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F909 UGM

1988 Lotus Esprit

Red Petrol 2174cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Feb 2027
Tests29 (21 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate72.4%

Mileage

77,436 mi
Last recorded77,436 miles
Recorded on19 Jan 2026
Typical for 1988 Lotus Esprit57,107 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationF909 UGM
MakeLotus
ModelEsprit
Year1988
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

21 pass 8 fail
Pass 19 Jan 2026 77,436 miles
Pass 13 Jan 2025 76,368 miles
Pass 9 Feb 2024 75,921 miles
Fail 23 Jan 2024 75,914 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Stability Arm (Chalked) (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Sub-frame has a fracture which is likely to adversely affect braking or steering HUB (Chalked) (6.1.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 17 Jan 2023 75,299 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Pass 24 Jan 2022 73,911 miles

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Inner edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 28 Oct 2021 73,911 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Suspension component attachment bracket/mounting fractured HUB (5.3.3 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Nov 2020 72,157 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

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

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 12 Nov 2019 70,559 miles
Fail 4 Nov 2019 70,559 miles

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

Rear Brake disc significantly and obviously worn (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Pass 2 Nov 2018 68,735 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

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

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

Fail 1 Nov 2018 68,735 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

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

Pass 3 Nov 2017 66,320 miles

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

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

Oil leak ()

Pass 28 Oct 2016 64,675 miles

Coolant leak ()

Oil leak ()

Pass 10 Nov 2015 63,314 miles
Pass 4 Nov 2014 61,568 miles
Fail 4 Nov 2014 61,568 miles

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Pass 6 Nov 2013 60,111 miles

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 12 Nov 2012 59,093 miles

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 6 Nov 2012 59,093 miles

Nearside Front Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Offside Front Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 11 Nov 2011 58,233 miles

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 14 Dec 2010 57,105 miles
Fail 9 Nov 2010 57,105 miles

Nearside Front Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

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

Pass 26 Oct 2009 56,412 miles
Pass 12 Nov 2008 55,447 miles
Pass 14 Nov 2007 54,626 miles
Fail 6 Nov 2007 54,626 miles

Centre Front Steering rack excessively corroded and unserviceable (2.2.C.1d) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8) DANGEROUS

Pass 6 Nov 2006 53,827 miles

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

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

Offside Front Steering column shaft has slight end float (2.1.3)

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

Pass 11 Nov 2005 53,190 miles

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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F909 UGM is a 1988 Lotus Esprit in Red with a 2,174cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.4%.

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 F909 UGM, 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 F909 UGM?

You can check the full history of F909 UGM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was F909 UGM registered?

F909 UGM is a 1988 Lotus Esprit, first registered on 2 November 1988.

Is F909 UGM safe to buy?

The MOT history for F909 UGM shows 29 tests with a 72.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does F909 UGM 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 F909 UGM. 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.