What Lotus Evora owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Lotus Evora safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| 2012 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Lotus Evora complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
The contact owns a 2017 Lotus Evora. The contact stated that there was a clunking sound coming from the rear suspension. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who was certified to work on Lotus vehicles, but not associated with the dealer, and the rear suspension arm was inspected and diagnosed with a fracture in the casting of the suspension. The suspension arm and bushing were replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
For the second time, a Throttle Actuator code forced an engine shutdown while on a busy freeway with only very narrow breakdown lane stranding the car. Attempts to reset the code(s) failed for about 30 minutes whereupon codes reset and have not recurred indicating the code was only transient but very dangerous.
Driving on an interstate highway a MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) illuminated and within less than 5 seconds, the engine went into shutdown mode. I was able to safely clear the highway but on a central lane and heavy traffic it would have been impossible to safely clear the highway and the car would be stranded in the middle of the road. Checking malfunction codes indicated a throttle body malfunction or at least a sensed malfunction as the car showed no problem ahead of shutdown. Second code indicated a âLIMP HOMEâ mode which quickly progressed to a âSHUT DOWNâ mode as indicated by a third code. I believe that I would rather damage equipment rather than shutdown in the middle of …
Rear upper control arm failure. A crack develops along a casting line, which then allows the upper bushing to move within the control arm. This bushing is pressed into the control arm, and is not supposed to move. Because the hub was allowed to tilt forward due to the bushing not being held firmly by the control arm, the outer CV boot was allowed to contact the lower spring perch, which then burned a hole in the CV boot, allowing all its grease to escape. This scenario can generate an excessive amount of heat and/or wear in that joint, leading to axle failure.
Component that failed: rear upper suspension control arm developed a crack where it connects with the rear wheel knuckle. Other Lotus Evoras have reported this failure, across several model years. Component has not been inspected by others. No warning lamps. Suspension started making a clunking noise.
The rear upper control arm or wishbone developed a crack. The spherical joint in the wishbone started to slide forward and back under braking and acceleration. In my case, it was caught quickly and before there was an accident. However, this wishbone is one leg of a tripod that attaches the wheel to the car. If the crack were to develop into a break, it could cause a catastrophic failure leading to injury or death. Essentially, a rear wheel could fall off. The problem is clearly a pattern failure in these forged aluminum parts. Some have failed with relatively few miles on them. The failures have been confirmed through discussion on on-line forums Lotus Talk and The Lotus Forum. Evidently…
Rear upper control arm cracked. Very critical safety part. I have had a discussion with other owners and have discovered that several others have had the same issue. Very low milage. 10k miles. Could result in a fatal collision! Found issue during safety inspection. Bushing is now misaligned and control arm is not in the proper location due to the crack. Another crack could result in complete failure and result in a fatal crash.
IPS WIRING HARNESS ISSUE - VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD RANDOMLY LOSE COMPLETE POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. VEHICLE STUCK IN THIS LIMP MODE ARE UNABLE TO GO BACK INTO GEAR AND IS LOCKED OUT FROM DRIVING, THUS REQUIRE THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED. THIS CREATES A HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAT IN AN EVENT IF AN INDIVIDUAL WAS TO MERGE INTO A LANE AND LOSES COMPLETE POWER AS A RESULT, ACCIDENT WILL LIKELY TO OCCUR DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE CANNOT GAIN SPEED OR MOMENTUM IN ORDER TO MERGE. MANY OWNERS WITH THE AUTOMATIC (IPS) VARIATION ARE EXPERIENCING THE LIMP MODE AND IS EXPRESSING THEIR FRUSTRATION ON THE INTERNET. LOTUS IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND IS REFUSING T…
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
The friction material used on the Evora GT front and rear brake pads no longer meet the legislation requirements in certain USA States. This legislation affects vehicles with the current brake pads fitted built after the 1st January 2021. New brake pads that meet the latest legislation requirements are available for Evora GT vehicles. Replace front and rear brake pad sets as stated on Service Bulletin 2023/06
Retrofitment of airbag rotary clock spring part number A132M6241F to Evora vehicles originally fitted with clock spring part number A132M6236F. As stated in Technical Service Bulletin TSB 2019/05, although clock spring part numbers A132M6241F or A132M6236F fitted to Evora 400 model range vehicles look identical, they are not interchangeable.
Standard information required and procedures to be followed when reporting ECU & TCU faults. There is often insufficient, or inconsistent information received from dealers when reporting ECU & TCU related faults, this can lead to unacceptable delays in repairing vehicles.
When using Bluetooth, the data rate between the Lotus 20/20 diagnostic laptop and the VCI (Vehicle Communication Interface) module, is not fast enough to support functions that require large data bandwidth (live data logging, ECU / TCU Flash Programming etc.).
An ECU.crp program update is now available for all Federal Evora 2021 model year vehicles to ensure that they meet the current emissions diagnostic requirements.
There is often inconsistent or insufficient information received from dealers when reporting ECU and TCU related faults. This bulletin aims to standardise the information when filing a claim to After Sales.
Inspection and potential renewal of the auxiliary drive belt due to inclusion of incorrect specification material during manufacturing process.
Air conditioning compressors failing due to oil starvation. TSB reminds dealers of correct replacement and running-in procedures.
Any unauthorised modifications, including fitment of non-approved after-market air filter resulting in generation of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCâÂÂs) P0101 & P1109. We have had several instances where DTCâÂÂs P0101 & P1109 had been set and the car recovered into the dealer, only for them to find that the original equipment engine air intake filter had been substituted for a non-approved after-market type (applicable to both dry and oil coated types).
A limited VIN range of vehicles have left the factory without the latest level .crp programs being installed within the ECU (Electronic Control) and TCU (Transmission Control) units.
It is possible that some lithium batteries have been irreparably damaged because they have not been maintained whilst the vehicle is in storage or have been irreparably damaged because the correct charging procedure has not been carried out
Inoperative Bluetooth functionality of an Evora 400 head unit microphone
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2010–2021, owners most often name: engine, suspension, power train. 16 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
