Lotus Elise — Recalls, Reliability, Specs & VIN Decoder

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 lotus elise. The contact stated that the oil line hose fittings connection failed causing the oil to spill onto the engine. While driving 65 mph the interior of the vehicle filled with smoke from the oil that spilled on the engine. The contact drove the vehicle to the side of the road where he noticed the engine compartment of the vehicle was on fire. The contact put the fire out himself and no one was injured. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who confirmed that the oil line hose caused the failure to occur. The vehicle will not be repaired for at least four weeks. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 35,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 lotus elise. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, smoke began to emit in and around the vehicle. The contact attempted to engage the brakes but the pedal sank to the floor. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the oil cooler line fractured causing a leak and as a result, the oil cooler and brakes needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 41,187. The current mileage was 42,250.

2005 lotus elise. The oil line released from its fitting on the front right oil cooler wetting the tire with oil resulting in a loss of control. The car spun and left the road. No damage occurred and the car was towed from the median and the line was repaired. I selected the yes response to was there a crash based on the car leaving the road. *tr

Aware of nhtsa recall # 11v-510 having received letter from lotus cars usa but was told this vehicle was probably not affected. Monitored for signs of oil leakage anyway but saw nothing: no change in oil level on dipstick checks, no signs of oil under car. While accelerating on expressway, had low oil warning light come on and noticed some difficulty steering due to slickness as car was brought to a safe halt as quickly as possible. Right side of car was covered in oil, apparently originating at oil cooler located in front of right front wheel well. Car was taken to lotus dealer and oil line was reported to have burst. After fixing, was told there was sound of cylinder damage in engine. Lotus will be replacing the engine at their cost per dealer's report to me on 4/3/2012.

Was driving my 2007 lotus elise when the oil hose pulled out of the crimped fitting at the right rear connection to the engine just above the oil filter. This caused all of the oil to quickly leave the engine and coat the right rear tire. I was lucky i was driving straight on a highway at the time and was able to safely pull over. Had this happened on a corner, with traction lost on the rear tire the results could have been significantly different.

Driving in second gear and changing into third gear the radiator exploded and splashed hot coolant all over the windshield. Fortunately i had the roof on, otherwise the hot coolant could have landed on me or my 8 yr. Old son. Lotus uses a terribly designed radiator that has plastic edges, which become brittle and explode over time. This is a common documented issue on www.lotustalk.com. Why they do not use an all aluminum radiator, is beyond me.

1. Nothing was obvious leading you to the event. 2. Failure only occurred once, but caused engine failure. 3. Engine was replaced entirely. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 lotus elise. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 11v510000 (engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hose). The manufacturer was made aware of the situation and the contact was awaiting a response to find out how to pursue repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 13,000. ..updated 01/25/16 *bf updated 01/28/16.*jb

Oil cooler hose separated from fitting at the sandwich plate on the engine. *tr

As i was pulling onto my street, the oil light came on the dash. I immediately found a place to stop and park the car, at which time i noticed the smell of oil in the cabin. Upon exiting the vehicle i noticed oil on the front driver's side tire & wheel, and approximately 30 minutes after parking there was a large puddle of oil underneath the front half of the car. My online search for a possible cause of this incident has lead me to believe that i experienced a failure of the oil cooler lines. *tr

I was on the freeway driving at freeway speeds in the #1 lane when i smelled burning oil. I hadn't noticed the car performing differently so i looked ahead to the forward cars for the 'gross polluter' causing the smell. I didn't see anyone with my first forward inspection. I then immediately noticed the oil light lit on the dash. At the same instant i looked out of the side mirror and saw smoke pouring from my car. (this happened very quickly and i may have noticed the rear smoke before the oil light.) i quickly put the car into neutral, drifted through 3 lanes of traffic to the next exit which was within 1000 or so feet. I drifted off the exit onto the main street and into the gas station on the corner. My wife came soon after and noticed the large oil spill on the freeway road surface where it occurred. When i went to inspect the car when i stopped at the gas station i saw several oil puddle forming in the rear on the ground (in the middle and on the passenger side), the rear of the car was covered in oil, the passenger rear wheel was covered in oil including the braking system on that side, oil was dripping from the bottom of the car onto the ground, and smoke was pouring from the engine bay. When i opened the engine bay it was smoking and covered with oil. I was a little concerned that it could catch fire, however it didn't. I called a tow truck and towed it to my mechanic. After the event i was wondering about the cars behind me on the freeway and what it was like for them following me after my car released 10 quarts of oil onto the freeway and onto their windshields. I later found out that the oil line coupling had failed in the rear. This was the second time that this occurred to me with this car. *tr

I was on the freeway and moved into the #2 lane and was accelerating. I looked out my rearview mirror and saw what i thought was a dust cloud behind me. I looked at the road in front of me expecting to see some dirt on the road, but there wasn't any. I looked back and it seemed that it was like a dirty brown smoke. I was my car. (i later realized the cloud was a spray of oil mist.) i was going 65 or 70 mph and didn't notice anything unusual with the drivability. I looked at my instrument panel & noticed the oil light was on. I shot over to the exit and to the off-ramp. The car seemed to be straining on the off ramp and on the verge of stalling but it was still running. I couldn't stop on the off ramp and luckily i had a green light so i turned right and then right again at the next block and pulled into a commercial driveway and shut the car off. I probably drove a total of about a half mile with the oil leaking out. There was a trail of oil on the road and a puddle developed under the car where i stopped. When i got out to inspect the car i found the passenger side of the car and back of the car (and underneath) was covered in oil. Both the front and rear passenger wheels were covered in oil. No oil was on the driver side at all. The oil leak / loss seemed to be in the front of the car and on the passenger side. It was i don't recall anything odd happening with the car. It didn't feel like i hit anything or that anything??broke?? As i was driving it. The oil cloud?? In my rear view mirror was my first sign that something had happened. I later found out from my mechanic that the oil line coupling had failed in the front where it connected to the oil cooler. After the event i wondered about the cars behind me on the freeway and what it was like for them following me after the release of 10 quarts of oil onto the freeway and their windshields. *tr

Second time this has happened. Received new engine from lotus 4/21/2012 and had about 700 miles on new engine. Was driving on residential street in mid gears. Noted some odd engine rattling noises briefly. Seconds later, strong smell of gasoline which dissipated. Then saw flickering instrument panel warning lights which stopped but resumed and was low oil light which went out and then came on full. Stopped immediately and turned off engine. Car was towed by flat bed back to lotus dealer in nj. *tr

I have an inquire in regard to my 2006 lotus elise (vin [xxx]) oil line issue that happened on 12/11/13. I was driving normally and the engine light came on all the sudden. I pulled over shortly after. While waiting for the tow truck, i already can see that the engine oil was leaking from the front right side. My car was towed to a local repair shop and found that the oil line was dis-attached from the connector. I had been trying to the called the lotus usa # 1800-245-6887 since the incident (12/11/13). I called on 3 different days (12/11/13, 12/20/13, and 12/23/13); called 5-6 times, and left 3 voice messages to [xxx] with my name, the inquiry, and my phone #, and until to date (11/24/13) no one ever called back. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 lotus elise. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 11v510000 (engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hose). The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that they had no time frame as to when the necessary parts would be available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 11,300.

Front oil cooler hose blew off spraying underside of car with oil. Pulled vehicle over and towed to dealer for maintenance fix. *tr

Right side oil cooler hose blew off while traveling at 65mph spraying oil over the right back tire. The engine seized and car coasted to a stop position on side of road. Car was inoperable and towed to dealer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 lotus elise. The contact stated that he received a recall notice in january 2012 for nhtsa campaign id number:11v510000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that he tried to get the vehicle repaired but the manufacturer stated that they were working on trying to determine how to repair the vehicle. The contact stated he wanted to get the vehicle repaired but it was taking too long for the vehicle to be serviced under the recall, which had exceeded a reasonable amount of time. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 8/6/12 *cn updated 08/14/2012 *js

The 2007+ lotus elise/ exige are all equipped with a shifter that is prone to failure. I have personally had a broken shifter while driving on the highway and was stuck at the 3rd gear and almost got into a car accident. Many have also reported the same situation. It's believed to be true that the ball joint structure at the pivot point on the bottom of the shifter is the main reason to this failure. Almost every case that has surfaced on internet has shown the identical broken structure which we called the "blue ball". It is made with plastic and is commonly shattered in pieces, and that happens, the entire shifter is loose and broken.

As i was pulling onto my street, the oil light came on the dash. I immediately found a place to stop and park the car, at which time i noticed the smell of oil in the cabin. Upon exiting the vehicle i noticed oil on the front driver's side tire & wheel, and approximately 30 minutes after parking there was a large puddle of oil underneath the front half of the car. My online search for a possible cause of this incident has lead me to believe that i experienced a failure of the oil cooler lines. *tr

Wiring on auto has been a mess since new, auto towed 15 times for mechanical reasons and addition times tow truck was coming and car would start. Shifter broke off at 2,000 miles, transaxle was replaced at about 20,000 miles alarm system, alternator,speakers,turn indicators, front steering box (rack), vehicle computer (speed indicated on dash has been at lest 15% high since transaxle was replaced)-- have all failed. Lotus dealerships where never able to locate or fix wiring problem (fox valley, aurora il another lake forest has no authorized lotus mechanic.) lotus usa inc. Covered most until warranty expired ,now will not return phone calls or e-mails (over 15 sent in the last year and a half.). Auto now has 26,666 miles and has not been driven since august of 2010. It will not past wisconsin emissions so i am unable to get license plates also it will change lanes off a straight line without warning. Auto was never on a track and always stored in a heat and rodent controlled area. A independent mechanic that worked on auto stated "the wiring harness appears to have been pulled and installed through out the auto with out regard to sharp edges or care in anyway", he found no rodent damage.

Driving under normal conditions through city traffic when the oil indicator light came on. Pulled over to the side of the rode and checked the oil level. Showed it was empty with oil spilling on the ground. Towed it to a repair shop to discover that the oil hose fitting had broken off the engine causing the oil loss. This could have resulted in a total loss of engine function had i not pulled over. I had the oil hose replaced and replaced the remaining hoses as well.

1) at first 1st to 2nd up shift and 3rd to 2nd down shift was grinding at about 5000 rpm. Shifting progressively got worse shifting from 1st to 2nd and 3rd to 2nd. Now 3rd to 2nd down shifting grinds at every rpm and 1st to 2nd shift is very difficult. Diagnosed by mechnanic as synhro failure. 2) 2nd gear synchro failure. Can't upshift well and down shifting from 3rd to 2nd grinds gear and destroys gear. Unsafe when you can't get into gear. 3) lotus usa and the dealership autostrada usa have denied warranty claim. They won't fix the transmission. My car is still under bumper to bumper warranty. *jb

Manual transmission popped unexpectedly out of 5th gear during hard driving causing driver to select wrong gear in attempt to regain control of vehicle. The placing of the transmission into 3rd gear by mistake led to catastrophic over-revving of the engine with engine failure (total loss). Dealer had been advised regarding the popping out of gear prior to the fatal event and was unable to find problem. The engine was replace and in spite of dealer assessment the problem has continued. The problem now has worsened to grinding of the gears on simple driving. A local transmission specialist has advised defective transmission. The manufacturer has been advised, but reports to me that they do not believe there is a problem. Their engineers cannot conceivable think of a way the gearbox /transmission can "pop" out of gear if properly placed into the gear. The problem has been observed by two other independent drivers who have had the problem occur with their use of the vehicle. I as the owner have purchased another transmission to replace the defective transmission. The manufacturer has been notified and has reported no interest in seeing the defective part, nor any willingness to participate in fixing the issue. Issues remain: manufacturer unwilling to investigate the complaint as well as recognize that the problem could exist. Safety concern remains for those not expecting the sudden loss of control which can lead to an accident or as in my case the destruction of the engine. *jb

Sub: 2005 lotus elise nhtsa recall #05v-571 [xxx]. I live in nicholasville kentucky & dealer is in atlanta ga. Driving there would be 12 hrs on the road + $$ for accommodations & travel expenses, car mileage & depreciation. Failure & i would be stranded & with more expense. I am an automotive engineer, registered professional engineer & former auto mechanic, i have worked in the area of auto safety > 40 years. As an alternative to hazards of failure i suggested to dealer service mgr & lotus warranty mgr, that i have the ability & tools to install the parts if supplied them & would purchase parts & install them. I currently own & maintain another lotus car and have owned and driven several others in the past. I maintain 9 autos of various makes and vintages, my automotive shop is very complete including a 4 post commercial lift. Failure of the lever is well known and is documented on various lotus oriented web sites, including the necessary procedures for replacement of the old lever with new production parts or non-oem kits. After-market shift levers are available as replacement but i have found that collectible automobiles decrease in value when non-oem parts are used to modify them, owners are advised to use oem components by mfgs alternative to driving to dealer refused. No alternative such as flat-bedding was offered to avoid the hazards. & to avoid the substantial cost and time to repair dangerous defect i have an expensive automobile that i am afraid to drive at all because i cant obtain the parts for repair. I would be satisfied if the parts were supplied to me and i installed them myself. I certainly could document the change-out with photographs & return the old parts at my expense. A less desirable alternative would be flat-bedding the car because of the additional time & expense involved and the potential for damage during travel please help me get back the safe use of my car, soonest reply appreciated. *nm *js

I was turning left out of a parking lot, accelerating in a safe but enthusiastic manner when i felt a violent shudder/vibration at around 30-35 mph. I immediately let off the throttle and felt increased drag as if i had a flat tire. I immediately pulled over into a gas station and found the my driver's side rear wheel was pushed up into the fender and the car was not drivable. The dealer told me that the heads had popped of the bolts that hold the upper control arm to the wheel hub. I posted this info on a car forum and found that my car is not the only one this is happening to. One member posted a video that happened to catch the event. This is the link to the forum that will contain extra info. Http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40858&highlight=control+arm

Wiring on auto has been a mess since new, auto towed 15 times for mechanical reasons and addition times tow truck was coming and car would start. Shifter broke off at 2,000 miles, transaxle was replaced at about 20,000 miles alarm system, alternator,speakers,turn indicators, front steering box (rack), vehicle computer (speed indicated on dash has been at lest 15% high since transaxle was replaced)-- have all failed. Lotus dealerships where never able to locate or fix wiring problem (fox valley, aurora il another lake forest has no authorized lotus mechanic.) lotus usa inc. Covered most until warranty expired ,now will not return phone calls or e-mails (over 15 sent in the last year and a half.). Auto now has 26,666 miles and has not been driven since august of 2010. It will not past wisconsin emissions so i am unable to get license plates also it will change lanes off a straight line without warning. Auto was never on a track and always stored in a heat and rodent controlled area. A independent mechanic that worked on auto stated "the wiring harness appears to have been pulled and installed through out the auto with out regard to sharp edges or care in anyway", he found no rodent damage.

Failure: broken toe link bolt. Event's leading to the failure: normal driving of the car on public streets. Consequences of the failure: rear wheel will move freely causing total loss of control of the car. This can cause an accident from minor injuries to both the car's occupants and innocent drivers around the car to severe penalties such as death(s). What was done to correct the failure: proper removal and cleaning of galvanized clumps (manufacture defect) where the toe link bolts to the chassis. Moreover, replacement of the toe-link joint, nuts and bolts, and ensure they are properly torqued to manufactures specification. *tr

While making a left turn, a loud bang occurred with a strange feeling at the rear of the car and the car spun 180 deg. I got out of the car and saw the rear passenger car tire toed out at about 20 deg. The bolt connecting the toe control link to the chassis broke, causing the rear tire to move from its normal straight ahead position to an abnormal, exaggerated toe out position. The toe control link and securing bolt have not yet been replaced, but will be shortly. *tr

Wiring on auto has been a mess since new, auto towed 15 times for mechanical reasons and addition times tow truck was coming and car would start. Shifter broke off at 2,000 miles, transaxle was replaced at about 20,000 miles alarm system, alternator,speakers,turn indicators, front steering box (rack), vehicle computer (speed indicated on dash has been at lest 15% high since transaxle was replaced)-- have all failed. Lotus dealerships where never able to locate or fix wiring problem (fox valley, aurora il another lake forest has no authorized lotus mechanic.) lotus usa inc. Covered most until warranty expired ,now will not return phone calls or e-mails (over 15 sent in the last year and a half.). Auto now has 26,666 miles and has not been driven since august of 2010. It will not past wisconsin emissions so i am unable to get license plates also it will change lanes off a straight line without warning. Auto was never on a track and always stored in a heat and rodent controlled area. A independent mechanic that worked on auto stated "the wiring harness appears to have been pulled and installed through out the auto with out regard to sharp edges or care in anyway", he found no rodent damage.

Instrument cluster is intermittent and turns all on or all off without warning, masking speed, fuel, rpms, mileage, etc. (all data). From researching the issue on www.elisetalk.com, it appears this is a problem common to 2005 lotus elise automobiles. Severe possibility of incident by not knowing how fast your going or how much fuel you have, and, this problem can happen at any moment without warning or apparent cause. *tr

I have a 2005 lotus elise with 18000. Mile on it and my blower is not working and when i turn it on it smells like something is burning. *tr

Intermittent problem where the entire cluster gauge (speedometer, rpm, gas gauge, etc.) will shut down and later turn back on. The intermittent problem will become worse and the cluster gauge will shut down for longer periods at a time. There is no known cause of this. The only know fix is to replace the entire cluster gauge. *tr

I own a 2005 lotus elise. While driving the vehicle during a rain storm the front defroster would not operate, which subsequently reduced my visibility as a consequence, as i was getting ready to pull over to the side and sit, i ran into flood water as a result of not being able to see properly. I contacted the dealership where i was informed that the reason this happened was the fan motor pack needed to be replaced which would cost me 1900 dollars. Lotus put out a bulletin that holes needed to be drilled in the chassis to prevent this, although the previous owner had this done but did not help the situation. With them knowing this is a well known problem they should be liable to fix this issue!! My vehicle only had 10,500 miles on it at the time of the incident. *tr

My 2005 lotus elise has a inherent problem with the a/c fan not working. This si a design flaw in the resistor being placed were it is prone to water intrusion. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 lotus elise. The contact stated while driving the vehicle during a rain storm the front defroster would not operate, which subsequently reduced his visibility as a consequence his risk for serious injury and crash were increased. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the fan motor pack needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 23000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 lotus elise. The contact stated that the defroster was inoperative, which reduced visibility during cold weather. He took the vehicle to a dealer and was informed that the resistor pack corroded because of its location and needed to be replaced. The repair would cost $2,000. The manufacturer stated that because there was only a tsb rather than a recall, and because his vehicle exceeded its warranty, they would not assume responsibility for the repair. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 23,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 lotus elise. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, smoke began to emit in and around the vehicle. The contact attempted to engage the brakes but the pedal sank to the floor. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the oil cooler line fractured causing a leak and as a result, the oil cooler and brakes needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 41,187. The current mileage was 42,250.

Momentary brake failure yesterday. This happened to my wife. She's commuted with the car to work 3 times a week, 90 miles round trip for 7+ months, logging many thousands of miles, and much more than i have. Also she has been driving stick for 17 years, and routinely drives sports cars (mini cooper s, z3). 70 mph (in 70 zone) cruising in #2 lane reasonable following distance. Traffic ahead begins to slow quickly. Applied brake. Nothing. Believe pedal did not travel all the way to floor. Changed to #3 lane to avoid collision with car in front. Reapplied brake. Nothing. Changed to #4 lane. Tried moving foot over in case wrong pedal was being pushed, and throttle revved confirming she had been applying brake pedal. Applied brake a third time, and it worked correctly, as if there had never been a problem. I checked fluid in reservoir (full, color very clear, last changed 9 months ago with motul 5.1 synthetic fluid(not 5, not silicon)). Front pads were changed 1 month ~800+ miles ago. She can't be positive that there was zero braking effect, but she was very sure that the brakes were not working in their normal fashion. At no time during her hard brake pressure did the abs give the pulsing sensation in the pedal. No idiot lights for brakes or abs came on. Dealership took the report seriously, but was unable to replicate or find any failed component or the cause of the failure. *tr

I was on the freeway driving at freeway speeds in the #1 lane when i smelled burning oil. I hadn't noticed the car performing differently so i looked ahead to the forward cars for the 'gross polluter' causing the smell. I didn't see anyone with my first forward inspection. I then immediately noticed the oil light lit on the dash. At the same instant i looked out of the side mirror and saw smoke pouring from my car. (this happened very quickly and i may have noticed the rear smoke before the oil light.) i quickly put the car into neutral, drifted through 3 lanes of traffic to the next exit which was within 1000 or so feet. I drifted off the exit onto the main street and into the gas station on the corner. My wife came soon after and noticed the large oil spill on the freeway road surface where it occurred. When i went to inspect the car when i stopped at the gas station i saw several oil puddle forming in the rear on the ground (in the middle and on the passenger side), the rear of the car was covered in oil, the passenger rear wheel was covered in oil including the braking system on that side, oil was dripping from the bottom of the car onto the ground, and smoke was pouring from the engine bay. When i opened the engine bay it was smoking and covered with oil. I was a little concerned that it could catch fire, however it didn't. I called a tow truck and towed it to my mechanic. After the event i was wondering about the cars behind me on the freeway and what it was like for them following me after my car released 10 quarts of oil onto the freeway and onto their windshields. I later found out that the oil line coupling had failed in the rear. This was the second time that this occurred to me with this car. *tr

I was on the freeway and moved into the #2 lane and was accelerating. I looked out my rearview mirror and saw what i thought was a dust cloud behind me. I looked at the road in front of me expecting to see some dirt on the road, but there wasn't any. I looked back and it seemed that it was like a dirty brown smoke. I was my car. (i later realized the cloud was a spray of oil mist.) i was going 65 or 70 mph and didn't notice anything unusual with the drivability. I looked at my instrument panel & noticed the oil light was on. I shot over to the exit and to the off-ramp. The car seemed to be straining on the off ramp and on the verge of stalling but it was still running. I couldn't stop on the off ramp and luckily i had a green light so i turned right and then right again at the next block and pulled into a commercial driveway and shut the car off. I probably drove a total of about a half mile with the oil leaking out. There was a trail of oil on the road and a puddle developed under the car where i stopped. When i got out to inspect the car i found the passenger side of the car and back of the car (and underneath) was covered in oil. Both the front and rear passenger wheels were covered in oil. No oil was on the driver side at all. The oil leak / loss seemed to be in the front of the car and on the passenger side. It was i don't recall anything odd happening with the car. It didn't feel like i hit anything or that anything??broke?? As i was driving it. The oil cloud?? In my rear view mirror was my first sign that something had happened. I later found out from my mechanic that the oil line coupling had failed in the front where it connected to the oil cooler. After the event i wondered about the cars behind me on the freeway and what it was like for them following me after the release of 10 quarts of oil onto the freeway and their windshields. *tr