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R324 XJW

1997 Lotus Elise

Silver Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Dec 2026
Tests24 (14 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate58.3%

Mileage

77,365 mi
Last recorded77,365 miles
Recorded on5 Dec 2025
Typical for 1997 Lotus Elise47,496 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR324 XJW
MakeLotus
ModelElise
Year1997
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

14 pass 10 fail
Pass 5 Dec 2025 77,365 miles

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened nearside and offside front (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened nearside and offside (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened nearside and offside rear (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened nearside and offside (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Fail 4 Dec 2025 77,365 miles

Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened nearside and offside front (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened nearside and offside (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened nearside and offside rear (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Rear Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened nearside and offside (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 28 Nov 2024 76,540 miles
Fail 27 Nov 2024 76,540 miles

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Nearside Front Bumper damaged and likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted (6.1.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Bumper damaged and likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted (6.1.4 (a) (i))

Pass 25 Aug 2023 75,908 miles
Pass 4 Aug 2022 73,955 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread damaged (0.1 (b))

Pass 28 Jul 2021 72,882 miles

Nearside Front Inner Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 27 Feb 2020 72,282 miles

Nearside Front Inner Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 27 Feb 2020 72,282 miles

Nearside Front Inner Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Fail 23 Jan 2020 72,096 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Pass 23 Feb 2019 69,085 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread front number plate corner broken off (0.1 (b))

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Pass 2 Nov 2017 63,288 miles
Fail 2 Nov 2017 63,288 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 26 Oct 2016 60,973 miles
Fail 21 May 2015 60,062 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 21 May 2015 60,062 miles
Pass 15 May 2014 57,940 miles

Both rear brake hose ferrules corroded.

Main front to rear steel brake pipes corroded.

Fail 13 May 2014 57,934 miles

Front registration plate insecure (6.3.1b)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Pass 29 Apr 2013 54,727 miles

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

Fail 25 Apr 2013 54,712 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)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

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

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

Fail 19 Jul 2012 54,689 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)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

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

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

Shock absorber has a slightly worn bush (2.7.4)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 18 Apr 2011 51,142 miles
Fail 16 Mar 2011 51,129 miles

Nearside Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (4.1.D.1a) DANGEROUS

Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g) DANGEROUS

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

all under body covered with covers brake hose covered all brake pipes covered with grease

Pass 23 May 2006 51,102 miles

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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R324 XJW is a 1997 Lotus Elise in Silver with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 58.3%.

Across all 1997 Lotus Elise models, the average MOT pass rate is 78.3% with a typical mileage of 47,496 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 R324 XJW, 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 29 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 R324 XJW?

You can check the full history of R324 XJW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R324 XJW registered?

R324 XJW is a 1997 Lotus Elise, first registered on 22 August 1997.

Is R324 XJW safe to buy?

The MOT history for R324 XJW shows 24 tests with a 58.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R324 XJW 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 R324 XJW. 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.