Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora Recalls and Known Issues
The safety recalls on record for these cars, how to check your own VIN, and the well-known faults that were never recalls.
Recall campaigns differ by country, and whether a particular car has had the work done depends on its history. Treat this page as a starting point and always check your own car against the official database.
How to check your car
- United States: enter the VIN at the NHTSA recall lookup, nhtsa.gov/recalls.
- United Kingdom: use the government’s vehicle recall checker on gov.uk, or ask a Lotus dealer to check against the factory system.
- European Union: the Safety Gate (RAPEX) database lists vehicle safety recalls, and a dealer can check by VIN.
- Australia: the ACCC’s vehicle recalls website.
- Anywhere: a Lotus dealer can look up outstanding campaigns for a chassis number. Recall work is carried out free of charge.
US recalls on record
These are the main NHTSA campaigns affecting the cars covered on this site.
| Campaign | Models | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| 11V-510 (2011) | 2005 to 2006 Elise and Exige | Oil cooler line fittings can detach, releasing oil onto the engine and tyres. About 5,000 cars. |
| 13V-041 (2013) | 2007 to 2008 Elise and Exige | The same oil cooler line concern, extended to later cars. |
| 14V-280 (2014) | 2008 to 2011 Elise and Exige, 2011 Evora | Oil cooler line detachment. |
| 18V-781 (2018) | 2018 Evora | An assembly error meant the steering column might not collapse correctly in a frontal collision. |
| 19V-263 (2019) | 2017 to 2018 Evora | Insufficient stiffness in the passenger footwell toe board, relevant to unbelted occupant protection. |
The oil cooler line recalls are the ones to care about. The cars have twin front-mounted oil coolers fed by long hoses. If a fitting lets go, the engine loses oil quickly and sprays it in front of the rear tyres. If you are buying a 2005 to 2011 US-market car, ask for proof the recall work was done, and inspect the lines and fittings anyway.
This list is not exhaustive, and newer models including the Emira have had their own campaigns. Check the VIN.
Known issues that are not recalls
These are the faults owners and specialists talk about. None is universal, and a well-maintained car may show none of them.
Rover K-series cars (Elise S1, early S2, Exige S1, 340R)
- Head gasket failure. The engine’s best-known weakness. Uprated gaskets, careful cooling system maintenance and a low-temperature thermostat conversion are the usual remedies.
- Cooling system. Long pipe runs to a front radiator need to be bled properly. Radiators and hoses age.
Toyota-engined cars (2004 onwards)
- Oil starvation on track. The 2ZZ can lose oil pressure in long, fast corners on sticky tyres. A baffled sump is the usual fix. See the track modifications guide.
- Cam changeover not engaging. Often low oil level, sometimes worn lift bolts in the valve gear, which are inexpensive to replace.
- Radiator end tanks. The original radiator has plastic end tanks that can leak with age.
All Elise-platform cars
- Rear toe-link joints. A wear item, and a safety concern on hard-used track cars. Uprated kits are widely fitted.
- Front anti-roll bar mounts. Can loosen or crack when a stiffer bar is fitted.
- Rear subframe and wishbone corrosion on older cars in wet or salted climates.
- Clam damage and gel coat cracks. Not a fault as such, but the largest repair cost most owners will face.
- Water ingress from roof seals, and misted headlamps.
- Air conditioning performance and reliability, where fitted.
V6 cars (Evora, Exige V6)
- Clutch replacement cost.
- Gear cable adjustment on early Evoras, improved on later cars.
If you find something
Report safety defects to your national regulator as well as to the manufacturer. That is how recalls happen. Then tell other owners on the forums, where someone has almost certainly dealt with the same fault.