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P538 EBB

1996 Lotus Elise

Blue Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 May 2027
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

66,333 mi
Last recorded66,333 miles
Recorded on5 May 2026
Typical for 1996 Lotus Elise48,015 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

RegistrationP538 EBB
MakeLotus
ModelElise
Year1996
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

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 7 fail
Pass 5 May 2026 66,333 miles
Pass 4 Sep 2024 63,891 miles
Pass 6 Sep 2023 61,929 miles
Pass 1 Sep 2022 61,342 miles

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

Pass 19 Aug 2021 60,446 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 2.5mm (5.2.3 (e))

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

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 2mm (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 1 Sep 2020 60,003 miles

Offside Front Lower Steering linkage ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Pass 9 Sep 2019 59,283 miles

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

Offside Front Lower Steering linkage ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component ball joint has slight play tie rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component ball joint has slight play tie rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Fail 6 Sep 2019 59,283 miles

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))

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

Offside Front Lower Steering linkage ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

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

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component ball joint has slight play tie rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Suspension component ball joint has slight play tie rod (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Pass 24 Sep 2018 58,538 miles
Pass 11 Oct 2017 57,836 miles
Fail 5 Oct 2017 57,822 miles

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

Pass 21 Sep 2016 56,835 miles

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

vehicle under trays fitted not allowing full inspection

Fail 21 Sep 2016 56,835 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

Offside Front position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

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

vehicle under trays fitted not allowing full inspection

Pass 1 Oct 2015 56,018 miles

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Fail 1 Oct 2015 56,018 miles

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

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

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

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Front suspension has slight play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

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

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 7 Aug 2014 54,285 miles

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

Nearside Inner Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Offside Inner Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Fail 1 Aug 2014 54,106 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)

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

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

Nearside Inner Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Offside Inner Rear Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Pass 5 Aug 2013 52,003 miles
Fail 25 Jul 2013 51,989 miles

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

offside rear brake binding slightly

Pass 1 Aug 2012 49,842 miles
Pass 19 Jul 2011 47,450 miles

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

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 8 Jul 2010 44,069 miles

both front tyres wearing uneven

Pass 16 Jun 2009 39,944 miles
Pass 29 May 2008 35,779 miles

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

Pass 29 Jun 2007 32,127 miles
Pass 9 May 2006 26,427 miles
Fail 5 May 2006 26,416 miles

Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

How Reliable is the Lotus Elise?

Based on 150,954 MOT tests across 12,302 vehicles.

81.8%
Pass Rate
1,309
Miles/Year
30
Year Lifespan
12,302
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive 3,173
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 3,131
Headlamp aim too high 3,014
Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 2,630
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive 1,898
Full Lotus Elise reliability report

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P538 EBB is a 1996 Lotus Elise in Blue with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

Across all 1996 Lotus Elise models, the average MOT pass rate is 75.9% with a typical mileage of 48,015 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 Elise fails its MOT is exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive, accounting for 3,173 recorded failures. If you're considering buying P538 EBB, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Elise typically stays on UK roads for around 30 years. At 30 years old, this Lotus Elise is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of P538 EBB?

You can check the full history of P538 EBB by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was P538 EBB registered?

P538 EBB is a 1996 Lotus Elise, first registered on 7 November 1996.

Is P538 EBB safe to buy?

The MOT history for P538 EBB shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does P538 EBB 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 P538 EBB. 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.