Lotus Exige MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 30 model years and 6,546 tests, the Lotus Exige passes its MOT 92.1% of the time. All cars of a similar age fail 20.2% of the time, so this is 12.3pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, emissions & environmental and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.7%) and emissions & environmental (2.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, catalyst emissions and registration plates — headlamp aim alone was recorded 183 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 16.9% once past 90-120k — 2.7× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 9.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 9.0% in 2021 to 6.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Exige model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 276 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 199 | 91.5% | 8.5% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2004 | 221 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 422 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 541 | 89.6% | 10.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 499 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 468 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 196 | 94.9% | 5.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 326 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 36 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2013 | 329 | 91.8% | 8.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 458 | 93.7% | 6.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 475 | 93.9% | 6.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 486 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 440 | 93.9% | 6.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 462 | 94.4% | 5.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 352 | 94.6% | 5.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 223 | 94.6% | 5.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 102 | 95.1% | 4.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 309 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 151 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.1% | 139 |
| 4 | Tyres | 1.2% | 79 |
| 5 | Other defects | 1.2% | 78 |
| 6 | Brakes | 1.1% | 73 |
| 7 | Suspension | 1.1% | 69 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.3% | 21 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 183 |
| 2 | Catalyst emissions | 169 |
| 3 | Registration plates | 108 |
| 4 | Washers | 100 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 81 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 49 |
| 7 | Wipers | 44 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 42 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 9.5% | 622 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.0% | 521 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.9% | 383 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.1% | 140 |
| 5 | Other defects | 1.9% | 123 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.8% | 116 |
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 | 4,153 | 6.4% |
| 30-60k | 1,815 | 9.8% |
| 60-90k | 476 | 12.6% |
| 90-120k | 77 | 16.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,217 | 9.0% |
| 2022 | 1,296 | 8.8% |
| 2023 | 1,347 | 7.0% |
| 2024 | 1,337 | 8.1% |
| 2025 | 1,349 | 6.9% |
What to check before buying a Lotus Exige
- Lighting & signalling (4.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (2.3% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Visibility (2.1% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Lotus Exige?
92.1% of the 6,546 Lotus Exige MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 7.9% fail rate, across model years 1993–2022.
What does the Lotus Exige most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.7% of tests, then emissions & environmental (2.3%).
How much does mileage affect Exige MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 16.9% for 90-120k, a 10.5-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,546 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.