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J959 MHC

1992 Lotus Elan

Red Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 May 2027
Tests24 (18 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

79,775 mi
Last recorded79,775 miles
Recorded on6 May 2026
Typical for 1992 Lotus Elan76,086 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

RegistrationJ959 MHC
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1992
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

18 pass 6 fail
Pass 6 May 2026 79,775 miles
Pass 13 May 2025 79,432 miles
Pass 21 May 2024 78,995 miles
Pass 21 Apr 2023 78,616 miles

Nearside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

Fail 21 Apr 2023 78,616 miles

Emissions unable to be completed Due to misfire (8.2.1.2 (d))

Engine managment light on

Nearside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

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

Pass 12 Apr 2022 78,407 miles

Nearside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Pass 12 Apr 2021 78,113 miles

Nearside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Pass 22 Apr 2020 77,535 miles

Nearside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Nail in tyre ()

Fail 20 Apr 2020 77,533 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim not tested (4.1.2 (b))

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

Nearside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Inner Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Nail in tyre ()

Pass 26 Mar 2019 76,823 miles

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both front inner edges (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 22 Mar 2018 75,778 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit inner edge (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit inner edge (4.1.E.1)

Fail 15 Mar 2018 75,770 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit inner edge (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit inner edge (4.1.E.1)

Pass 5 Aug 2016 75,600 miles
Pass 4 Aug 2014 74,598 miles

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

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

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

engine management light present on dash

Fail 25 Jul 2014 75,480 miles

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

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Rear Body has a sharp edge caused by damage (6.1.C.1)

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

Brake hydraulic reservoir fluid close to minimum level (3.6.G.1b)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

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

engine management light present on dash

Pass 31 May 2013 73,766 miles

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

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

Pass 26 May 2012 73,332 miles

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

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

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

Pass 14 May 2011 72,466 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

rear sub-frame has slight corrosion

Pass 16 Apr 2010 71,789 miles
Fail 16 Apr 2010 71,782 miles

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

Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

some corrosion in rear subframe

Pass 17 Apr 2009 70,906 miles

All rear metal brake pipes corroded

O/S & N/S Front road springs corroded

Slight play in steering column

Slight wear in the steering rack

Pass 17 Jul 2007 70,493 miles

o/s/r tyres close to legal limit

rear brake discs corroded

Pass 14 Jul 2006 69,932 miles
Fail 5 Jul 2006 69,908 miles

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

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

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

Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

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

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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J959 MHC is a 1992 Lotus Elan in Red with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 1992 Lotus Elan models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.0% with a typical mileage of 76,086 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 J959 MHC, 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 34 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 J959 MHC?

You can check the full history of J959 MHC by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J959 MHC registered?

J959 MHC is a 1992 Lotus Elan, first registered on 19 March 1992.

Is J959 MHC safe to buy?

The MOT history for J959 MHC shows 24 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J959 MHC 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 J959 MHC. 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.