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OV51 HKE

2001 Lotus Esprit

Red Petrol 3506cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires10 Apr 2027
Tests24 (18 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

75,677 mi
Last recorded75,677 miles
Recorded on26 Mar 2026
Typical for 2001 Lotus Esprit33,900 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Lotus
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationOV51 HKE
MakeLotus
ModelEsprit
Year2001
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine3,506cc

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

18 pass 6 fail
Pass 26 Mar 2026 75,677 miles

Rear Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 11 Apr 2025 75,635 miles

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive driveshaft seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 17 Jan 2024 74,265 miles

MIL light on.

Nearside Front Bonnet primary retaining device slightly deteriorated N/S bonnet catch faulty but bonnet can still be latched shut with O/S catch. (3.1 (c))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Worn on inside edge. (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Exhaust mounting defective Rear silencer mounting strap corroded through / fractured. (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive Driveshaft seal leaking. (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 2 Nov 2022 72,693 miles

EML on but vehicle to early to fail

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

Pass 2 Nov 2021 72,386 miles
Pass 13 Nov 2020 71,838 miles

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Exhaust mounting defective strap broken (6.1.2 (a))

Fail 29 Oct 2020 71,838 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords inner side wall (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Nearside Inner Headlamp reflector seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

Nearside Outer Headlamp reflector seriously defective (4.1.1 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Exhaust mounting defective strap broken (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 17 Apr 2019 71,824 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material to caliper (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 22 Mar 2018 71,088 miles

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Pass 23 Mar 2017 67,893 miles

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit inner edge (4.1.E.1)

Fail 10 Mar 2017 67,756 miles

Central Power steering pipe(s) or hose(s) leaking under floor (2.3.3b)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit inner edge (4.1.E.1)

Pass 3 Mar 2016 66,795 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front brake disc corroded on inside

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

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

Nearside Rear brake disc corroded

Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front brake disc corroded on inside

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit worn on inside (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear brake disc corroded

Fail 3 Mar 2016 66,795 miles

Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front brake disc corroded on inside

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Nearside Rear brake disc corroded

Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front brake disc corroded on inside

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit worn on inside (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear brake disc corroded

Pass 11 Mar 2015 66,147 miles

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

both front brake discs corroded

nearside rear tyre worn low on inside

offside rear tyre worn low on inside

Fail 11 Mar 2015 66,147 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

both front brake discs corroded

nearside rear tyre worn low on inside

offside rear tyre worn low on inside

Pass 4 Mar 2014 62,680 miles

Oil leak

nearside front brake disc corroded

nearside rear brake disc corroded

offside front brake disc corroded

offside rear brake disc corroded

Pass 20 Feb 2013 60,355 miles
Fail 20 Feb 2013 60,355 miles

Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Pass 3 Feb 2012 55,725 miles

nearside and offside front brake pads worn low

Fail 1 Feb 2012 55,725 miles

Offside Front Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

nearside and offside front brake pads worn low

Pass 14 Feb 2011 51,804 miles

offside front tyre wearing smooth on the inside edge.

Pass 9 Jun 2009 45,574 miles

Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 20 Oct 2007 39,671 miles

centre brake light in-op

Pass 10 Oct 2006 33,900 miles

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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OV51 HKE is a 2001 Lotus Esprit in Red with a 3,506cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 2001 Lotus Esprit models, the average MOT pass rate is 79.9% with a typical mileage of 33,900 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 OV51 HKE, 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 25 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 OV51 HKE?

You can check the full history of OV51 HKE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was OV51 HKE registered?

OV51 HKE is a 2001 Lotus Esprit, first registered on 12 October 2001.

Is OV51 HKE safe to buy?

The MOT history for OV51 HKE shows 24 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does OV51 HKE 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 OV51 HKE. 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.