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F165 LTU

1987 Lotus Esprit

Red Petrol 2174cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Oct 2026
Tests29 (20 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate69%

Mileage

90,032 mi
Last recorded90,032 miles
Recorded on24 Sep 2025
Typical for 1987 Lotus Esprit48,573 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationF165 LTU
MakeLotus
ModelEsprit
Year1987
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,174cc

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 9 fail
Pass 24 Sep 2025 90,032 miles

slight oil leaks

slight play in steering rack

Pass 9 Oct 2024 89,436 miles

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

slight oil leaks

slight play in both front rack ends

Pass 3 Oct 2023 89,005 miles

Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Both front inner rack joints ()

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Boot split (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Boot insecure (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 3 Oct 2023 89,005 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Horn sound not in accordance with requirements (7.7 (c))

Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Both front inner rack joints ()

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Boot split (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Boot insecure (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 21 Sep 2022 88,308 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2021 87,706 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2020 86,757 miles

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

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 12 Sep 2019 86,109 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2018 84,964 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 24 Sep 2018 84,963 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded main pipe front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

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

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Pass 3 Oct 2017 84,390 miles

various brake pipes slightly corroded

Fail 3 Oct 2017 84,390 miles

Offside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

various brake pipes slightly corroded

Pass 5 Oct 2016 84,000 miles

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

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

Fail 1 Oct 2016 84,000 miles

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

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

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

Pass 22 Sep 2015 83,379 miles

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

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

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

Pass 1 Oct 2014 83,358 miles

NSR tyre wearing on outer edge

Nearside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

OSR number plate light flickering but since has stayed illuminated

OSR tyre wearing on outer edge

Offside Front coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Oil leak

Pass 18 Feb 2013 83,152 miles

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

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

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

Fail 11 Feb 2013 83,152 miles

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

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

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

Pass 6 Jan 2012 82,537 miles
Fail 29 Dec 2011 82,537 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Passenger's seat insecure (6.2.A.1)

Oil leak

Pass 30 Sep 2010 82,281 miles

Offside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Fail 17 Sep 2010 82,280 miles

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

Nearside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Offside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Fail 26 Aug 2010 82,243 miles

Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

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

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

All brake discs corroded

Various brake pipes corroded

Pass 25 Nov 2009 81,971 miles

corrosion on brake pipes

low effort to offside handbrake

offside rear brake slight bind

Pass 3 Dec 2008 81,185 miles

Both rear brake pipes corroding

Offside park brake effort low

Rear discs corroding

Pass 7 Dec 2007 80,615 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2006 79,841 miles
Fail 23 Oct 2006 79,838 miles

Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Offside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Various brake pipes corroded

Pass 25 Oct 2005 75,454 miles

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

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

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

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)

Offside Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

How Reliable is the Lotus Esprit?

Based on 25,410 MOT tests across 2,324 vehicles.

80.6%
Pass Rate
515
Miles/Year
50
Year Lifespan
2,324
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 624
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 464
brake binding 455
parking brake recording little or no effort 332
Headlamp aim too low 326
Full Lotus Esprit reliability report

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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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F165 LTU is a 1987 Lotus Esprit in Red with a 2,174cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 69%.

Across all 1987 Lotus Esprit models, the average MOT pass rate is 81.3% with a typical mileage of 48,573 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 Esprit fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 624 recorded failures. If you're considering buying F165 LTU, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Esprit typically stays on UK roads for around 50 years. At 39 years old, this Lotus Esprit is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of F165 LTU?

You can check the full history of F165 LTU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F165 LTU registered?

F165 LTU is a 1987 Lotus Esprit, first registered on 31 December 1987.

Is F165 LTU safe to buy?

The MOT history for F165 LTU shows 29 tests with a 69% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F165 LTU 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 F165 LTU. 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.