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SN51 LZE

2001 Lotus Elise

White Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires2 Sep 2026
Tests33 (20 pass, 13 fail)
Pass rate60.6%

Mileage

113,789 mi
Last recorded113,789 miles
Recorded on3 Sep 2025
Typical for 2001 Lotus Elise38,622 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationSN51 LZE
MakeLotus
ModelElise
Year2001
ColourWhite
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 13 fail
Pass 3 Sep 2025 113,789 miles

all brake discs have minor surface corrosion

Pass 23 Jul 2024 112,986 miles

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

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened all arms (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Pass 19 Sep 2022 112,896 miles
Pass 27 Sep 2021 111,589 miles
Fail 20 Sep 2021 111,546 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn n/s/f bottom suspension ball joint (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 1 Oct 2020 109,449 miles

Nearside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened brake disc has slight corrosion (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened brake disc has slight corrosion (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 27 May 2019 104,178 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 20 May 2019 104,155 miles

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick inner pad (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin inner pad (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 4 Jun 2018 102,107 miles
Fail 28 May 2018 102,081 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 29 May 2017 96,528 miles
Pass 23 May 2016 93,077 miles
Pass 28 May 2015 89,496 miles

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 27 May 2015 89,496 miles

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Fail 2 Jun 2014 86,685 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 2 Jun 2014 86,685 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)

Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components

Pass 3 Jun 2013 83,479 miles

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

Fail 27 May 2013 83,435 miles

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

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

Pass 26 May 2012 97,654 miles

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

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

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

engine management light is on

n/s/r brake hose is damp however is not leaking

Pass 31 May 2011 76,319 miles

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

slight wear on o/s and n/s of steering rack

Fail 25 May 2011 76,312 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

slight wear on o/s and n/s of steering rack

Pass 3 May 2010 73,945 miles
Fail 20 Apr 2010 73,945 miles

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

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

Nearside Front brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Front brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Pass 23 Apr 2009 67,252 miles
Pass 28 Apr 2008 58,226 miles

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 28 Apr 2008 58,226 miles

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

Nearside Front Lower Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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 18 Apr 2007 49,823 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

front wiper blade smearing slightly

Pass 18 Apr 2007 49,823 miles

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

front wiper blade smearing slightly

Pass 17 May 2006 43,333 miles
Fail 17 May 2006 43,333 miles

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

Fail 15 May 2006 43,227 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp aim too low when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Pass 25 Oct 2005 43,260 miles
Fail 18 Oct 2005 43,239 miles

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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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SN51 LZE is a 2001 Lotus Elise in White with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 33 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60.6%.

Across all 2001 Lotus Elise models, the average MOT pass rate is 82.1% with a typical mileage of 38,622 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 SN51 LZE, 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 25 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 SN51 LZE?

You can check the full history of SN51 LZE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was SN51 LZE registered?

SN51 LZE is a 2001 Lotus Elise, first registered on 6 September 2001.

Is SN51 LZE safe to buy?

The MOT history for SN51 LZE shows 33 tests with a 60.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does SN51 LZE 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 SN51 LZE. 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.