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R701 WAN

1997 Lotus Esprit

Silver Petrol 1974cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Sep 2026
Tests22 (20 pass, 2 fail)
Pass rate90.9%

Mileage

83,103 mi
Last recorded83,103 miles
Recorded on19 Aug 2025
Typical for 1997 Lotus Esprit46,303 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR701 WAN
MakeLotus
ModelEsprit
Year1997
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,974cc

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 2 fail
Pass 19 Aug 2025 83,103 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 30 Aug 2024 82,603 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 21 Aug 2023 82,318 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 15 Aug 2022 81,779 miles
Pass 24 Aug 2021 81,108 miles

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

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

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

Pass 2 Sep 2020 80,697 miles

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

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

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

Pass 12 Sep 2019 79,543 miles
Pass 27 Sep 2018 78,783 miles
Pass 19 Sep 2017 78,304 miles
Pass 23 Sep 2016 77,633 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 3 mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit on 3 mm (4.1.E.1)

Fail 23 Sep 2016 77,633 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit 3 mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit on 3 mm (4.1.E.1)

Pass 24 Sep 2015 76,605 miles

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

Pass 25 Sep 2014 74,652 miles

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 19 Sep 2013 70,253 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 24 Sep 2012 68,438 miles

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

slight noise from offside front wheel bearing

Pass 27 Sep 2011 66,914 miles

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

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

Pass 1 Oct 2010 64,514 miles
Pass 22 Sep 2009 63,143 miles
Pass 25 Sep 2008 61,776 miles

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

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

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

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

Pass 27 Sep 2007 59,345 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

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

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

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

n/s/f wheel bearring slight noise

Pass 3 Oct 2006 57,117 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 27 Apr 2006 57,104 miles

Nearside Front Front suspension has excessive play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside Headlamp excessively damaged so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

Nearside brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

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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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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R701 WAN is a 1997 Lotus Esprit in Silver with a 1,974cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 90.9%.

Across all 1997 Lotus Esprit models, the average MOT pass rate is 82.4% with a typical mileage of 46,303 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

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 R701 WAN, 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 29 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 R701 WAN?

You can check the full history of R701 WAN by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R701 WAN registered?

R701 WAN is a 1997 Lotus Esprit, first registered on 4 August 1997.

Is R701 WAN safe to buy?

The MOT history for R701 WAN shows 22 tests with a 90.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R701 WAN 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 R701 WAN. 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.