Car statistics by year
1998 Lotus Elise
Lotus Elise cars first registered in 1998: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 1998, so like is set against like.
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 81.1% All 1998 cars 67.1%
- Typical mileage at the MOT 58,300 miles; all 1998 cars 94,000
- Left at the end of 2025 979 94.3% of the 1,038 at the end of 2014
- Tests with an advisory 28.3% All 1998 cars 59.6%
- MOT tests in 2025 597 normal tests in Great Britain
How do 1998 Lotus Elises do at their MOT?
In 2025, at about 27 years old, 81.1% of 1998 Lotus Elise MOT tests were passed first time, against 67.1% for all cars first registered in 1998. 1998 Lotus Elises did better than average for their age, by 14.0 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 81.4% of the time (all 1998 cars 65.9%).
Most common MOT advisories on the 1998 Lotus Elise
An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 28.3% of 1998 Lotus Elise tests had at least one (all 1998 cars 59.6%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.
Most common advisories
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 6.0% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.2% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 4.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 3.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 3.2% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 3.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 2.7% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What mileage is normal for a 1998 Lotus Elise?
Half of the 1998 Lotus Elises tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 58,300 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 36,600 and a quarter more than 81,400. For all cars first registered in 1998, the middle figure was 94,000 miles, so 1998 Lotus Elises have been driven 38.0% less far than average.
Mileage at the 2025 MOT
Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.
| 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% | Cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Lotus Elise | 20,500 | 36,600 | 58,300 | 81,400 | 106,000 | 579 |
| All 1998 cars | 43,400 | 65,400 | 94,000 | 128,000 | 164,300 | 37,727 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
How many 1998 Lotus Elises are left?
At the end of 2014, 1,038 1998 Lotus Elises were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 979 were: 348 licensed and 631 declared off the road (SORN). That is 94.3% still on the record, against 28.8% for all cars first registered in 1998.
Share still on the record since 2014
Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.
| Year end | 1998 Lotus Elise | All 1998 cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| 2015 | 99.5% | 82.4% |
| 2016 | 98.5% | 68.7% |
| 2017 | 97.3% | 57.2% |
| 2018 | 97.2% | 48.9% |
| 2019 | 96.7% | 43.3% |
| 2020 | 96.7% | 39.7% |
| 2021 | 96.8% | 36.3% |
| 2022 | 96.1% | 34.2% |
| 2023 | 94.9% | 32.3% |
| 2024 | 93.5% | 30.1% |
| 2025 | 94.3% | 28.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated
Recalls that may affect cars built around 1998
2 of the Lotus Elise’s 10 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 1998. 1 has no build dates, so could apply to any year.
The 1998 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 1998 may have been built in 1997, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.
| Launched | Concern | Built | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 2001 | Steering rack may be susceptible to premature wear and possible tooth damage. | 1 Sept 1998 to 31 Jan 1999 | 338 |
| 17 Jun 1998 | Rear suspension toe link bolt may become loose | 1 Jun 1996 to 30 Jun 1998 | 3,780 |
Every Lotus Elise recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls
Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Other years of the Lotus Elise
2 years of the Lotus Elise, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left.
| Year | Registered | Left | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | – | 979 | 81.1% |
| 1999 | – | 1,034 | 84.4% |
Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT results and mileage | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 597 MOT tests of 1998 Lotus Elise cars | 15 September 2026 |
| Cars on the record | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of 2025 | 979 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
- MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Lotus Elise cars first registered in 1998; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 1998.
- Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
- Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
- Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
- Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
- DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.