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A9 ONV

1988 Lotus Esprit

Red Petrol 2174cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires24 Jan 2026
Tests28 (16 pass, 12 fail)
Pass rate57.1%

Mileage

76,674 mi
Last recorded76,674 miles
Recorded on23 Jan 2025
Typical for 1988 Lotus Esprit57,107 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

RegistrationA9 ONV
MakeLotus
ModelEsprit
Year1988
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,174cc

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

16 pass 12 fail
Pass 23 Jan 2025 76,674 miles
Fail 21 Jan 2025 76,674 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Front Registration plate incorrect (0.1 (c))

Offside Front Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp affected by indicator (4.2.3 (c))

Rear Registration plate incorrect (0.1 (c))

Rear fog lamp tell-tale not working (4.9.1 (a) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Stop lamp(s) all not working (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Position lamp slightly affected by the operation of another lamp affected by indicator (4.2.3 (c))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 25 Jan 2024 76,309 miles
Fail 24 Jan 2024 76,308 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Pass 13 Dec 2022 75,676 miles
Fail 9 Dec 2022 75,675 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Fail 17 Nov 2022 75,675 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Pass 16 Aug 2021 75,404 miles

Offside Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 16 Aug 2021 75,404 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps (4.7.2 (a))

Offside Registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps (4.7.2 (a))

Offside Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 20 Aug 2020 75,094 miles
Pass 4 Sep 2019 74,993 miles
Pass 9 Aug 2018 74,788 miles
Pass 16 Aug 2017 73,352 miles
Fail 4 Aug 2017 72,230 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

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

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

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

Pass 25 Jun 2016 71,578 miles
Fail 17 Jun 2016 71,539 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Offside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.D.4)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.D.4)

Pass 11 Apr 2015 68,508 miles
Pass 11 Apr 2014 66,230 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

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

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

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

Fail 31 Mar 2014 66,230 miles

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

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

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

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

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

offside rear parking brake effort low.

Fail 12 Oct 2013 66,174 miles

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

Nearside Rear Parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.D.3a)

Offside Front Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.D.4)

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

front coil springs rusty

o/s steering rack gaiter perishingq

reverse lights not working

Pass 26 Sep 2012 64,447 miles

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

Pass 7 Jun 2010 62,928 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Fail 25 May 2010 62,928 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Nearside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

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

Pass 2 Jun 2009 62,478 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Pass 6 Jun 2008 62,096 miles
Fail 4 Jun 2008 62,062 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Parking brake lever ratchet mechanism is excessively worn (3.1.5)

Pass 13 Jun 2007 60,766 miles

N/S rear brake slightly binding

Fail 22 May 2007 60,710 miles

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content excessive (7.3.B.1b)

Nearside Front An item not tested (Manual)

Nearside Rear Lower Tie bar/rod severely distorted (2.4.G.1)

Nearside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Nearside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

brake servo hose staring to collapse at engine

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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A9 ONV is a 1988 Lotus Esprit in Red with a 2,174cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 28 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 57.1%.

Across all 1988 Lotus Esprit models, the average MOT pass rate is 77.5% with a typical mileage of 57,107 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 A9 ONV, 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 38 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 A9 ONV?

You can check the full history of A9 ONV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A9 ONV registered?

A9 ONV is a 1988 Lotus Esprit, first registered on 1 August 1988.

Is A9 ONV safe to buy?

The MOT history for A9 ONV shows 28 tests with a 57.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A9 ONV 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 A9 ONV. 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.