The Lotus Elise has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2005–2011. On average a defect was admitted 3.67 years after the car was built, the slowest took 6 years. The most recalled system is Engine And Engine Cooling (3 campaigns). Owners also filed 66 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Lotus Elise
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Engine And Engine Cooling 3 Read
What's wrong. Lotus Cars USA, Inc. (Lotus) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Elise and Exige vehicles manufactured from November 2007 to July 2011, and 2011 Evora vehicles manufactured September 2010 through September 2011. The oil cooler hose may detach from its fitting
Risk. A detached oil hose could spray oil on a tire, increasing the risk of a crash, or it could spray oil throughout the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire
Fix. Lotus will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil cooler hose fittings on the Elise and Exige vehicles and will replace the oil cooler hose assemblies on the Evora vehicles, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Lotus at 1-800-245-6887. Lotus' number…
What's wrong. Lotus Cars USA, Inc. (Lotus) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Elise and Exige vehicles manufactured from November 2007 to July 2011, and 2011 Evora vehicles manufactured September 2010 through September 2011. The oil cooler hose may detach from its fitting
Risk. A detached oil hose could spray oil on a tire, increasing the risk of a crash, or it could spray oil throughout the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire
Fix. Lotus will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil cooler hose fittings on the Elise and Exige vehicles and will replace the oil cooler hose assemblies on the Evora vehicles, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Lotus at 1-800-245-6887. Lotus' number…
What's wrong. Lotus Cars USA, Inc. (Lotus) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Elise and Exige vehicles manufactured from November 2007 to July 2011, and 2011 Evora vehicles manufactured September 2010 through September 2011. The oil cooler hose may detach from its fitting
Risk. A detached oil hose could spray oil on a tire, increasing the risk of a crash, or it could spray oil throughout the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire
Fix. Lotus will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil cooler hose fittings on the Elise and Exige vehicles and will replace the oil cooler hose assemblies on the Evora vehicles, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Lotus at 1-800-245-6887. Lotus' number…
Exterior Lighting 1 Read
What's wrong. Lotus is recalling certain model year 2011 elise vehicles manufactured from june 2010, through february 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these vehicles were fitted with turn signal modules which were not compatible with the revised front headlight configuration which includes the integral front LED turn signal units. The incompatible module may, under certain conditions cause all the LED turn signal lamps to flash at an erratic frequency when the hazard warning switch is depressed. In addition, in the event that either a front or rear turn signal lamp fails to…
Risk. The driver will not be visually alerted to the fact that one or more of the vehicles turn signal lamps is not operating correctly, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Lotus will notify owners, and dealers will replace the turn signal module free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before december 19, 2011. Owners may contact lotus at 1-800-245-6887
Wheels 1 Read
What's wrong. Lotus is recalling 87 model year 2009 elise and exige vehicles manufactured from june 20, 2008 through may 5, 2009. The rear hub flange bolts on some of these vehicles may be under-torqued and may become loose. If that occurs, an insecure hub could lead to degradation in vehicle handling, and a rubbing noise from the rear of the vehicle
Risk. If the problem is not addressed promptly, the driver could lose control of the vehicle, resulting in a crash
Fix. Lotus will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during june 2009. Owners may contact lotus toll-free at 1-800-245-6887
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 6-speed manual transmissions, the gear lever may break
Risk. This could result in the inability to change gears, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the gear levers. The recall began on february 10, 2006. Owners may contact lotus cars usa at 1-800-245-6887
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 3.67 years |
| Slowest campaign | 6 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 50% |
| Campaigns on record | 6 |
Which Elise years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 2010 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2009 | Wheels | |
| 2008 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2007 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2006 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2005 | Power Train |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Lotus Elise have?
6 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2005–2011. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Elise still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 3.67 years, and the slowest campaign came 6 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.