Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1991 Lotus Elan, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel system, gasoline12
- Visibility1
- Vehicle speed control1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
In the United Kingdom
203 cars built in 1991 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 458 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 351 of these cars first registered in 1991 took their annual MOT test. 73% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1991 the figure was 70%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1991 |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 15.1% | 10.6% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.4% | 16.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.7% | 4.3% |
| Visibility | 5.1% | 6.4% |
| Suspension | 4.0% | 8.7% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3.4% | 8.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In New Zealand
3 1991 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANKS CAN LEAK.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words