RoadVitals

2017 Lotus Evora

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Nov 18, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Apr 2, 2019
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2017 Lotus Evora, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and suspension categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 10 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine250.0%
  • Electrical125.0%
  • Suspension125.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

STRUCTURE

Apr 2, 2019
424 units potentially affected
The defect: Lotus Cars USA, Inc. (Lotus) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Evora vehicles. The toe board in the passenger footwell lacks stiffness, allowing the knee of an unbelted occupant to contact the rigid structure of the vehicle, in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk: In the event of a crash, if the occupant's knee contacts the rigid structure, there may be an increased risk of injury.
The remedy: Lotus will notify owners, and dealers will replace the toe board with a new design to provide the appropriate stiffness, free of charge. The recall began May 27, 2019. Owners may contact Lotus customer service at 1-800-245-6887. Lotus' number for this recall is 2019/01R.
Lotus Cars LimitedManufacturer number 2019/01RView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Suspension
Filed Nov 18, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID
11700048
Incident
Sep 18, 2025
Mileage
69,000 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 1, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID
11623114
Incident
Sep 29, 2024
ElectricalEngine
Filed Aug 22, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID
11610304
Incident
Aug 20, 2024

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

sb_2022_02

AIR BAGS; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Retrofitment of airbag rotary clock spring part number A132M6241F to Evora vehicles originally fitted with clock spring part number A132M6236F. As stated in Technical Service Bulletin TSB 2019/05, although clock spring part numbers A132M6241F or A132M6236F fitted to Evora 400 model range vehicles look identical, they are not interchangeable.

sb_2022_01_Lotus

POWER TRAIN

Standard information required and procedures to be followed when reporting ECU & TCU faults. There is often insufficient, or inconsistent information received from dealers when reporting ECU & TCU related faults, this can lead to unacceptable delays in repairing vehicles.

sb_2021_06_DTC

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

There is often inconsistent or insufficient information received from dealers when reporting ECU and TCU related faults. This bulletin aims to standardise the information when filing a claim to After Sales.

TSB_2020_03

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

Air conditioning compressors failing due to oil starvation. TSB reminds dealers of correct replacement and running-in procedures.

sb_2020_01

ENGINE; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Any unauthorised modifications, including fitment of non-approved after-market air filter resulting in generation of diagnostic trouble codes (DTC’s) P0101 & P1109. We have had several instances where DTC’s P0101 & P1109 had been set and the car recovered into the dealer, only for them to find that the original equipment engine air intake filter had been substituted for a non-approved after-market type (applicable to both dry and oil coated types).

sb_2019_04

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

It is possible that some lithium batteries have been irreparably damaged because they have not been maintained whilst the vehicle is in storage or have been irreparably damaged because the correct charging procedure has not been carried out

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Lotus Evora by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2020000
2019000
2018120
2017Viewing310
2016000
2015000
2014300
2013310
2012200
2011130
2010200

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.