problems: LAMBORGHINI DIABLO
Known issues reported by owners and MOT testers.
- Single-Plate Clutch Wear and Slave Cylinder Pull-Rod Failure(Serious)
The Diablo's 5.7-litre and 6.0-litre V12 engines transfer up to 457 lb-ft of torque through a single dry-plate clutch. Due to high vehicle mass and heavy low-speed gearing, the clutch disc experiences rapid friction material wear during stop-start UK driving, rarely lasting beyond 20,000 to 25,000 miles. Furthermore, pre-1998 cars employ a pull-type hydraulic slave cylinder mechanism where the internal operating rod is prone to fatigue fractures or hydraulic seal blow-out, suddenly leaving the driver unable to disengage the clutch. Replacing the clutch assembly requires dropping the rear suspension, differential, and V12 powertrain, resulting in substantial specialist labour bills.
- Timing Chain Hydraulic Tensioner Failure and Overrun Rattle(Serious)
Early 1990–1994 Lamborghini Diablo 5.7-litre V12 engines used oil-pressure-fed hydraulic timing chain tensioners that suffered from a dangerous design flaw: engine oil pressure pulsations progressively ratcheted the tensioners tighter against the guide rails until excessive tension caused one or both timing chains to snap. This catastrophic failure resulted in complete valve-to-piston collision, destroying cylinder heads, pistons, and liners. From 1994, Lamborghini superseded these with mechanical ratchet tensioners and issued service bulletins to retrofit earlier engines. In addition, high-mileage Diablos can experience timing chain stretch, producing an audible rattle on the overrun.
- Galvanic Body Corrosion and Steel Spaceframe Rust(Moderate)
The Diablo construction combines hand-beaten aluminium body panels mounted over a rectangular-tube steel spaceframe, with composite carbon-fibre used for the bumpers, sills, front bonnet, and engine cover. Inadequate galvanic barrier protection at the factory allows electrolytic corrosion to occur where the aluminium skin makes direct contact with the steel subframes. When exposed to damp British roads and winter salt spray, moisture is trapped within unsealed seams, causing galvanic blistering of the aluminium paintwork and structural rusting of the tubular steel chassis. Areas worst affected include the lower door bottoms, outer sill mounting points, front boot floor, and fuel filler pocket.
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LAMBORGHINI DIABLO 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.
- Single-Plate Clutch Wear and Slave Cylinder Pull-Rod FailureSerious
The Diablo's 5.7-litre and 6.0-litre V12 engines transfer up to 457 lb-ft of torque through a single dry-plate clutch. Due to high vehicle mass and heavy low-speed gearing, the clutch disc experiences rapid friction material wear during stop-start UK driving, rarely lasting beyond 20,000 to 25,000 miles. Furthermore, pre-1998 cars employ a pull-type hydraulic slave cylinder mechanism where the internal operating rod is prone to fatigue fractures or hydraulic seal blow-out, suddenly leaving the driver unable to disengage the clutch. Replacing the clutch assembly requires dropping the rear suspension, differential, and V12 powertrain, resulting in substantial specialist labour bills.
- Timing Chain Hydraulic Tensioner Failure and Overrun RattleSerious
Early 1990–1994 Lamborghini Diablo 5.7-litre V12 engines used oil-pressure-fed hydraulic timing chain tensioners that suffered from a dangerous design flaw: engine oil pressure pulsations progressively ratcheted the tensioners tighter against the guide rails until excessive tension caused one or both timing chains to snap. This catastrophic failure resulted in complete valve-to-piston collision, destroying cylinder heads, pistons, and liners. From 1994, Lamborghini superseded these with mechanical ratchet tensioners and issued service bulletins to retrofit earlier engines. In addition, high-mileage Diablos can experience timing chain stretch, producing an audible rattle on the overrun.
- Galvanic Body Corrosion and Steel Spaceframe RustModerate
The Diablo construction combines hand-beaten aluminium body panels mounted over a rectangular-tube steel spaceframe, with composite carbon-fibre used for the bumpers, sills, front bonnet, and engine cover. Inadequate galvanic barrier protection at the factory allows electrolytic corrosion to occur where the aluminium skin makes direct contact with the steel subframes. When exposed to damp British roads and winter salt spray, moisture is trapped within unsealed seams, causing galvanic blistering of the aluminium paintwork and structural rusting of the tubular steel chassis. Areas worst affected include the lower door bottoms, outer sill mounting points, front boot floor, and fuel filler pocket.
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