How reliable is the Lotus Exige compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Lotus Exige, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 91.0% across 1,298 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Lotus Exige?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 19.1% of failed Lotus Exige tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Lotus Exige?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 10.3% of all Lotus Exige tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Lotus Exige usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 29,350 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Lotus Exige years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Lotus Exige cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 93.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 88.6%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Lotus Exige get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 93.0% of Lotus Exige tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 88.6%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Lotus Exige MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,298 recorded MOT tests of the Lotus Exige, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,298 MOT tests, 91.0% of Lotus Exige tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Lotus Exige fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 19.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 29,350 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

91.0%unadjusted, not comparable1,298 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Exige. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 1,298 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Lotus Exige tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.1%
18 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements13.8%
13 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
3.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements12.8%
12 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
4.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen11.7%
11 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer9.6%
9 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
6.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.4%
7 occurrencesLamp not working explained
7.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction7.4%
7 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
8.A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.4%
6 occurrencesDirection indicator not working explained
9.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen6.4%
6 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Warning device shows system malfunction6.4%
6 occurrencesBrake system warning lamp on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Lotus Exige tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.3%
133 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured6.8%
88 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged3.5%
45 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened2.5%
33 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements1.8%
23 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm1.7%
22 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded1.2%
15 testsBrake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing explained
8.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage1.2%
15 testsShock absorber defective explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Lotus Exige

The 16 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

How wear changes the picture

Exige pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Lotus Exige passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202293%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201993%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201693%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier89%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Exige outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Exige fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 29,350
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.9%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

EXIGE S SPORT
EXIGE S SPORTS

Check a specific Lotus Exige

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Lotus models

Lotus Elise — 86.1% unadjusted
Lotus Elan — 77.3% unadjusted
Lotus Esprit — 86.5% unadjusted
Lotus Evora — 91.2% unadjusted
All Lotus models

Common questions

How reliable is the Lotus Exige compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Lotus Exige, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 91.0% across 1,298 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Lotus Exige?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 19.1% of failed Lotus Exige tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Lotus Exige?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 10.3% of all Lotus Exige tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Lotus Exige usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 29,350 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Lotus Exige years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Lotus Exige cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 93.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 88.6%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Lotus Exige get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 93.0% of Lotus Exige tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 88.6%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.