Lotus Evora Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Lotus Evora options? We analyzed 10 model years (2012–2021) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Lotus Evora has 12 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls across model years 2012–2021. The most reported issue area is ENGINE. 2017 drew the most complaints; 2018 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Lotus
- Model
- Evora
- Model years analyzed
- 2012–2021 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 12
- Safety recall campaigns
- 4
- Crash-related complaints
- 1
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2017 (3 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2018 (1 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE
- Reliability signal
- Good
By model year
Lotus Evora: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
GoodThe LOTUS EVORA has 12 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. 1 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 12 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 4 federal recall campaigns
- 1 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Aug 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
4 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
STRUCTURE
STRUCTURE
STEERING
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2012–2021. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 12 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
12 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
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 “LIMP HOME” mode which quickly progressed to a “SHUT DOWN” mode as indicated by a third code. I believe that I would rather damage equipment rather than shutdown in the middle of the highway and the shutdown mode should be programmed out. Car was towed to Lotus of Dallas dealer for troubleshooting and as of now there is no resolution.
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.
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, the failed parts have been inspected by Lotus. There is a TSB out on the problem: From S.O.P, NA auto from MY12, see TSB 2011/19 - S/Charged (man & auto). No warning lamps related to this failure. Many owners have heard a clunk. I did not hear anything. I disco verde the failure during a routine inspection.
I WAS COMING TO A STOP, APPLYING THE BRAKES AND SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. THE BRAKES BECAME ROCK HARD I HAD TO USE BOTH FEET TO SLOW THE CAR STEERING LOCKED AND I REAR ENDED THE CAR I FRONT OF ME AT 2-3 MPH. THE CAR WAS DAMAGED THE CAR WAS CHECKED BY THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE CONDITION OCCURRED AGAIN AT NEARLY A COMPLETE STOP AND A THIRD TIME WITH MY WIFE IN THE CAR. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO CONTACT WITH ANOTHER CARS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY REFLASHED THE SOFTWARE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO SUBSEQUENT INCIDENTS SINCE THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE. ONE THE LOTUSTALK BLOG NUMEROUS LOTUS EVORA OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS CONDITION. SO IT APPEARS THIS IS PREVALENT THERE ARE ONLY 1000 OF THESE CARS IN THE USA . I THINK ALL OWNERS SHOULD BE CONTACTED AND UPDATED AS TO THIS POSSIBLE CONDITION. *TR
Read 6 more owner reports
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.
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 TO OFFER COMPENSATION TO ALLEVIATE OR ADDRESS THIS ISSUE KNOWING WELL ENOUGH THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. FOR MORE DETAILS IN REGARDS TO THIS, YOU CAN SIMPLY GOOGLE: LOTUS EVORA WIRING HARNESS
DECELERATING TO A STOP, SHIFTING DOWN IN GEARS, SHIFT INTO FIRST AND BRING VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP AND NOTICE RPM'S DROP TO ZERO AND ENGINE STALLS. HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN TWO WEEKS, CAR IS BRAND NEW.
UNKOWN , DRIVER REAR UPPER CONTROL ARM BROKEN
WHILE DRIVING AT AROUND 35MPH, THE CAR (LOTUS EVORA) BEGAN TO MISFIRE AND SHUT OFF. THIS RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR IN TRAFFIC.
ENGINE CUTS OUT WHEN DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED AND COMING TO A STOP. *TR
Showing 12 of 12 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Lotus Evora
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Lotus Evora, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Lotus Evora has 12 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Lotus Evora has 4 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 1 of the Lotus Evora's 12 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Good) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Lotus Evora vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Lotus Evora vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Lotus Evora has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a Lotus Evora by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Lotus Evora.
Research more
Keep researching before you buy
Compare brands and categories, then check the exact car's history by VIN.
Lotus Evora reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Lotus Evora reliable?
Good. The Lotus Evora has 12 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ENGINE. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Lotus Evora years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2017 (3 complaints), 2018 (1 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Lotus Evora problems?
Top reported issues: ENGINE (7 complaints); SUSPENSION (5 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (2 complaints).
Does the Lotus Evora have recalls?
Yes — 4 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Lotus Evora. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.