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A3 MFV

1990 Lotus Elan

Red Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Feb 2027
Tests23 (19 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate82.6%

Mileage

77,219 mi
Last recorded77,219 miles
Recorded on21 Feb 2026
Typical for 1990 Lotus Elan82,230 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Lotus
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationA3 MFV
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1990
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,588cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

19 pass 4 fail
Pass 21 Feb 2026 77,219 miles
Fail 2 Feb 2026 77,208 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 25 Nov 2024 76,668 miles
Pass 7 Nov 2023 74,654 miles

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 25 May 2023 74,462 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Fail 23 May 2023 74,461 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose connection leaking on a hydraulic braking system Flexible brake hose to metal ferrel (1.1.12 (c) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 11 May 2022 74,302 miles

Nearside Front Brake bind, seems to get worse with use

Pass 17 Dec 2020 73,900 miles
Pass 23 Oct 2019 73,620 miles

Nearside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Nearside Front Slight brake bind

Pass 19 Oct 2018 73,289 miles

Rear Wheel bearing has slight play Both (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 18 Oct 2017 72,974 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2016 72,899 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front bolt for drivers seat is not tight but not insecure

Offside Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Oil leak ()

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

air con compressor is leaking and noisy

engine bay covers obscuring the view of components

exhaust center mount is perishing

Pass 25 Aug 2015 72,747 miles
Fail 25 Aug 2015 72,747 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Pass 6 Aug 2014 72,635 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Rear registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)

Pass 3 Jul 2013 72,284 miles

Slight rear wheel bearing play

Pass 4 May 2012 71,867 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

underside surface corosion.

Fail 4 May 2012 71,867 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Oil leak

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

underside surface corosion.

Pass 23 Nov 2010 71,631 miles

Nearside Rear Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

very slight rear wheel bearing plat, front lower wishbones corroded. handbrake travel.

Pass 2 Oct 2009 71,031 miles

Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

washers poor. auxillery belt amd pump belt very poor. underside corrosion. front crossmember corroded. front and rear suspension arms corroded.

Pass 12 Sep 2008 70,103 miles

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nail in nearside front tyre

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

slight underside oil leaks, slight underside surface corrosion.

Pass 27 Jul 2007 69,419 miles

underside corroding. rear metal brake pipes corroding.

Pass 27 Jun 2006 68,962 miles

underside surface corrosion, rear upper arms corroded, alternater belt poor

How Reliable is the Lotus Elan?

Based on 51,097 MOT tests across 4,280 vehicles.

77.4%
Pass Rate
554
Miles/Year
59
Year Lifespan
4,280
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,585
brake recording little or no effort 1,342
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,318
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 927
brake binding 845
Full Lotus Elan reliability report

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A3 MFV is a 1990 Lotus Elan in Red with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 82.6%.

Across all 1990 Lotus Elan models, the average MOT pass rate is 72.8% with a typical mileage of 82,230 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Lotus Elan fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,585 recorded failures. If you're considering buying A3 MFV, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Elan typically stays on UK roads for around 59 years. At 36 years old, this Lotus Elan is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of A3 MFV?

You can check the full history of A3 MFV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A3 MFV registered?

A3 MFV is a 1990 Lotus Elan, first registered on 31 December 1990.

Is A3 MFV safe to buy?

The MOT history for A3 MFV shows 23 tests with a 82.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A3 MFV have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on A3 MFV. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.