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R126 CUA

1998 Lotus Esprit

Purple Petrol 1974cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Apr 2027
Tests22 (20 pass, 2 fail)
Pass rate90.9%

Mileage

49,248 mi
Last recorded49,248 miles
Recorded on2 Apr 2026
Typical for 1998 Lotus Esprit48,579 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationR126 CUA
MakeLotus
ModelEsprit
Year1998
ColourPurple
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,974cc

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 2 fail
Pass 2 Apr 2026 49,248 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp reflector slightly defective silver backing starting to peel (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Headlamp reflector slightly defective silver backing starting to peel (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive gearbox (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 27 Sep 2024 48,723 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 26 Sep 2023 47,895 miles
Fail 20 Sep 2023 47,852 miles

Central Upper Stop lamp(s) with a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 26 Aug 2022 47,198 miles
Pass 20 Aug 2021 46,319 miles

Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule both (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened both side upper/lower (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 25 Apr 2019 45,313 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule all flexi hoses (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Coil spring corroded both fronts (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened all front upper and lower (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both fronts worn inner and perished (5.2.3 (e))

Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both rear (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 27 Apr 2018 44,716 miles

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

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

Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing both front (2.7.2a)

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened all front upper and lower (2.4.G.1)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit both fronts worn inner and slightly perished (4.1.E.1)

coil spring corroded both front (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 18 Apr 2017 43,905 miles

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

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

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened all front upper and lower (2.4.G.1)

Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both (2.2.C.1c)

coil spring corroded both front (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 11 Apr 2016 43,361 miles

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

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

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened both front upper and lower (2.4.G.1)

Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt both front (2.2.C.1c)

coil spring corroded both front (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 24 Apr 2015 42,667 miles

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

Nail in offside rear tyre

Track rod end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

offside rear tyre perrished and worn close to wearbars

Pass 25 Apr 2014 41,801 miles

Anti-roll bar has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

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

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Pass 24 Apr 2013 40,344 miles
Pass 23 Apr 2012 39,282 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 8 Apr 2011 37,523 miles

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

Pass 29 Mar 2010 34,783 miles
Pass 19 Aug 2009 33,696 miles

Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Pass 27 Apr 2009 33,603 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Front Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

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

Pass 11 Jan 2008 33,298 miles

All 4 Headlamps reflectors starting to lose silvering Beam Paterns not yet inpaird

Both rear exhaust mountings starting to split on the bonding

Drivers door mirror not full tight

Nail in offside rear tyre

Fail 9 Jan 2008 33,297 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

All 4 Headlamps reflectors starting to lose silvering Beam Paterns not yet inpaird

Both rear exhaust mountings starting to split on the bonding

Drivers door mirror not full tight

Nail in offside rear tyre

Pass 11 Jan 2007 33,124 miles

Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Pass 19 Apr 2006 32,993 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Front Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

How Reliable is the Lotus Esprit?

Based on 25,410 MOT tests across 2,324 vehicles.

80.6%
Pass Rate
515
Miles/Year
50
Year Lifespan
2,324
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 624
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 464
brake binding 455
parking brake recording little or no effort 332
Headlamp aim too low 326
Full Lotus Esprit reliability report

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R126 CUA is a 1998 Lotus Esprit in Purple with a 1,974cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 90.9%.

Across all 1998 Lotus Esprit models, the average MOT pass rate is 85.0% with a typical mileage of 48,579 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Lotus Esprit fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 624 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R126 CUA, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Esprit typically stays on UK roads for around 50 years. At 28 years old, this Lotus Esprit is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R126 CUA?

You can check the full history of R126 CUA by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R126 CUA registered?

R126 CUA is a 1998 Lotus Esprit, first registered on 9 January 1998.

Is R126 CUA safe to buy?

The MOT history for R126 CUA shows 22 tests with a 90.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R126 CUA 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 R126 CUA. 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.