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N601 TPD

1996 Lotus Elan

Green Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires18 May 2027
Tests23 (17 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate73.9%

Mileage

67,228 mi
Last recorded67,228 miles
Recorded on15 May 2026
Typical for 1996 Lotus Elan53,185 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

RegistrationN601 TPD
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1996
ColourGreen
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

17 pass 6 fail
Pass 15 May 2026 67,228 miles
Pass 14 May 2025 67,200 miles
Fail 14 May 2025 67,200 miles

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

Pass 14 May 2024 67,191 miles
Pass 25 Apr 2023 67,099 miles
Pass 19 May 2022 67,096 miles
Pass 15 May 2021 66,833 miles
Fail 29 Apr 2021 66,830 miles

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

Rear Exhaust emissions likely to be affected by an exhaust leak (8.2.1.1 (b))

Rear Brake cable damaged but not to excess (1.1.15 (a))

Pass 21 May 2019 66,822 miles

Offside Rear Brake cable damaged but not to excess (1.1.15 (a))

brake pipes have corrosion

handbrake has slight travel

rear coil csprings have corrosion

rear exhaust has corrosion

rear shock absorbers have corrosion

Pass 18 May 2018 66,770 miles

Offside Rear Brake cable has wires broken but is not significantly weakened (3.5.1b)

Offside Rear exhaust stuffing escaping

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 23 Jun 2017 65,669 miles
Fail 20 Jun 2017 65,669 miles

Emissions not tested (7.3.A.1)

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

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

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

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

Pass 10 Feb 2016 64,064 miles
Fail 2 Feb 2016 64,064 miles

Nearside front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage insecure ball joint separated (2.4.G.1)

Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component rack (2.3.3b)

all brake discs surface corroded

brake pipes slightly corroded

offside front brake binding slightly

Pass 3 Sep 2012 63,924 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

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

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

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

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

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

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 3 Sep 2012 63,924 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

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

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 20 Aug 2011 63,311 miles

exhaust intermediate pipe has previous weld repair

front brake imbalance considered to be getting high but with in criteria

minor corrosion outer edge of front brake discs

Pass 29 Sep 2010 60,935 miles
Pass 25 Mar 2009 57,862 miles

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 22 Apr 2008 54,126 miles

N/S and O/S REAR brake hose ferruls rusty

Fail 22 Apr 2008 54,126 miles

N/S and O/S REAR brake hose ferruls rusty

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 26 Jul 2007 53,760 miles
Pass 20 Apr 2006 52,081 miles

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

low effort on rear service brake

n/s rear brake binding

rear number plate deteriorating

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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N601 TPD is a 1996 Lotus Elan in Green with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 23 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 73.9%.

Across all 1996 Lotus Elan models, the average MOT pass rate is 78.8% with a typical mileage of 53,185 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 N601 TPD, 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 30 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 N601 TPD?

You can check the full history of N601 TPD by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was N601 TPD registered?

N601 TPD is a 1996 Lotus Elan, first registered on 2 January 1996.

Is N601 TPD safe to buy?

The MOT history for N601 TPD shows 23 tests with a 73.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does N601 TPD 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 N601 TPD. 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.