CarVerify

Free Car Check

R688 CAY

1998 Lotus Elise

Silver Petrol 1796cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Mar 2027
Tests25 (13 pass, 12 fail)
Pass rate52%

Mileage

63,813 mi
Last recorded63,813 miles
Recorded on13 Mar 2026
Typical for 1998 Lotus Elise48,523 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Lotus
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationR688 CAY
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

13 pass 12 fail
Pass 13 Mar 2026 63,813 miles
Fail 2 Mar 2026 63,807 miles

Emissions unable to be completed exhaust leak (8.2.1.2 (d))

Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.1.1 (b))

Pass 13 Feb 2025 62,988 miles
Fail 13 Feb 2025 62,987 miles

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

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

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 3 Feb 2024 62,172 miles
Pass 21 Jul 2022 61,260 miles

windscreen marked not adversely affecting driver's view

Fail 21 Jul 2022 61,260 miles

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

windscreen marked not adversely affecting driver's view

Pass 19 Aug 2021 60,718 miles
Fail 14 Aug 2021 60,718 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 10 May 2019 60,227 miles
Pass 23 Dec 2013 59,453 miles
Fail 16 Dec 2013 59,453 miles

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

Nearside Front Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

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

Nail in nearside front tyre

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Pass 31 May 2012 58,028 miles
Fail 30 May 2012 58,028 miles

Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition off (1.4.B.1f)

Hazard warning lamps not flashing in phase, with ignition on (1.4.B.1f)

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

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

Pass 22 Feb 2011 57,175 miles
Pass 25 Feb 2010 54,813 miles
Fail 24 Feb 2010 54,813 miles

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

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

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

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Rear Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Pass 3 Feb 2009 51,532 miles
Fail 30 Jan 2009 51,532 miles

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

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

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

Pass 11 Jan 2008 47,568 miles
Fail 11 Jan 2008 47,568 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Fail 11 Jan 2008 46,779 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Fail 9 Jan 2008 47,567 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Nearside Rear Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a ball joint (2.5.A.3b)

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

Offside Rear Axle swivel joint has excessive play in a ball joint (2.5.A.3b)

advise all shock absorbers seem slightly soft for an elise.

advise n/s/f tyre wearing on inner edge.

advise n/s/r tyre is on service wear markers.

advise o/s hand brake has no effort.

advise passenger side washer jet inop.

Pass 6 Mar 2006 40,254 miles
Fail 8 Feb 2006 40,147 miles

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

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

R688 CAY is a 1998 Lotus Elise in Silver with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 52%.

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 R688 CAY, 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 R688 CAY?

You can check the full history of R688 CAY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R688 CAY registered?

R688 CAY is a 1998 Lotus Elise, first registered on 21 May 1998.

Is R688 CAY safe to buy?

The MOT history for R688 CAY shows 25 tests with a 52% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R688 CAY 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 R688 CAY. 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.