2001 Lotus Elise — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2001 Lotus Elise passed 88.4% of its 1,466 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (27.0% fail rate), the 2001 Elise comes out 15.4pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, emissions & environmental and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.1%) and emissions & environmental (3.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, headlamp aim and service brake performance — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 67 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 17.5% once past 90-120k.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 15.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 14.5% in 2021 to 10.8% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 90 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 3.5% | 51 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.5% | 51 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.2% | 47 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.9% | 28 |
| 6 | Tyres | 0.9% | 14 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 67 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 54 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 48 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 30 |
| 5 | Washers | 28 |
| 6 | Wipers | 20 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 15.4% | 226 |
| 2 | Suspension | 12.7% | 186 |
| 3 | Tyres | 9.8% | 144 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.9% | 131 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.3% | 63 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.9% | 43 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 321 | 10.0% |
| 30-60k | 621 | 10.6% |
| 60-90k | 387 | 12.4% |
| 90-120k | 114 | 17.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 324 | 14.5% |
| 2022 | 303 | 10.2% |
| 2023 | 294 | 11.2% |
| 2024 | 277 | 10.8% |
| 2025 | 268 | 10.8% |
What to check before buying a 2001 Elise
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 6.1% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (6.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (3.5% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Brakes (3.5% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2001 Lotus Elises pass their MOT?
88.4% of the 1,466 2001 Lotus Elise MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2001 Lotus Elise?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.1% of tests, followed by emissions & environmental (3.5%).
Does the 2001 Elise get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.0% in the 0-30k band to 17.5% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,466 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.