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H104 SPW

1990 Lotus Elan

Blue Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Jun 2027
Tests25 (17 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate68%

Mileage

140,709 mi
Last recorded140,709 miles
Recorded on26 Jun 2026
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

RegistrationH104 SPW
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

17 pass 8 fail
Pass 26 Jun 2026 140,709 miles

Offside Front Brake hose slightly chafed rubbing on inner side of road wheel when on full left hand lock. (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Offside number plate light bulb dim

Fail 26 Jun 2026 140,709 miles

Offside Front Brake hose slightly chafed rubbing on inner side of road wheel when on full left hand lock. (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside number plate light bulb dim

Pass 12 Jun 2025 140,244 miles

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

Fail 19 Apr 2024 140,215 miles

Nearside Front Inner 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))

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

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 24 Feb 2023 139,413 miles

Engine covers and or under trays fitted obscuring some components.

Power steering component has slight seepage from a component Rack (2.1.5 (a))

Pass 5 Feb 2022 138,436 miles
Pass 17 Feb 2021 136,865 miles
Pass 2 Aug 2019 136,265 miles

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

Front and rear coil springs corroded.

Rear Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

Pass 26 Jul 2018 135,338 miles

Offside Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

Fail 14 Jun 2018 135,257 miles

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Fail 2 Jun 2018 135,257 miles

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

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Pass 22 May 2017 134,668 miles

Oil leak

Pass 28 May 2016 133,483 miles

Oil leak

coil spring corroded Front and rears (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 9 Mar 2015 132,301 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

rear exhaust clamp deteriorated

Pass 14 Aug 2013 130,934 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Oil leak

offside rear shock slightly soft

Pass 17 Aug 2012 129,850 miles
Fail 1 Aug 2012 129,834 miles

Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition off (1.4.B.1f)

Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition on (1.4.B.1f)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 4 Aug 2011 128,533 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Fail 2 Aug 2011 128,533 miles

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

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

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

front brake anti rattle springs incorrectly fitted

Pass 24 Sep 2010 127,327 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

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

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

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

c orrosion on brake pipes and compensator front and rear

surface corrosion on steering ,brakes and suspension components front and rear

Pass 10 Sep 2009 126,485 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

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

corrosion on brake pipes front and rear both sides including compensator

slight binding on offside front wheel

surface corrosion on all steering,brake and suspension components front and rear

Pass 8 Feb 2008 126,057 miles
Fail 23 Jan 2008 126,051 miles

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Pass 5 Jan 2007 125,812 miles
Fail 3 Nov 2006 125,794 miles

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

front brakes slightly binding

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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H104 SPW is a 1990 Lotus Elan in Blue with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68%.

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 H104 SPW, 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 H104 SPW?

You can check the full history of H104 SPW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H104 SPW registered?

H104 SPW is a 1990 Lotus Elan, first registered on 6 December 1990.

Is H104 SPW safe to buy?

The MOT history for H104 SPW shows 25 tests with a 68% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H104 SPW 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 H104 SPW. 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.