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E2 SLO

1997 Lotus Elise

Silver Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires30 Jul 2026
Tests31 (20 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate64.5%

Mileage

125,658 mi
Last recorded125,658 miles
Recorded on31 Jul 2025
Typical for 1997 Lotus Elise47,496 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationE2 SLO
MakeLotus
ModelElise
Year1997
ColourSilver
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

20 pass 11 fail
Pass 31 Jul 2025 125,658 miles
Fail 24 Jul 2025 125,658 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Pass 1 Dec 2023 124,969 miles
Fail 29 Nov 2023 124,969 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Pass 18 Nov 2022 124,078 miles
Fail 18 Nov 2022 124,078 miles

Emissions not tested over heating (8.2.1.2 (d))

Pass 8 Nov 2021 123,573 miles
Pass 4 Dec 2020 122,315 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp reflector slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Inner Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 3 Dec 2020 122,315 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

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

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Headlamp reflector slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Inner Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 26 Mar 2019 113,312 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

offside front wheel binding by hand

Pass 18 Apr 2018 111,290 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Pass 10 Apr 2017 109,618 miles

both front tyres wearing on inner edges

Pass 5 Apr 2016 107,789 miles
Fail 5 Apr 2016 107,789 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 27 Mar 2015 106,438 miles
Pass 8 Apr 2014 104,475 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 3 Apr 2013 102,109 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 3 Apr 2012 99,507 miles

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Fail 2 Apr 2012 99,506 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Fail 5 Aug 2011 98,347 miles

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Pass 5 Aug 2011 98,347 miles
Pass 31 Aug 2010 98,210 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 6 Aug 2009 90,515 miles

brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 5 Aug 2009 90,515 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 24 Nov 2008 88,817 miles
Fail 19 Nov 2008 88,817 miles

Direction indicators incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 6 Dec 2007 79,832 miles
Pass 19 Dec 2006 71,930 miles

crack to zone b of sweep area not exceeding limits

stone chip to screen outside swept area

Fail 19 Dec 2006 71,893 miles

Front Windscreen has damage to the swept area in excess of a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Pass 12 Dec 2005 61,247 miles

see advisory sheet

Fail 8 Dec 2005 61,247 miles

Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

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

Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

due to complete under vehicle sheild inspection has been limited

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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E2 SLO is a 1997 Lotus Elise in Silver with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.5%.

Across all 1997 Lotus Elise models, the average MOT pass rate is 78.3% with a typical mileage of 47,496 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 E2 SLO, 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 29 years old, this Lotus Elise is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of E2 SLO?

You can check the full history of E2 SLO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E2 SLO registered?

E2 SLO is a 1997 Lotus Elise, first registered on 31 December 1997.

Is E2 SLO safe to buy?

The MOT history for E2 SLO shows 31 tests with a 64.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E2 SLO 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 E2 SLO. 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.