Reliability & cost of ownership
Lotus Elise Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Lotus Elise? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Lotus Elise problems by model year
7 recall entries and 72 owner complaints on file across 4 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Elise | 2 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2007 Elise | 2 | 8 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 Elise | 1 | 17 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 Elise | 2 | 46 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Lotus Elise, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- engine and engine cooling43 complaints
- engine8 complaints
- power train7 complaints
- suspension4 complaints
- electrical system4 complaints
- unknown or other4 complaints
- visibility4 complaints
- service brakes2 complaints