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J80 MEE

1998 Lotus Elise

Silver Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Feb 2027
Tests22 (13 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate59.1%

Mileage

65,476 mi
Last recorded65,476 miles
Recorded on26 Feb 2026
Typical for 1998 Lotus Elise48,523 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationJ80 MEE
MakeLotus
ModelElise
Year1998
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

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 9 fail
Pass 26 Feb 2026 65,476 miles

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Fail 23 Feb 2026 65,470 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 25 Apr 2025 65,467 miles
Fail 18 Mar 2025 65,464 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 18 Sep 2023 65,366 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both sides (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both sides (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 2 Aug 2021 65,288 miles
Pass 8 Jul 2020 65,193 miles
Fail 6 Jul 2020 65,193 miles

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 21 Jun 2019 65,098 miles
Pass 8 Feb 2018 64,972 miles

front anti roll bard bushes creaking but no play

handbrake linkage partialy siesed but working

Fail 8 Feb 2018 64,972 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

front anti roll bard bushes creaking but no play

handbrake linkage partialy siesed but working

Fail 6 Feb 2018 64,964 miles

Front registration plate with character(s) which are not the correct height (6.3.4a)

Front registration plate with character(s) which are not the correct width (6.3.4a)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

Pass 28 Sep 2016 64,805 miles

Offside Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

all four coil springs corroded

Pass 1 May 2015 64,727 miles
Fail 30 Apr 2015 64,727 miles

Centre Windscreen wiper blade missing (8.2.2)

Front registration plate incorrect (6.3.1a)

Nearside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

slight brake binding on offside and nearside front brakes

Pass 26 Apr 2011 64,633 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Offside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Pass 6 May 2009 64,130 miles
Fail 30 Apr 2009 64,113 miles

Emissions not tested (7.0)

Front registration plate with character(s) which are not the correct height (6.3.4a)

Pass 11 Oct 2007 63,530 miles

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

Fail 3 Oct 2007 63,503 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Pass 27 Sep 2006 61,145 miles
Fail 4 Sep 2006 61,110 miles

Front Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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)

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

How Reliable is the Lotus Elise?

Based on 150,954 MOT tests across 12,302 vehicles.

81.8%
Pass Rate
1,309
Miles/Year
30
Year Lifespan
12,302
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive 3,173
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 3,131
Headlamp aim too high 3,014
Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 2,630
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive 1,898
Full Lotus Elise reliability report

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J80 MEE is a 1998 Lotus Elise in Silver with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 59.1%.

Across all 1998 Lotus Elise models, the average MOT pass rate is 78.8% with a typical mileage of 48,523 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 Elise fails its MOT is exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive, accounting for 3,173 recorded failures. If you're considering buying J80 MEE, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Elise typically stays on UK roads for around 30 years. At 28 years old, this Lotus Elise is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of J80 MEE?

You can check the full history of J80 MEE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J80 MEE registered?

J80 MEE is a 1998 Lotus Elise, first registered on 13 March 1998.

Is J80 MEE safe to buy?

The MOT history for J80 MEE shows 22 tests with a 59.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J80 MEE 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 J80 MEE. 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.