Lotus ELAN problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
9 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1969 to 1994 model years. Data snapshot: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly is the most frequently named component, appearing in 8 of 9 complaints (88.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system concerns | 7 | 77.8% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | 8 |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission:Floor Shift Assembly | 1 |
| Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls | 1 |
| Visibility:Windshield | 1 |
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly: 8; Power Train:Manual Transmission:Floor Shift Assembly: 1; Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls: 1; Visibility:Windshield: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 9 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 6 |
1995: 1; 2000: 1; 2001: 1; 2002: 6
Pattern summary
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 7 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 758628 · 2002-02-25 (February 25, 2002)
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. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 758628 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 760893 · 2002-04-19 (April 19, 2002)
GAS TANK LEAKS FUEL IF YOU FILL IT UP.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 760893 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 1 |
| 1992 | 1 |
| 1994 | 0 |
1991: 1; 1992: 1; 1994: 0