2009 LOTUS ELISE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
1
Owner Complaint
2
Recalls
4
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2009 LOTUS ELISE
The 2009 LOTUS ELISE has received a total of 1 safety complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, WHEELS:HUB. 4 technical service bulletins have been issued by Lotus Cars Limited for this model year. The most commonly reported problem area is the Service Brakes Hydraulic (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2009 LOTUS ELISE
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2009 LOTUS ELISE, potentially affecting up to 947 vehicles.
Recall 14V280000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
| 860 vehicles affected
Defect: Lotus Cars USA, Inc. (Lotus) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Elise and Exige vehicles manufactured from November 2007 to July 2011, and 2011 Evora vehicles manufactured September 2010 through September 2011. The oil cooler hose may detach from its fitting.
Consequence: A detached oil hose could spray oil on a tire, increasing the risk of a crash, or it could spray oil throughout the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Lotus will notify owners, and dealers will replace the oil cooler hose fittings on the Elise and Exige vehicles and will replace the oil cooler hose assemblies on the Evora vehicles, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided...
View full details →Recall 09V179000 — WHEELS:HUB
| 87 vehicles affected
Defect: LOTUS IS RECALLING 87 MODEL YEAR 2009 ELISE AND EXIGE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 20, 2008 THROUGH MAY 5, 2009. THE REAR HUB FLANGE BOLTS ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE UNDER-TORQUED AND MAY BECOME LOOSE. IF THAT OCCURS, AN INSECURE HUB COULD LEAD TO DEGRADATION IN VEHICLE HANDLING, AND A RUBBING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE.
Consequence: IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED PROMPTLY, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH.
Remedy: LOTUS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JUNE 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT LOTUS TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-245-6887.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2009 LOTUS ELISE
1 complaint has been filed with NHTSA for the 2009 LOTUS ELISE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes Hydraulic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
MOMENTARY BRAKE FAILURE YESTERDAY. THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE. SHE'S COMMUTED WITH THE CAR TO WORK 3 TIMES A WEEK, 90 MILES ROUND TRIP FOR 7+ MONTHS, LOGGING MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES, AND MUCH MORE THAN I HAVE. ALSO SHE HAS BEEN DRIVING STICK FOR 17 YEARS, AND ROUTINELY DRIVES SPORTS CARS (MINI COOPER S, Z3). 70 MPH (IN 70 ZONE) CRUISING IN #2 LANE REASONABLE FOLLOWING DISTANCE. TRAFFIC AHEAD BEGINS TO SLOW QUICKLY. APPLIED BRAKE. NOTHING. BELIEVE PEDAL DID NOT TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR. CHANGED TO #3 LANE TO AVOID COLLISION WITH CAR IN FRONT. REAPPLIED BRAKE. NOTHING. CHANGED TO #4 LANE. TRIED MOVING FOOT OVER IN CASE WRONG PEDAL WAS BEING PUSHED, AND THROTTLE REVVED CONFIRMING SHE HAD BEEN APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL. APPLIED BRAKE A THIRD TIME, AND IT WORKED CORRECTLY, AS IF THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM. I CHECKED FLUID IN RESERVOIR (FULL, COLOR VERY CLEAR, LAST CHANGED 9 MONTHS AGO WITH MOTUL 5.1 SYNTHETIC FLUID(NOT 5, NOT SILICON)). FRONT PADS WERE CHANGED 1 MONTH ~800+ MILES AGO. SHE CAN'T BE POSITIVE THAT THERE WAS ZERO BRAKING EFFECT, BUT SHE WAS VERY SURE THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING IN THEIR NORMAL FASHION. AT NO TIME DURING HER HARD BRAKE PRESSURE DID THE ABS GIVE THE PULSING SENSATION IN THE PEDAL. NO IDIOT LIGHTS FOR BRAKES OR ABS CAME ON. DEALERSHIP TOOK THE REPORT SERIOUSLY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE OR FIND ANY FAILED COMPONENT OR THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. *TR
Safety Rating for the 2009 LOTUS ELISE
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2009 LOTUS ELISE in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2009 LOTUS ELISE
Lotus Cars Limited has issued 4 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2009 LOTUS ELISE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
sb_2019_06_Elise — WHEELS
Compatibility of Yokohama AD07 and V105 tire product ranges for the Elise model range.
SB-2013-18 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
LOTUS: INFORMATION PROVIDED FOR CLARIFICATION OF INSTRUMENT PACK (IP) COMPATIBILITY, FOR SOME VEHICLES, BY PART NUMBERS, PRESENT DATE BY MODEL YEAR AND POWERTRAIN, SO INSTRUMENT DISPLAY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF REPLACEMENT UNIT CAN BE ADAPTED. MODEL 2008-2011 ELISE, EXIGE. *PE
SB-2009-02 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
LOTUS: A SMALL RANGE OF PLATFORM MODELS CONSIDERED TO BE AT RISK FROM INSECURE REAR HUB BOLTS. REQUEST A FURTHER RANGE OF CARS WHICH ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE AT RISK, ARE ALSO CHECKED AT THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. *PE
SB-2009-02 — EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL
LOTUS: A SMALL RANGE OF PLATFORM MODELS CONSIDERED TO BE AT RISK FROM INSECURE REAR HUB BOLTS. REQUEST A FURTHER RANGE OF CARS WHICH ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE AT RISK, ARE ALSO CHECKED AT THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. *PE
NHTSA Investigations for the 2009 LOTUS ELISE
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the LOTUS ELISE
- 2005 LOTUS ELISE — 54 complaints
- 2006 LOTUS ELISE — 18 complaints
- 2007 LOTUS ELISE — 10 complaints
- 2008 LOTUS ELISE — 0 complaints
- 2009 LOTUS ELISE (current)
- 2010 LOTUS ELISE — 0 complaints
- 2011 LOTUS ELISE — 0 complaints
Other LOTUS Models
- LOTUS EVORA — 22 total complaints
- LOTUS ELAN — 17 total complaints
- LOTUS EXIGE S — 9 total complaints
- LOTUS ESPRIT — 3 total complaints
- LOTUS EXIZE — 2 total complaints
- LOTUS EMIRA — 1 total complaint
- LOTUS EXIGE — 1 total complaint
- LOTUS 2-ELEVEN — 0 total complaints