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L817 PCL

1993 Lotus Elan

Black Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 Oct 2026
Tests31 (20 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate64.5%

Mileage

124,563 mi
Last recorded124,563 miles
Recorded on22 Oct 2025
Typical for 1993 Lotus Elan59,953 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationL817 PCL
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1993
ColourBlack
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

20 pass 11 fail
Pass 22 Oct 2025 124,563 miles
Pass 25 Sep 2024 123,670 miles

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

Fail 25 Sep 2024 123,670 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

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

Pass 20 Sep 2023 123,049 miles
Pass 7 Sep 2022 122,090 miles
Pass 15 Sep 2021 120,899 miles

Offside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 4 Sep 2020 119,728 miles

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

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

Offside Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

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

Fail 26 Aug 2020 119,703 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

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

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

Offside Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

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

Pass 14 Aug 2019 117,908 miles

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair rear foot and parking (1.2.1 (c))

Pass 15 Aug 2018 115,899 miles

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

Nearside Front Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Front Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Pass 16 Aug 2017 114,276 miles

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

Pass 10 Aug 2016 112,683 miles
Pass 14 Aug 2015 111,385 miles

front and rear brake discs are rusty slightly pitted

Fail 8 Aug 2015 111,385 miles

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

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

front and rear brake discs are rusty slightly pitted

Fail 23 Sep 2014 111,299 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 23 Sep 2014 111,299 miles

Offside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Pass 19 Aug 2013 110,581 miles
Fail 15 Aug 2013 110,574 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Fail 25 Jul 2013 110,371 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Outer Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Outer Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

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

Offside Inner Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.5.C.1a)

Pass 26 Jul 2012 109,088 miles
Fail 17 Jul 2012 109,080 miles

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

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

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

Offside Inner Front constant velocity joint gaiter damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.5.C.1a)

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

Pass 23 Jul 2011 108,041 miles

Both front tyre outer edges worn low

Fail 23 May 2011 108,030 miles

Centre Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too far to the right (1.8)

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Offside Obligatory mirror insecure (8.1.1)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Both front tyre outer edges worn low

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

Pass 14 May 2010 100,472 miles
Pass 19 May 2009 93,208 miles
Fail 18 May 2009 93,208 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

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

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 17 May 2008 87,222 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)

Fail 16 May 2008 87,222 miles

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

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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)

Pass 25 May 2007 80,206 miles
Pass 23 May 2006 73,537 miles
Fail 15 May 2006 73,536 miles

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

Offside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Side repeater incomplete (1.5.A1b)

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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L817 PCL is a 1993 Lotus Elan in Black with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.5%.

Across all 1993 Lotus Elan models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.5% with a typical mileage of 59,953 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 L817 PCL, 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 33 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 L817 PCL?

You can check the full history of L817 PCL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was L817 PCL registered?

L817 PCL is a 1993 Lotus Elan, first registered on 23 December 1993.

Is L817 PCL safe to buy?

The MOT history for L817 PCL shows 31 tests with a 64.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does L817 PCL 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 L817 PCL. 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.