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BU53 KWK

2003 Lotus Elise

Purple Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires6 Sep 2026
Tests24 (18 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

106,207 mi
Last recorded106,207 miles
Recorded on13 Aug 2025
Typical for 2003 Lotus Elise33,657 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationBU53 KWK
MakeLotus
ModelElise
Year2003
ColourPurple
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

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

18 pass 6 fail
Pass 13 Aug 2025 106,207 miles

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened inner face (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened inner face (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 7 Sep 2024 106,091 miles

Nearside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 7 Sep 2023 105,663 miles

Nearside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

under tray fitted to complete underside of vehicle not allowing inspection of some componants

Pass 16 Jul 2022 105,466 miles

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing On tread area 185/50 R16 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing On tread area 185/50 R16 (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 28 Oct 2020 104,651 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 13 Apr 2019 101,953 miles
Pass 28 Apr 2018 100,498 miles

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

Pass 5 Oct 2016 94,558 miles
Pass 8 Oct 2015 86,636 miles

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

Rear Inner Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Fail 22 Sep 2015 86,151 miles

Front Inner Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Pass 15 Oct 2014 77,106 miles
Fail 25 Sep 2014 76,618 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Nearside Inner Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Inner Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Inner Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Inner Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Fail 10 Oct 2013 68,999 miles

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 10 Oct 2013 68,999 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 19 Oct 2012 60,727 miles

front brake discs lipped

inner edges of both front tyres getting low also perishing and splitting

Fail 21 Sep 2012 60,078 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Rear brake caliper has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Nearside Rear brake caliper leaking (3.6.A.1)

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

front brake discs lipped and deterioating

n/s front tyre inner edge getting low also tyre perishing and splitting

o/s front tyre inner edge very low also tyre perishing and splitting

rear brake pads deterioating

Pass 29 Sep 2011 47,547 miles

Inner Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

front brake discs lipped abd deterioating

rear brake discs deterioating badly

Fail 20 Sep 2011 47,202 miles

Inner Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Inner Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

front brake discs lipped abd deterioating

rear brake discs deterioating badly

Pass 23 Sep 2010 34,164 miles

all four brake discs deterioating

rear tyres getting low

Pass 5 Oct 2009 24,541 miles

slight play in both top ball joints

wear on all four brake discs

Pass 11 Sep 2008 16,970 miles

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Fail 10 Sep 2008 16,969 miles

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Pass 11 Sep 2007 15,175 miles
Pass 11 Aug 2006 13,222 miles

How Reliable is the Lotus Elise?

Based on 150,954 MOT tests across 12,302 vehicles.

81.8%
Pass Rate
1,309
Miles/Year
30
Year Lifespan
12,302
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive 3,173
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 3,131
Headlamp aim too high 3,014
Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 2,630
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive 1,898
Full Lotus Elise reliability report

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BU53 KWK is a 2003 Lotus Elise in Purple with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 2003 Lotus Elise models, the average MOT pass rate is 83.4% with a typical mileage of 33,657 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Lotus Elise fails its MOT is exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive, accounting for 3,173 recorded failures. If you're considering buying BU53 KWK, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Elise typically stays on UK roads for around 30 years. At 23 years old, this Lotus Elise is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of BU53 KWK?

You can check the full history of BU53 KWK by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BU53 KWK registered?

BU53 KWK is a 2003 Lotus Elise, first registered on 6 September 2003.

Is BU53 KWK safe to buy?

The MOT history for BU53 KWK shows 24 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BU53 KWK 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 BU53 KWK. 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.