2007 LOTUS ELISE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

THE 2007+ LOTUS ELISE/ EXIGE ARE ALL EQUIPPED WITH A SHIFTER THAT IS PRONE TO FAILURE. I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD A BROKEN SHIFTER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAS STUCK AT THE 3RD GEAR AND ALMOST GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT. MANY HAVE ALSO REPORTED THE SAME SITUATION. IT'S BELIEVED TO BE TRUE THAT THE BALL JOINT STRUCTURE AT THE PIVOT POINT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SHIFTER IS THE MAIN REASON TO THIS FAILURE. ALMOST EVERY CASE THAT HAS SURFACED ON INTERNET HAS SHOWN THE IDENTICAL BROKEN STRUCTURE WHICH WE CALLED THE "BLUE BALL". IT IS MADE WITH PLASTIC AND IS COMMONLY SHATTERED IN PIECES, AND THAT HAPPENS, THE ENTIRE SHIFTER IS LOOSE AND BROKEN.

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, DRIFTED THROUGH 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE NEXT EXIT WHICH WAS WITHIN 1000 OR SO FEET. I DRIFTED OFF THE EXIT ONTO THE MAIN STREET AND INTO THE GAS STATION ON THE CORNER. MY WIFE CAME SOON AFTER AND NOTICED THE LARGE OIL SPILL ON THE FREEWAY ROAD SURFACE WHERE IT OCCURRED. WHEN I WENT TO INSPECT THE CAR WHEN I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION I SAW SEVERAL OIL PUDDLE FORMING IN THE REAR ON THE GROUND (IN THE MIDDLE AND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE), THE REAR OF THE CAR WAS COVERED IN OIL, THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL WAS COVERED IN OIL INCLUDING THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THAT SIDE, OIL WAS DRIPPING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR ONTO THE GROUND, AND SMOKE WAS POURING FROM THE ENGINE BAY. WHEN I OPENED THE ENGINE BAY IT WAS SMOKING AND COVERED WITH OIL. I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT IT COULD CATCH FIRE, HOWEVER IT DIDN'T. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND TOWED IT TO MY MECHANIC. AFTER THE EVENT I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE CARS BEHIND ME ON THE FREEWAY AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THEM FOLLOWING ME AFTER MY CAR RELEASED 10 QUARTS OF OIL ONTO THE FREEWAY AND ONTO THEIR WINDSHIELDS. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE OIL LINE COUPLING HAD FAILED IN THE REAR. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED TO ME WITH THIS CAR. *TR

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 EXIT AND TO THE OFF-RAMP. THE CAR SEEMED TO BE STRAINING ON THE OFF RAMP AND ON THE VERGE OF STALLING BUT IT WAS STILL RUNNING. I COULDN'T STOP ON THE OFF RAMP AND LUCKILY I HAD A GREEN LIGHT SO I TURNED RIGHT AND THEN RIGHT AGAIN AT THE NEXT BLOCK AND PULLED INTO A COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAY AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. I PROBABLY DROVE A TOTAL OF ABOUT A HALF MILE WITH THE OIL LEAKING OUT. THERE WAS A TRAIL OF OIL ON THE ROAD AND A PUDDLE DEVELOPED UNDER THE CAR WHERE I STOPPED. WHEN I GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE CAR I FOUND THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND BACK OF THE CAR (AND UNDERNEATH) WAS COVERED IN OIL. BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER WHEELS WERE COVERED IN OIL. NO OIL WAS ON THE DRIVER SIDE AT ALL. THE OIL LEAK / LOSS SEEMED TO BE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT WAS I DON'T RECALL ANYTHING ODD HAPPENING WITH THE CAR. IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HIT ANYTHING OR THAT ANYTHING??BROKE?? AS I WAS DRIVING IT. THE OIL CLOUD?? IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS MY FIRST SIGN THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED. I LATER FOUND OUT FROM MY MECHANIC THAT THE OIL LINE COUPLING HAD FAILED IN THE FRONT WHERE IT CONNECTED TO THE OIL COOLER. AFTER THE EVENT I WONDERED ABOUT THE CARS BEHIND ME ON THE FREEWAY AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THEM FOLLOWING ME AFTER THE RELEASE OF 10 QUARTS OF OIL ONTO THE FREEWAY AND THEIR WINDSHIELDS. *TR

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, DRIFTED THROUGH 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE NEXT EXIT WHICH WAS WITHIN 1000 OR SO FEET. I DRIFTED OFF THE EXIT ONTO THE MAIN STREET AND INTO THE GAS STATION ON THE CORNER. MY WIFE CAME SOON AFTER AND NOTICED THE LARGE OIL SPILL ON THE FREEWAY ROAD SURFACE WHERE IT OCCURRED. WHEN I WENT TO INSPECT THE CAR WHEN I STOPPED AT THE GAS STATION I SAW SEVERAL OIL PUDDLE FORMING IN THE REAR ON THE GROUND (IN THE MIDDLE AND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE), THE REAR OF THE CAR WAS COVERED IN OIL, THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL WAS COVERED IN OIL INCLUDING THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THAT SIDE, OIL WAS DRIPPING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR ONTO THE GROUND, AND SMOKE WAS POURING FROM THE ENGINE BAY. WHEN I OPENED THE ENGINE BAY IT WAS SMOKING AND COVERED WITH OIL. I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT IT COULD CATCH FIRE, HOWEVER IT DIDN'T. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND TOWED IT TO MY MECHANIC. AFTER THE EVENT I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE CARS BEHIND ME ON THE FREEWAY AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THEM FOLLOWING ME AFTER MY CAR RELEASED 10 QUARTS OF OIL ONTO THE FREEWAY AND ONTO THEIR WINDSHIELDS. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE OIL LINE COUPLING HAD FAILED IN THE REAR. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED TO ME WITH THIS CAR. *TR

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 EXIT AND TO THE OFF-RAMP. THE CAR SEEMED TO BE STRAINING ON THE OFF RAMP AND ON THE VERGE OF STALLING BUT IT WAS STILL RUNNING. I COULDN'T STOP ON THE OFF RAMP AND LUCKILY I HAD A GREEN LIGHT SO I TURNED RIGHT AND THEN RIGHT AGAIN AT THE NEXT BLOCK AND PULLED INTO A COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAY AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. I PROBABLY DROVE A TOTAL OF ABOUT A HALF MILE WITH THE OIL LEAKING OUT. THERE WAS A TRAIL OF OIL ON THE ROAD AND A PUDDLE DEVELOPED UNDER THE CAR WHERE I STOPPED. WHEN I GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE CAR I FOUND THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND BACK OF THE CAR (AND UNDERNEATH) WAS COVERED IN OIL. BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER WHEELS WERE COVERED IN OIL. NO OIL WAS ON THE DRIVER SIDE AT ALL. THE OIL LEAK / LOSS SEEMED TO BE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT WAS I DON'T RECALL ANYTHING ODD HAPPENING WITH THE CAR. IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HIT ANYTHING OR THAT ANYTHING??BROKE?? AS I WAS DRIVING IT. THE OIL CLOUD?? IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS MY FIRST SIGN THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED. I LATER FOUND OUT FROM MY MECHANIC THAT THE OIL LINE COUPLING HAD FAILED IN THE FRONT WHERE IT CONNECTED TO THE OIL COOLER. AFTER THE EVENT I WONDERED ABOUT THE CARS BEHIND ME ON THE FREEWAY AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THEM FOLLOWING ME AFTER THE RELEASE OF 10 QUARTS OF OIL ONTO THE FREEWAY AND THEIR WINDSHIELDS. *TR