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H89 NJW

1990 Lotus Elan

Red Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 Jul 2027
Tests21 (12 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate57.1%

Mileage

75,729 mi
Last recorded75,729 miles
Recorded on22 Jul 2026
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

RegistrationH89 NJW
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

12 pass 9 fail
Pass 22 Jul 2026 75,729 miles

Front and rear subframes coated in undersill paint

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

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

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

Fail 16 Jul 2026 75,717 miles

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

Front and rear subframes coated in undersill paint

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

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

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

Fail 2 Jul 2026 75,646 miles

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

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

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

Front and rear subframes coated in undersill paint

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Offside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

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

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

Pass 11 Jul 2025 75,217 miles

Front and rear subframes and suspension arms coated in under-sill

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Fail 1 Jul 2025 75,217 miles

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

Front and rear subframes and suspension arms coated in under-sill

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 4 Jul 2024 74,761 miles
Pass 4 May 2019 74,463 miles

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

Front subframe and suspension arms coated in undersill

Rear subframe and suspension arms coated in undersill

engine covers fitted

under-shield covers fitted

Fail 4 May 2019 74,463 miles

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

Front subframe and suspension arms coated in undersill

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Rear subframe and suspension arms coated in undersill

engine covers fitted

under-shield covers fitted

Pass 17 Jun 2017 74,100 miles

Nearside Front tyre cracking edge of tread pattern

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Nearside Rear tyre cracking edge of tread pattern

Offside Front tyre cracking edge of tread pattern

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear tyre cracking edge of tread pattern

under-neath of veh and suspension arrears painted

under-shield covers fitted

Pass 17 Jun 2016 73,646 miles

engine covers fitted

suspension and underneath coated in undersill

under-shield covers fitted

Fail 17 May 2016 73,613 miles

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

suspension and underneath coated in paint

Pass 18 May 2015 72,020 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 1 Apr 2015 72,642 miles

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

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

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

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 24 Mar 2014 71,886 miles
Pass 11 Jun 2010 71,726 miles
Fail 8 Jun 2010 71,726 miles

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

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 Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

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

Pass 6 Jun 2008 70,481 miles
Fail 12 May 2008 70,480 miles

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

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

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

Fail 21 Apr 2008 70,457 miles

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

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)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Pass 4 Apr 2007 69,102 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 18 Apr 2006 67,551 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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H89 NJW is a 1990 Lotus Elan in Red with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 57.1%.

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 H89 NJW, 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 H89 NJW?

You can check the full history of H89 NJW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H89 NJW registered?

H89 NJW is a 1990 Lotus Elan, first registered on 26 November 1990.

Is H89 NJW safe to buy?

The MOT history for H89 NJW shows 21 tests with a 57.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H89 NJW 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 H89 NJW. 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.