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Y198 MES

2001 Lotus Elise

Blue Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires17 Dec 2026
Tests21 (15 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate71.4%

Mileage

51,119 mi
Last recorded51,119 miles
Recorded on18 Dec 2025
Typical for 2001 Lotus Elise38,622 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationY198 MES
MakeLotus
ModelElise
Year2001
ColourBlue
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

15 pass 6 fail
Pass 18 Dec 2025 51,119 miles
Pass 18 Sep 2024 50,975 miles
Pass 5 Jan 2021 50,827 miles
Fail 22 Dec 2020 50,827 miles

Offside Rear Brake cable knotted cable frayed (1.1.15 (a))

Offside Front Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated hand brake warning light on dash (1.1.10 (f))

Pass 17 Oct 2018 50,796 miles
Pass 6 Oct 2017 50,722 miles

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 8 Sep 2016 50,697 miles
Fail 26 Aug 2016 50,697 miles

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

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

Rear Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Pass 7 Apr 2015 50,229 miles

slight roughness at offside rear wheel bearing

Fail 10 Nov 2014 50,223 miles

Nearside Front Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

slight rougness at offside rear wheel bearing

Pass 8 Nov 2013 50,181 miles

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

Pass 14 Sep 2012 49,637 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 19 Sep 2011 48,004 miles

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

Pass 10 Sep 2010 44,213 miles
Fail 9 Sep 2010 44,213 miles

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

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

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

Pass 7 Jul 2009 37,247 miles

front inner brake pads appearlow

both rear tyresaprox 3mm tread across tyre

n/s/f tyre wearing on outer edge and cracking

rear tail light units not correctly fitted

rearinnerbrake pads appear low

Fail 3 Jul 2009 37,247 miles

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

Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching into the swept area by more than 40mm outside zone 'A' (8.3.1e)

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

registration plate character(s) likely to be misread (6.3.4b)

both rear tyresaprox 3mm tread across tyre

front inner brake pads appearlow

n/s/f tyre wearing on outer edge and cracking

rear tail light units not correctly fitted

rearinnerbrake pads appear low

Pass 28 Jun 2008 30,272 miles
Pass 20 Jun 2007 24,433 miles
Fail 18 Jun 2007 24,433 miles

Nearside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 21 Jun 2006 13,593 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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Y198 MES is a 2001 Lotus Elise in Blue with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 71.4%.

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 Y198 MES, 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 Y198 MES?

You can check the full history of Y198 MES by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was Y198 MES registered?

Y198 MES is a 2001 Lotus Elise, first registered on 26 July 2001.

Is Y198 MES safe to buy?

The MOT history for Y198 MES shows 21 tests with a 71.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does Y198 MES 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 Y198 MES. 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.