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G493 TAM

1990 Lotus Elan

Red Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires22 Jun 2026
Tests28 (17 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate60.7%

Mileage

121,359 mi
Last recorded121,359 miles
Recorded on23 Jun 2025
Typical for 1990 Lotus Elan82,230 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationG493 TAM
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1990
ColourRed
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

17 pass 11 fail
Pass 23 Jun 2025 121,359 miles
Pass 10 Apr 2024 121,039 miles

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (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))

Fail 10 Apr 2024 121,039 miles

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen (3.5 (a))

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))

Pass 25 Apr 2023 131,023 miles
Fail 18 Apr 2023 121,013 miles

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

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

Pass 23 Mar 2022 120,967 miles
Pass 27 Oct 2020 120,846 miles
Fail 27 Oct 2020 120,846 miles

Parking (secondary brake) on a single line braking system has inadequate effort at a wheel (1.3.1 (a) (i))

Fail 2 Jul 2020 120,833 miles

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

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

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

Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material all rear brake pipes covered in grease (1.1.11 (c))

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

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

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

Pass 25 Apr 2019 120,774 miles
Pass 26 Oct 2017 120,600 miles

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 24 May 2016 119,193 miles

rear brake discs slightly corroded

Fail 24 May 2016 119,193 miles

Offside Front Outer Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated to the extent that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (2.5.C.1a)

rear brake discs slightly corroded

Pass 8 Jul 2015 118,835 miles
Fail 1 Jul 2015 118,830 miles

Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Fail 25 Jun 2015 118,763 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside front brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

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

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

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 10 Jun 2014 116,443 miles
Pass 5 Jun 2013 114,492 miles
Pass 7 Jun 2012 112,651 miles

n/s head light stuck up

Pass 15 Jun 2011 111,362 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Fail 8 Jun 2011 111,362 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

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

Offside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 4 Jun 2009 107,708 miles

Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 4 Jun 2009 107,708 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 28 May 2008 103,320 miles
Fail 28 May 2008 103,320 miles

Offside Rear Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a)

Pass 4 May 2007 94,499 miles

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

Pass 5 May 2006 86,210 miles
Fail 4 May 2006 86,210 miles

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

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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G493 TAM is a 1990 Lotus Elan in Red with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60.7%.

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 G493 TAM, 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 G493 TAM?

You can check the full history of G493 TAM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G493 TAM registered?

G493 TAM is a 1990 Lotus Elan, first registered on 4 June 1990.

Is G493 TAM safe to buy?

The MOT history for G493 TAM shows 28 tests with a 60.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does G493 TAM 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 G493 TAM. 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.