Total Complaints
5 filings
LOTUS EVORA · model year
2012 LOTUS EVORA
5 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012LOTUSEVORA carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 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 2012 EVORA is service brakes with 1 filings, followed by engine (1) and steering (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 2012 EVORA. 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.
5
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20220221SUSPENSION
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
20130715CrashSERVICE BRAKES
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
Mileage: 1,500
20130715CrashENGINE
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
Mileage: 1,500
20130715CrashSTEERING
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
Mileage: 1,500
20130715CrashPOWER TRAIN
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
Mileage: 1,500
Compare 2012LOTUSEVORA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2012 LOTUS EVORA have?▼
The 2012 LOTUS EVORA has 5 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 LOTUS EVORA?▼
The most-complained component for the 2012 LOTUS EVORA is SERVICE BRAKES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and STEERING.
Is the 2012 LOTUS EVORA 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.