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G397 KEX

1989 Lotus Elan

Red Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires16 Jun 2026
Tests29 (19 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate65.5%

Mileage

79,331 mi
Last recorded79,331 miles
Recorded on17 Jun 2025
Typical for 1989 Lotus Elan64,239 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

RegistrationG397 KEX
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1989
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,588cc

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

19 pass 10 fail
Pass 17 Jun 2025 79,331 miles
Pass 1 Mar 2024 79,290 miles
Fail 20 Feb 2024 79,284 miles

Offside Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

Pass 7 Sep 2023 79,160 miles
Fail 7 Sep 2023 79,160 miles

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 9 Feb 2022 78,924 miles

Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule all 4 (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Pass 14 Dec 2020 78,491 miles

Nearside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play inner rack end ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play inner rack end ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 14 Dec 2020 78,491 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Offside Front Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen (3.5 (a))

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

Nearside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play inner rack end ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Steering linkage ball joint has slight play inner rack end ball joint (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 3 Dec 2019 78,452 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear pipes (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Power steering pipe/hose slightly corroded (2.1.5 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

slight play detected in steering wheel

Fail 2 Dec 2019 78,452 miles

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam head lamp unit not working (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp not working on main beam head lamp unit not working (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear pipes (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrule (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

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

Offside Front Power steering pipe/hose slightly corroded (2.1.5 (g) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect (5.3.2 (b))

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

slight play detected in steering wheel

Pass 11 Sep 2018 78,179 miles

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

front brake discs corroded on insides

parking brake efficiency just met

slight bind n/s/f brake

Pass 27 Jul 2017 76,464 miles

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

front antiroll bar link joints creaking

Fail 27 Jul 2017 76,464 miles

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

Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

front antiroll bar link joints creaking

Pass 3 Aug 2016 74,882 miles
Fail 13 Jul 2015 74,439 miles

Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Pass 13 Jul 2015 74,439 miles
Pass 22 Jul 2014 74,233 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Fail 22 Jul 2014 74,233 miles

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 30 Jul 2013 73,542 miles

slight bind n/s/f brake

Pass 8 Aug 2012 72,904 miles

Offside Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

offside rear brake disc corroded

Fail 8 Aug 2012 72,904 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

offside rear brake disc corroded

Pass 19 Aug 2011 72,382 miles

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

n/s/r light cluster damaged

Pass 2 Aug 2010 71,481 miles
Pass 4 Aug 2009 69,801 miles
Fail 4 Aug 2009 69,801 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim not tested (1.8.A.1c)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 17 Jun 2008 67,991 miles
Fail 23 May 2008 67,141 miles

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 15 May 2007 65,794 miles
Pass 5 Jun 2006 64,335 miles

How Reliable is the Lotus Elan?

Based on 51,097 MOT tests across 4,280 vehicles.

77.4%
Pass Rate
554
Miles/Year
59
Year Lifespan
4,280
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,585
brake recording little or no effort 1,342
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,318
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 927
brake binding 845
Full Lotus Elan reliability report

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G397 KEX is a 1989 Lotus Elan in Red with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 65.5%.

Across all 1989 Lotus Elan models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.9% with a typical mileage of 64,239 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 Elan fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,585 recorded failures. If you're considering buying G397 KEX, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Elan typically stays on UK roads for around 59 years. At 37 years old, this Lotus Elan is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of G397 KEX?

You can check the full history of G397 KEX by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was G397 KEX registered?

G397 KEX is a 1989 Lotus Elan, first registered on 18 December 1989.

Is G397 KEX safe to buy?

The MOT history for G397 KEX shows 29 tests with a 65.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does G397 KEX 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 G397 KEX. 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.