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R331 JPG

1998 Lotus Elise

Silver Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires28 Jan 2026
Tests26 (17 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate65.4%

Mileage

77,187 mi
Last recorded77,187 miles
Recorded on29 Jan 2025
Typical for 1998 Lotus Elise48,523 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Lotus
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Finance
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR331 JPG
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

17 pass 9 fail
Pass 29 Jan 2025 77,187 miles

Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

over heated

Fail 20 Jan 2025 77,187 miles

All direction indicators not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Horn not working (7.7 (a))

Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

over heated

Pass 14 Aug 2023 76,764 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Rear Outer Suspension rod ball joint has slight play tie bar (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 11 Aug 2023 76,764 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device ineffective (6.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear fog lamp obviously incorrectly positioned (4.5.4 (a))

Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Rear Outer Suspension rod ball joint has slight play tie bar (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 12 Jul 2023 76,737 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 27 Jul 2022 75,629 miles
Fail 27 Jul 2022 75,629 miles

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

Pass 2 Aug 2021 73,911 miles
Fail 31 Jul 2021 73,911 miles

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

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

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

Offside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Position lamp switch insecure switch not fitted (4.2.2 (b))

Pass 9 Jul 2020 72,781 miles

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

Nearside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Nearside Rear Outer Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 3 Jul 2020 72,764 miles

Headlamp aim not tested (4.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Central Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material Corroded around securing clip (1.1.11 (c))

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

Nearside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Nearside Rear Outer Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 4 Jul 2019 72,664 miles

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

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 6 Jul 2018 72,619 miles

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 6 Jul 2018 72,619 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 24 May 2017 72,100 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Fail 28 Apr 2017 72,063 miles

Central Stop lamp has less than 50% of the light sources illuminating (1.2.1b)

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

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

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

Windscreen has damage to the swept area in excess of a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 8 May 2015 71,721 miles

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

Pass 1 May 2014 71,294 miles
Fail 26 Apr 2014

Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Nearside rear tyre perished

Pass 26 Apr 2013 70,745 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

offside rear tyre showing signs of cracking

steering track arm nearside slight wear

Pass 12 Nov 2011 70,149 miles
Pass 5 Nov 2010 69,268 miles
Pass 24 Oct 2009 68,435 miles
Pass 27 Aug 2008 64,804 miles
Pass 12 Aug 2006 66,574 miles

slight play in both rack arms

Pass 13 Aug 2005 61,229 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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R331 JPG is a 1998 Lotus Elise in Silver with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.4%.

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 R331 JPG, 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 R331 JPG?

You can check the full history of R331 JPG by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R331 JPG registered?

R331 JPG is a 1998 Lotus Elise, first registered on 29 May 1998.

Is R331 JPG safe to buy?

The MOT history for R331 JPG shows 26 tests with a 65.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R331 JPG 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 R331 JPG. 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.