Car statistics by year
1999 Lotus Elise
Lotus Elise cars first registered in 1999: 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 1999, so like is set against like.
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 84.4% All 1999 cars 65.4%
- Typical mileage at the MOT 55,700 miles; all 1999 cars 94,800
- Left at the end of 2025 1,034 94.1% of the 1,099 at the end of 2014
- Tests with an advisory 23.5% All 1999 cars 61.7%
- MOT tests in 2025 642 normal tests in Great Britain
How do 1999 Lotus Elises do at their MOT?
In 2025, at about 26 years old, 84.4% of 1999 Lotus Elise MOT tests were passed first time, against 65.4% for all cars first registered in 1999. 1999 Lotus Elises did better than average for their age, by 19.0 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 83.0% of the time (all 1999 cars 63.8%).
Most common MOT advisories on the 1999 Lotus Elise
An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 23.5% of 1999 Lotus Elise tests had at least one (all 1999 cars 61.7%). 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 | 7.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 4.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 2.5% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 2.3% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 2.2% |
| Flexible brake hoses: slight corrosion to ferrule Brakes | 1.7% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 1.7% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 1.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What mileage is normal for a 1999 Lotus Elise?
Half of the 1999 Lotus Elises tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 55,700 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 37,500 and a quarter more than 76,100. For all cars first registered in 1999, the middle figure was 94,800 miles, so 1999 Lotus Elises have been driven 41.2% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Lotus Elise | 23,600 | 37,500 | 55,700 | 76,100 | 93,900 | 620 |
| All 1999 cars | 44,400 | 66,000 | 94,800 | 128,700 | 166,000 | 48,891 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
How many 1999 Lotus Elises are left?
At the end of 2014, 1,099 1999 Lotus Elises were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 1,034 were: 388 licensed and 646 declared off the road (SORN). That is 94.1% still on the record, against 23.9% for all cars first registered in 1999.
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 | 1999 Lotus Elise | All 1999 cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| 2015 | 99.0% | 82.3% |
| 2016 | 98.4% | 67.6% |
| 2017 | 97.2% | 54.8% |
| 2018 | 96.6% | 45.6% |
| 2019 | 96.8% | 39.4% |
| 2020 | 95.6% | 35.4% |
| 2021 | 95.7% | 31.6% |
| 2022 | 95.0% | 29.3% |
| 2023 | 94.7% | 27.4% |
| 2024 | 93.6% | 25.2% |
| 2025 | 94.1% | 23.9% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated
Recalls that may affect cars built around 1999
2 of the Lotus Elise’s 10 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 1999. 1 has no build dates, so could apply to any year.
The 1999 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 1999 may have been built in 1998, 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 |
| 9 Feb 2001 | Fuel may leak when filling and cornering | 1 Oct 1999 to 31 Jan 2001 | 1,509 (all models) |
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 | 642 MOT tests of 1999 Lotus Elise cars | 15 September 2026 |
| Cars on the record | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of 2025 | 1,034 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 1999; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 1999.
- 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.