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F493 VEH

1988 Lotus Esprit

White Petrol 2174cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires20 Mar 2026
Tests21 (14 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

84,282 mi
Last recorded84,282 miles
Recorded on19 Mar 2025
Typical for 1988 Lotus Esprit57,107 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

RegistrationF493 VEH
MakeLotus
ModelEsprit
Year1988
ColourWhite
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

14 pass 7 fail
Pass 19 Mar 2025 84,282 miles

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

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

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

Steering rack has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 21 Mar 2024 83,342 miles
Pass 20 Jan 2023 81,237 miles

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

Offside Front Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

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

Steering rack has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Fail 11 Jan 2023 81,237 miles

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

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

Offside Front Lower Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

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

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

Steering rack has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 7 Dec 2021 75,483 miles

Steering rack has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 30 Oct 2020 72,072 miles

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

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 29 Oct 2020 72,072 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 4 Nov 2019 68,578 miles

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

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

Fail 30 Oct 2019 68,574 miles

Central Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear at front (1.1.11 (c))

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Steering rack has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted) (2.3 (a) (i))

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

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

Pass 2 Oct 2018 66,499 miles

Central Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Front to rear brake pipe (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

Fail 10 May 2018 66,497 miles

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

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)

Central Front Brake pipe slightly corroded front to rear (3.6.B.2c)

Coolant leak ()

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

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

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel in steering rack (2.2.A.1b)

Pass 5 Aug 2016 64,489 miles

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

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

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

Oil leak ()

Fail 18 Jul 2016 64,476 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too far to the left (1.8)

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high and too far to the left. (1.8)

Rear registration plate missing (6.3.1a)

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

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

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 20 May 2015 64,376 miles

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

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

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

Oil leak

Fail 19 May 2015 64,376 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Inner Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

Offside Front Brake pipe kinked (3.6.B.2b)

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

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

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

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 4 Jun 2014 63,341 miles
Pass 14 Oct 2008 62,894 miles
Pass 19 Oct 2007 62,394 miles
Pass 19 Oct 2006 61,898 miles

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 29 Oct 2005 61,221 miles

fuel pipes corroded

oil leak

under floor panels starting to corrode

Fail 29 Oct 2005 61,221 miles

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

fuel pipes corroded

oil leak

under floor panels starting to corrode

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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F493 VEH is a 1988 Lotus Esprit in White with a 2,174cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1988 Lotus Esprit models, the average MOT pass rate is 77.5% with a typical mileage of 57,107 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 F493 VEH, 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 38 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 F493 VEH?

You can check the full history of F493 VEH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F493 VEH registered?

F493 VEH is a 1988 Lotus Esprit, first registered on 1 August 1988.

Is F493 VEH safe to buy?

The MOT history for F493 VEH shows 21 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F493 VEH 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 F493 VEH. 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.