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J978 BWB

1992 Lotus Elan

Red Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires26 Jan 2027
Tests25 (20 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80%

Mileage

55,375 mi
Last recorded55,375 miles
Recorded on27 Jan 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

RegistrationJ978 BWB
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

20 pass 5 fail
Pass 27 Jan 2026 55,375 miles
Fail 12 Jan 2026 55,369 miles

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

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

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 7 Jan 2025 55,035 miles

Nearside Front Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Pass 23 Jan 2024 54,624 miles
Pass 10 Mar 2023 54,535 miles
Pass 11 Feb 2022 51,997 miles

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 10 Feb 2022 51,947 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 15 Feb 2021 50,078 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2020 48,473 miles
Pass 5 Mar 2019 47,884 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2018 47,332 miles
Pass 28 Feb 2017 46,591 miles
Pass 2 Mar 2016 45,966 miles
Pass 4 Mar 2015 45,585 miles
Pass 26 Feb 2014 45,409 miles
Fail 25 Feb 2014 45,409 miles

Offside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

front brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Pass 19 Feb 2013 44,897 miles

Nearside Inner Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.5.C.1a)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

nearside rear tyre stepping

Pass 8 Mar 2012 44,421 miles

small crack in exhaust rear box

Pass 11 Mar 2011 43,446 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 12 Apr 2010 41,534 miles

Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Fail 6 Apr 2010 41,525 miles

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

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

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

Fail 30 Apr 2008 41,286 miles

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

osr bodywork heavily scuffed

Pass 30 Apr 2008 41,286 miles

osr bodywork heavily scuffed

Pass 26 Apr 2007 40,160 miles

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 26 Apr 2006 38,357 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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J978 BWB is a 1992 Lotus Elan in Red with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80%.

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 J978 BWB, 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 J978 BWB?

You can check the full history of J978 BWB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J978 BWB registered?

J978 BWB is a 1992 Lotus Elan, first registered on 25 June 1992.

Is J978 BWB safe to buy?

The MOT history for J978 BWB shows 25 tests with a 80% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J978 BWB 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 J978 BWB. 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.