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1996 Lotus Elan — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age

30 years
Current Age
78.4%
Latest Pass Rate
262
Total Tests (All Years)
59,342 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1996 Lotus Elan as it ages.

13 yrs71.9%
14 yrs80.0%
15 yrs77.8%
16 yrs56.7%
20 yrs62.5%
21 yrs81.3%
25 yrs81.8%
28 yrs78.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 13 to 28 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
13 yrs71.9%32
14 yrs80.0%30
15 yrs77.8%36
16 yrs56.7%30
20 yrs62.5%32
21 yrs81.3%32
25 yrs81.8%33
28 yrs78.4%37

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1996 Lotus Elan pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (28 yrs)78.4%37
2021 (25 yrs)81.8%33
2017 (21 yrs)81.3%32
2016 (20 yrs)62.5%32
2012 (16 yrs)56.7%30
2011 (15 yrs)77.8%36
2010 (14 yrs)80%30
2009 (13 yrs)71.9%32

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
71.9%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 32Avg Mileage 47,016Top Failure Brakes — 18.8%
2010
80.0%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 30Avg Mileage 49,427Top Failure Brakes — 13.3%
2011
77.8%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 36Avg Mileage 50,669Top Failure Brakes — 19.4%
2012High Fail Rate
56.7%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 30Avg Mileage 52,590Top Failure Brakes — 23.3%
2016High Fail Rate
62.5%
Age (yrs) 20Tests 32Avg Mileage 58,172Top Failure Brakes — 31.3%
2017
81.3%
Age (yrs) 21Tests 32Avg Mileage 59,805Top Failure Brakes — 28.1%
2021
81.8%
Age (yrs) 25Tests 33Avg Mileage 70,890Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 24.2%
2024
78.4%
Age (yrs) 28Tests 37Avg Mileage 59,342Top Failure Brakes — 70.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1996 Lotus Elan, with age trends.

Brakes
27.5%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
24.2%
— Consistent
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
20.6%
↑ Increases with age
Visibility
16.2%
— Consistent
Suspension
16.1%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes18.8% (13 yrs)70.3% (28 yrs)
+51.5%
🔴 ↑
Suspension6.3% (13 yrs)54.1% (28 yrs)
+47.8%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Lotus Elan page →

About This Data

This page shows how Lotus Elan cars manufactured in 1996 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2024, covering 262 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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