Lotus Elan Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 13 consumer complaints across the 1 model years of the Lotus Elan (1991–1991) that have at least 5 complaints. 1991 has the most, with 13. Across all years, the part named most often is fuel system (12 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Elan model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13 | — | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Fuel system12 86%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)1 7.1%
- Vehicle speed control1 7.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1991: “Apperantly this is a known issue with the Lotus ELAN fuel tank. Lotus wants to charge me for repairing something they know is faulty due to poor design. I have spoken with other ELAN owners and some have paid the fee for the new tank as well as the service charges totalling over $1,000. I along with all the other owners would like Lotus to step up and take responsibility for this.”
NHTSA complaint #758628, filed 2002-02Other Lotus models
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology