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G165 ELC

1990 Lotus Elan

Blue Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires5 Jul 2027
Tests22 (12 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate54.5%

Mileage

109,220 mi
Last recorded109,220 miles
Recorded on26 Jun 2026
Typical for 1990 Lotus Elan82,230 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

RegistrationG165 ELC
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1990
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,588cc

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

12 pass 10 fail
Pass 26 Jun 2026 109,220 miles
Pass 23 Jun 2025 108,050 miles
Pass 22 Jun 2024 106,935 miles

Front gearbox oil leak

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

Offside Rear Road wheel slightly distorted (5.2.2 (c) (i))

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

Rear brake hoses corroded

Pass 6 Jul 2023 106,478 miles

Front both front tyres cracking

Front gearbox oil leak

Rear both rear tyres cracking

Rear brake hoses corroded

Rear discs poor

Rear exhust has a blow

Fail 24 Jun 2023 106,118 miles

Exhaust emissions - engine idle speed too high (8.2.1.2 (e))

Offside Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

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

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Rear exhust has a blow

Front both front tyres cracking

Front gearbox oil leak

Rear both rear tyres cracking

Rear brake hoses corroded

Rear discs poor

Pass 18 May 2022 105,928 miles
Fail 2 May 2022 105,927 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

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

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

Pass 29 May 2021 105,695 miles

Offside Front Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Fail 21 Jul 2017 105,591 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear Brake hose twisted (found during steering lock to lock check) (2.2.D.2b)

Offside Body or chassis is damaged, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings seat mounting (6.1.B.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside front brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.B.3)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 15 Jul 2016 105,554 miles
Fail 12 Jul 2016 105,553 miles

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

Front registration plate missing (6.3.1a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Front front brake excessively fluctuating (3.7.B.3)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Windscreen wiper not operating automatically when switched on (8.2.1b)

Pass 27 Nov 2012 105,334 miles
Fail 22 Nov 2012 105,332 miles

Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

Pass 17 Jan 2011 100,938 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2011 100,938 miles

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

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is fractured (5.2.6)

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

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

rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

Pass 10 Dec 2009 94,025 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

advise both front tyres wearing on inner edge

front brake juddering slightly (3.7.A.2b)

Fail 2 Dec 2009 94,025 miles

Nearside Outer Front constant velocity joint gaiter split (2.5.C.1a)

Offside Outer Front constant velocity joint gaiter split (2.5.C.1a)

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

advise both front tyres wearing on inner edge

front brake juddering slightly (3.7.A.2b)

Fail 20 Jun 2009 92,473 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Front registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.G.1) DANGEROUS

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 4 Jun 2008 88,899 miles
Fail 30 May 2008 88,899 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear Tyre has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (4.1.D.1b)

Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is fractured (5.2.6)

Pass 8 Jun 2006 75,004 miles
Fail 31 May 2006 74,985 miles

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

Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Front Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

unableto open boot

How Reliable is the Lotus Elan?

Based on 51,097 MOT tests across 4,280 vehicles.

77.4%
Pass Rate
554
Miles/Year
59
Year Lifespan
4,280
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,585
brake recording little or no effort 1,342
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,318
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 927
brake binding 845
Full Lotus Elan 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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G165 ELC is a 1990 Lotus Elan in Blue with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 54.5%.

Across all 1990 Lotus Elan models, the average MOT pass rate is 72.8% with a typical mileage of 82,230 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 Elan fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,585 recorded failures. If you're considering buying G165 ELC, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Elan typically stays on UK roads for around 59 years. At 36 years old, this Lotus Elan is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of G165 ELC?

You can check the full history of G165 ELC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G165 ELC registered?

G165 ELC is a 1990 Lotus Elan, first registered on 15 June 1990.

Is G165 ELC safe to buy?

The MOT history for G165 ELC shows 22 tests with a 54.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does G165 ELC 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 G165 ELC. 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.