1,247 tests in 2025
Lotus Exige reliability and MOT pass rate
93.3% passed first time. The 6.7% fail rate is 15.9 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 23,749 miles.
Pass rate
93.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 6.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
23,749 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 180 | — |
| 6-9 years | 312 | 4.8% |
| 10-13 years | 216 | 7.4% |
| 14+ years | 539 | 9.1% |
What the Exige fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous52.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks28.6%
- Visibility21.4%
- Tyres19 dangerous17.9%
- Brakes6 dangerous15.5%
- Suspension7.1%
- Identification of the vehicle6%
- Body, chassis, structure4.8%
Is the Exige getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.4 points to 7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,202 | 9 | 9.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,271 | 10 | 7.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,072 | 10 | 8.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,179 | 11 | 7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Exige at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Exige in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Washers: not working11 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm10 tests
- 3Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits9 tests
- 4Headlamp aim: too high9 tests
- 5Headlamp aim: too low8 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction7 tests
- 7Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault6 tests
- 8Individual direction indicators: not working6 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Exige collects 2.08 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm74 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened50 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure21 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick19 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened17 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm14 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn13 tests
- 8Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn13 tests
Questions
What is the Lotus Exige MOT pass rate?
93.3% of the 1,247 Lotus Exige first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 6.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Lotus Exige usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Washers: not working", recorded on 11 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 52.4% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 28.6% of failures, visibility appears in 21.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 2.2%; at 14+ years it was 9.1%. The median Lotus Exige tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 23,749 miles.
Is the Lotus Exige getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.4 points to 7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Exige trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 5 safety recalls naming the Lotus Exige: Lotus Exige recalls.
Other Lotus models
Checking a particular Exige?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.