Aug 15, 2012Engine
FRONT OIL COOLER HOSE BLEW OFF SPRAYING UNDERSIDE OF CAR WITH OIL. PULLED VEHICLE OVER AND TOWED TO DEALER FOR MAINTENANCE FIX. *TR
NHTSA ODI 10470695
Home · 2005 Lotus Elise · Complaints
What 46 owners told NHTSA about the 2005 Lotus Elise
These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.
All (46)Crash / fire / injury (3)Engine & cooling (28)Transmission & drivetrain (5)Electrical system (4)Visibility & wipers (4)Engine (3)Suspension (3)Brakes (1)Latches & locks (1)Wheels (1)
3 of 46 complaints match · Engine · clear filters
Aug 15, 2012Engine
RIGHT SIDE OIL COOLER HOSE BLEW OFF WHILE TRAVELING AT 65MPH SPRAYING OIL OVER THE RIGHT BACK TIRE. THE ENGINE SEIZED AND CAR COASTED TO A STOP POSITION ON SIDE OF ROAD. CAR WAS INOPERABLE AND TOWED TO DEALER. *TR
NHTSA ODI 10470694
Jul 5, 2012Engine
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LOTUS ELISE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN JANUARY 2012 FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER:11V510000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TRIED TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED HE WANTED TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BUT IT WAS TAKING TOO LONG FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED UNDER THE RECALL, WHICH HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 8/6/12 *CN UPDATED 08/14/2012 *JS
NHTSA ODI 10464247
Working with the data? Download all 46 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 2026
How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2005 Lotus Elise verdict →