Total Complaints
16 filings
LOTUS ELAN · model year
1991 LOTUS ELAN
16 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991LOTUSELAN carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1991 ELAN is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly with 12 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:filler pipe and cap (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1991 ELAN. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
16
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 12 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020424FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
GAS TANK LEAKS FUEL IF YOU FILL IT UP.
20020424FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANK LEAKS WHEN OVER 1/2 FILLED
20020408FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
WHILE PARKED ON A HILL AND GAS TANK IS FULL, FUEL LEAKS OUT. IF TANK IS HALF FULL AND ON A HILL, FUEL DOESN'T LEAK OUT. CONTACTED DEALER, CANNOT FIX PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER HAS TO FILL THE GAS TANK TO 1/2 OF IT'S CAPACITY TO AVOID SMELLS AND SPILLAGE. *JG
20020405FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
NEAR THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK THERE IS A CRACK. WHEN FILLING VEHICLE UP WITH FUEL IT LEAKS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND HAD IT REPAIRED. *AK DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL TANK, IT WAS SPLIT ON ONE SIDE. WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE AND WAS INOPERATIVE. *SLC
20020405VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
NEAR THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK THERE IS A CRACK. WHEN FILLING VEHICLE UP WITH FUEL IT LEAKS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND HAD IT REPAIRED. *AK DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL TANK, IT WAS SPLIT ON ONE SIDE. WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE AND WAS INOPERATIVE. *SLC
20020405VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
NEAR THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK THERE IS A CRACK. WHEN FILLING VEHICLE UP WITH FUEL IT LEAKS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND HAD IT REPAIRED. *AK DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL TANK, IT WAS SPLIT ON ONE SIDE. WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE AND WAS INOPERATIVE. *SLC
20020306FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANK CRACKED, AND WAS LEAKING FUEL. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER FIXED IT TWICE, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURS.*AK
20020226FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
APPERANTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE LOTUS ELAN FUEL TANK. LOTUS WANTS TO CHARGE ME FOR REPAIRING SOMETHING THEY KNOW IS FAULTY DUE TO POOR DESIGN. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER ELAN OWNERS AND SOME HAVE PAID THE FEE FOR THE NEW TANK AS WELL AS THE SERVICE CHARGES TOTALLING OVER $1,000. I ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER OWNERS WOULD LIKE LOTUS TO STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *AK
20010817FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
WHEN GAS TANK WAS FILLED FUEL LEAKED ON GROUND AND FUMES ENTERED VEHICLE. FUMES WERE SO STRONG THAT CONSUMER FELT SICK AND PULLED OVER. VEHICLE LEAKED SO MUCH FUEL IN GAS STATION THAT EMPLOYEE WAS GOING TO BILL THE CONSUMER. DEALER, LOTUS WAS NOT ADMITTING THERE WAS A PROBLEM. FUEL TANK WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IF VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IT WOULD DIFFINTENTLY BLOW UP. *AK TOP OF FUEL TANK HAS A CRACK IN IT, CONSUMER STATES THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL 1991 ELANS. *SLC
20001213FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
THIS TYPE OF FAILURE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE MODEL BEFORE. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
19991222FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
WHEN FILLED WITH GAS, THE FUEL TANK LEAKS FROM THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE TANK; LEAKING FUEL IS A FIRE HAZARD AND GAS ODOR IN CAR IS ANNOYING. I SUSPECT THAT THE TANK NECK HAS CRACKED AT ITS JUCTION TO THE TANK BODY AS REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS. I CONTACTED LOTUS CARS, WHO INSISTED THAT I TAKE IT TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION BEFORE ANY REMEDIES MAY BE CONSIDERED. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER ELAN OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, AND HAVE HAD THEIR TANKS REPLACED BY LOTUS; I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS A DEFECT IN THE TANK MANUFACTURE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR INSPECTION AND/OR REPLACEMENT BY THE MANUFACTURER -- IT IS DEFINETELY A FIRE HAZARD. AS THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 500 OF THESE CARS IMPORTED IN THE 1991 MODEL YEAR ONLY, LOTUS IS HESITANT TO ADMIT ITS A DEFECT; OF THE 500 CARS, HOW MANY HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO YOU? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. DAN MILLER. *AK
19990623FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANK LEAKS WHEN IT IS FULL. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
19990612FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
THIS PROBLEM POSES A SERIOUS HAZARD. LOTUS REFUSES TO PROVIDE SERVICE BULLETINS THAT MIGHT BE PERTINENT TO THIS PROBLEM.
19990612FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
THIS PROBLEM POSES A SERIOUS HAZARD. LOTUS REFUSES TO PROVIDE SERVICE BULLETINS THAT MIGHT BE PERTINENT TO THIS PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
19990608VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE.
19990608FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
THE CAR FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE OWNED LEAKED FUEL WHEN EVER THE TANK IS FILLED UP. IT IS NOT LEAKING AS A RESULT OF OVERFLOW, BUT FROM SOME WHERE BETWEEN THE NECK AND THE TANK. BESIDES LEAKING FUEL IT HAS A REAL BAD SMELL. *AK
Compare 1991LOTUSELAN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 LOTUS ELAN have?▼
The 1991 LOTUS ELAN has 16 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 LOTUS ELAN?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 LOTUS ELAN is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY with 12 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP.
Is the 1991 LOTUS ELAN safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.