Car Problem DataNHTSA records

Lotus Elise

Owners filed 72 complaints across 7 model years of the Lotus Elise. The 2005 drew the most (46); the 2011 the fewest (0).

Model years7
Complaints72
Recalls12
Fires2
Deaths0

Every Lotus Elise model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
20110
2———Routine
20100
1———Routine
20091
2——Service Brakes, HydraulicRoutine
20080
2———Routine
20078
2——Engine and Engine CoolingRoutine
200617
11—Engine and Engine CoolingRoutine
200546
212Engine and Engine CoolingRoutine

Which Lotus Elise years should you avoid?

On raw complaint volume the 2005 is the weakest year on record, with 46 complaints concentrated in the engine and engine cooling. It carries 2 recalls.

Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.