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U.S. public vehicle records

2007 Lotus ELISE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

8 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

31,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2007 model year. Data snapshot: . 8 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 8 complaints (37.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Engine operation112.5%
Braking behavior112.5%
Steering behavior112.5%

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.

Engine
3
Engine And Engine Cooling
3
Fuel/Propulsion System
2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
1
Power Train
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine3
Engine And Engine Cooling3
Fuel/Propulsion System2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine1
Power Train1

Engine: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling: 3; Fuel/Propulsion System: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Power Train: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
3
25,000 to 49,999
3
50,000 to 74,999
1
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0003
25,000 to 49,9993
50,000 to 74,9991
75,000 to 99,9991
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 0 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.

2010
1
2011
2
2012
4
2018
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20101
20112
20124
20181

2010: 1; 2011: 2; 2012: 4; 2018: 1

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 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 10482729 · 2012-10-31 (October 31, 2012)

I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND MOVED INTO THE #2 LANE AND WAS ACCELERATING. I LOOKED OUT MY REARVIEW MIRROR AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A DUST CLOUD BEHIND ME. I LOOKED AT THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME EXPECTING TO SEE SOME DIRT ON THE ROAD, BUT THERE WASN'T ANY. I LOOKED BACK AND IT SEEMED THAT IT WAS LIKE A DIRTY BROWN SMOKE. I WAS MY CAR. (I LATER REALIZED THE CLOUD WAS A SPRAY OF OIL MIST.) I WAS GOING 65 OR 70 MPH AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL WITH THE DRIVABILITY. I LOOKED AT MY INSTRUMENT PANEL & NOTICED THE OIL LIGHT WAS ON. I SHOT OVER TO THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482729 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10482713 · 2012-10-31 (October 31, 2012)

I WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IN THE #1 LANE WHEN I SMELLED BURNING OIL. I HADN'T NOTICED THE CAR PERFORMING DIFFERENTLY SO I LOOKED AHEAD TO THE FORWARD CARS FOR THE 'GROSS POLLUTER' CAUSING THE SMELL. I DIDN'T SEE ANYONE WITH MY FIRST FORWARD INSPECTION. I THEN IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE OIL LIGHT LIT ON THE DASH. AT THE SAME INSTANT I LOOKED OUT OF THE SIDE MIRROR AND SAW SMOKE POURING FROM MY CAR. (THIS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND I MAY HAVE NOTICED THE REAR SMOKE BEFORE THE OIL LIGHT.) I QUICKLY PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, DRIFTE…

Owner-reported narrative. 89,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482713 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10455149 · 2012-04-07 (April 7, 2012)

AWARE OF NHTSA RECALL # 11V-510 HAVING RECEIVED LETTER FROM LOTUS CARS USA BUT WAS TOLD THIS VEHICLE WAS PROBABLY NOT AFFECTED. MONITORED FOR SIGNS OF OIL LEAKAGE ANYWAY BUT SAW NOTHING: NO CHANGE IN OIL LEVEL ON DIPSTICK CHECKS, NO SIGNS OF OIL UNDER CAR. WHILE ACCELERATING ON EXPRESSWAY, HAD LOW OIL WARNING LIGHT COME ON AND NOTICED SOME DIFFICULTY STEERING DUE TO SLICKNESS AS CAR WAS BROUGHT TO A SAFE HALT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. RIGHT SIDE OF CAR WAS COVERED IN OIL, APPARENTLY ORIGINATING AT OIL COOLER LOCATED IN FRONT OF RIGHT FRONT WH…

Owner-reported narrative. 34,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10455149 at NHTSA ↗