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H589 ELX

1990 Lotus Elan

Red Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires22 Oct 2026
Tests17 (13 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate76.5%

Mileage

71,940 mi
Last recorded71,940 miles
Recorded on23 Oct 2025
Typical for 1990 Lotus Elan82,230 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationH589 ELX
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

13 pass 4 fail
Pass 23 Oct 2025 71,940 miles
Pass 28 Aug 2024 71,917 miles

Power steering pipe/hose slightly corroded (2.1.5 (g) (i))

Pass 4 Aug 2022 71,916 miles

All brake discs corroded

Fail 26 Jul 2022 71,916 miles

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

All brake discs corroded

Pass 13 Aug 2016 71,908 miles
Pass 24 Jul 2015 71,852 miles

Slight play nearside hub

Fail 18 Aug 2014 71,824 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Pass 18 Aug 2014 71,824 miles

Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Pass 9 Jun 2012 71,812 miles

powersteering heavy

Fail 2 Jun 2012 71,797 miles

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

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

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

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

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

powersteering heavy

Pass 18 May 2011 71,741 miles
Pass 25 May 2010 74,613 miles
Pass 2 Jun 2009 71,291 miles
Pass 22 May 2008 71,101 miles
Pass 7 Jun 2007 70,524 miles
Fail 25 May 2007 70,524 miles

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

Offside Front Ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 8 Jun 2006 69,432 miles

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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H589 ELX is a 1990 Lotus Elan in Red with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.5%.

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 performed better than the average for its year.

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 H589 ELX, 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 H589 ELX?

You can check the full history of H589 ELX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H589 ELX registered?

H589 ELX is a 1990 Lotus Elan, first registered on 6 September 1990.

Is H589 ELX safe to buy?

The MOT history for H589 ELX shows 17 tests with a 76.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H589 ELX 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 H589 ELX. 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.