CarVerify

Free Car Check

H952 HVT

1990 Lotus Elan

Green Petrol 1588cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires30 Nov 2026
Tests28 (20 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

117,999 mi
Last recorded117,999 miles
Recorded on1 Dec 2025
Typical for 1990 Lotus Elan82,230 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Lotus
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £14.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationH952 HVT
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1990
ColourGreen
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

20 pass 8 fail
Pass 1 Dec 2025 117,999 miles
Pass 21 Sep 2024 117,715 miles

Front Exhaust mounting defective (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Upper Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Upper Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Oct 2023 117,498 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear All direction indicators slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear All direction indicators slightly discoloured (4.4.3 (a))

Offside Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 1 Oct 2022 117,226 miles
Pass 8 Oct 2021 116,871 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2020 116,433 miles
Fail 3 Oct 2020 116,433 miles

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

Pass 16 Oct 2019 116,329 miles
Fail 9 Oct 2019 116,298 miles

Central Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

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

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

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

Pass 12 Oct 2018 116,053 miles

Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Front Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 7 Oct 2017 115,931 miles
Pass 4 Oct 2016 115,276 miles
Pass 3 Oct 2015 114,998 miles
Fail 15 Oct 2014 114,448 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

Pass 15 Oct 2014 114,448 miles

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

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

Fail 10 Mar 2014 114,277 miles

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

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

Pass 28 Jan 2013 112,558 miles
Pass 18 Jan 2012 111,030 miles

n/s/f seat belt stalk cover damaged

Fail 16 Jan 2012 111,030 miles

Bootlid cannot be secured in the closed position (6.4.1)

Nearside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

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

n/s/f seat belt stalk cover damaged

Pass 6 Sep 2010 103,014 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 5 Feb 2010 102,302 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

n/s/f shock absorber weak

o/s/r hand brake performance slightly low

some imbalance on front brakes

Fail 25 Jan 2010 102,299 miles

Offside Front front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Rear brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h)

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

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Pass 16 Jan 2009 97,875 miles
Pass 16 Jan 2008 88,905 miles

Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

all suspension arms slightly corroded

Fail 16 Jan 2008 88,904 miles

Front Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

all suspension arms slightly corroded

Pass 16 Jan 2007 75,885 miles

slight exhaust blow on front pipe by exhaust mounting

Pass 9 Jun 2006 68,323 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Fail 31 May 2006 68,323 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

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

Nearside front brake juddering severely (3.7.A.2b)

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

Offside Headlamp aim beam image too far to the right (1.6.B4)

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

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside front brake juddering severely (3.7.A.2b)

front brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

H952 HVT is a 1990 Lotus Elan in Green with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 H952 HVT, 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 H952 HVT?

You can check the full history of H952 HVT by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H952 HVT registered?

H952 HVT is a 1990 Lotus Elan, first registered on 5 December 1990.

Is H952 HVT safe to buy?

The MOT history for H952 HVT shows 28 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H952 HVT 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 H952 HVT. 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.