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RK53 CYU

2003 Lotus Elise

Red Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires9 Jul 2027
Tests23 (20 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate87%

Mileage

98,975 mi
Last recorded98,975 miles
Recorded on10 Jul 2026
Typical for 2003 Lotus Elise33,657 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationRK53 CYU
MakeLotus
ModelElise
Year2003
ColourRed
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

20 pass 3 fail
Pass 10 Jul 2026 98,975 miles
Pass 4 Jul 2025 95,767 miles

Drivers door skin loose

Pass 3 Jun 2024 89,717 miles

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

Pass 4 Apr 2023 82,821 miles

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

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material to rear both (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Pass 5 Mar 2022 76,954 miles
Pass 6 Mar 2021 75,599 miles

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

Pass 21 Mar 2020 73,663 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2019 69,005 miles

all front suspension components corroded .slight split in o/s top ball joint boot ,enine oil leak evident on covers

Pass 6 Mar 2018 65,870 miles

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

front coil springs corroded

under trays fitted hard to check components

Fail 1 Mar 2018 65,870 miles

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

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened both (3.5.1i)

front coil springs corroded

under trays fitted hard to check components

Pass 28 Feb 2017 62,616 miles

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

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 12 Feb 2016 55,994 miles
Pass 10 Feb 2015 46,071 miles

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

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

Pass 4 Oct 2013 38,294 miles
Pass 12 Nov 2012 34,065 miles

Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 14 Nov 2011 29,631 miles
Pass 7 Oct 2010 24,990 miles
Fail 7 Oct 2010 24,990 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 6 Nov 2009 22,936 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

front bumper damaged

front tyres perishing and wearing on inner edges

Pass 8 Oct 2008 19,532 miles
Pass 27 Sep 2007 16,101 miles

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 27 Sep 2007 16,101 miles

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

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

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 4 Nov 2006 12,879 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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RK53 CYU is a 2003 Lotus Elise in Red with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 87%.

Across all 2003 Lotus Elise models, the average MOT pass rate is 83.4% with a typical mileage of 33,657 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

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 RK53 CYU, 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 23 years old, this Lotus Elise is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of RK53 CYU?

You can check the full history of RK53 CYU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was RK53 CYU registered?

RK53 CYU is a 2003 Lotus Elise, first registered on 20 October 2003.

Is RK53 CYU safe to buy?

The MOT history for RK53 CYU shows 23 tests with a 87% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does RK53 CYU 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 RK53 CYU. 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.