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S16 ESP

1998 Lotus Esprit

Red Petrol 3506cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires12 Dec 2026
Tests22 (18 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate81.8%

Mileage

45,530 mi
Last recorded45,530 miles
Recorded on20 Nov 2025
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
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationS16 ESP
MakeLotus
ModelEsprit
Year1998
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine3,506cc

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

18 pass 4 fail
Pass 20 Nov 2025 45,530 miles

Covers obscuring testable components & prescribed areas

Front Tyres ageing 2015 y o m

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive Driveshaft seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Washer jet blocked

Rear Tyres ageing 2014 y o m

Pass 5 Dec 2024 44,486 miles
Fail 4 Dec 2024 44,479 miles

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

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 13 Dec 2023 42,991 miles

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive driveshaft seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Coil spring corroded nearside & offside (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear Inner Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened have corrosion (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

horn tone weak

Pass 29 Dec 2022 42,538 miles

Engine bay covers obscuring testable components

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

Front Tyres old 2015 y o m

Horn weak sounding

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive driveshaft seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Outer sill covers obscuring some prescribed areas

Parking brake lever defective but can be satisfactorily operated little reserve travel (1.1.6 (d))

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

Rear Tyres old 2014 y o m

Pass 31 Dec 2021 41,413 miles

Engine bay covers obscuring testable components

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Horn sound weak/grating

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive driveshaft seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

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

Under covers obscuring testable components

Pass 8 Jan 2021 40,972 miles

Engine bay covers obscuring testable components

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

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive driveshaft seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Outer sill covers obscuring some prescribed areas

Power steering pipe/hose slightly corroded front to rear (2.1.5 (g) (i))

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view stone chips in swept area (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 16 Jul 2019 40,200 miles
Pass 26 Jul 2018 38,817 miles
Pass 30 Jun 2017 37,902 miles

Central Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) slightly corroded (2.3.2)

Engine bay covers obscuring some components

Nearside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

Outer sill covers fitted obscuring some prescribed areas

Parking brake lever travel high

Pass 4 Jul 2016 36,955 miles
Pass 16 Jul 2015 35,359 miles

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

uneven wear front tyres + cracking slightly

Pass 22 Jul 2014 33,426 miles

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

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

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

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

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

n/s/r tyre starting to split

Pass 19 Sep 2012 33,296 miles

Both front tyres wearing on inner edge

General surface rust to suspension & exhaust components

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)

Fail 14 Feb 2011 33,087 miles

Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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)

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 14 Feb 2011 33,087 miles

Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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 20 Jan 2010 32,927 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)

nearside front tyre wearing on inner edge

Fail 20 Jan 2010 32,927 miles

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

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

nearside front tyre wearing on inner edge

Fail 20 Nov 2008 32,470 miles

Nearside Front Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

Offside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

both front brake discs slightly warped

both front tyres wearing on inner edge

Pass 20 Nov 2008 32,470 miles

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

Offside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

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

both front brake discs slightly warped

both front tyres wearing on inner edge

Pass 26 Nov 2007 35,539 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 15 Nov 2006 32,338 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)

nearside front tyre worn on inner edge

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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S16 ESP is a 1998 Lotus Esprit in Red with a 3,506cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 81.8%.

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 a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 S16 ESP, 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 S16 ESP?

You can check the full history of S16 ESP by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S16 ESP registered?

S16 ESP is a 1998 Lotus Esprit, first registered on 1 August 1998.

Is S16 ESP safe to buy?

The MOT history for S16 ESP shows 22 tests with a 81.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S16 ESP 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 S16 ESP. 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.