2007 Lotus Exige S

ON NOVEMBER 15, 2015 MY 2007 LOTUS EXIGE S EXPERIENCED OIL COOLER LINE FAILURE. I WAS TAKING TURN 8 AT THUNDERHILL RACEWAY AT 95 MPH WHEN THE OIL COOLER TRANSFER HOSE AT THE FRONT OF THE CAR DETACHED AND DUMPED OIL ONTO MY PASSENGER SIDE TIRES AND ALL ALONG THE SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. THIS CREATED AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT AND I COULD EASILY HAVE CRASHED AS A RESULT - THE FACT THAT I WAS ON A RACETRACK DOING AN HPDE WITH NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME HELPED PREVENT THAT (HAD I BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY, IT MOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT). ON OCTOBER 22, 2013, THIS CAR WAS TAKEN TO LOTUS OF LAS VEGAS FOR THE NHTSA REQUIRED OIL COOLER LINE RECALL, AND THE RECALL WORK WAS FRAUDULENTLY REPORTED AS BEING COMPLETED. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I CONTACTED JERRY AT LOTUS OF LAS VEGAS AND HE VERBALLY ADMITTED TO ME THAT HE HAD EMPLOYED A TECHNICIAN WHO HAD TO BE LET GO BECAUSE HE WASN'T DOING HIS JOB. CLEARLY, JERRY WASN'T DOING HIS JOB, EITHER. MY INCIDENT WAS A RESULT OF THIS. THIS EXTREME NEGLIGENCE COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEATH, AND I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE OTHER CARS THAT HAD THIS RECALL DONE AT LOTUS OF LAS VEGAS WHO WILL PROBABLY FIND THAT THEY WERE DEFRAUDED, TOO. I HAVE ATTACHED THE VEHICLE HISTORY FOR MY CAR FROM LOTUS OF LAS VEGAS SHOWING THE DATES AND THE WORK THAT WAS REPORTED AS COMPLETE. LOTUS OF LAS VEGAS CLEARLY HAD ZERO OVERSIGHT ON THE SAFETY RECALL WORK THEY WERE COMPLETING, AND THAT RESPONSIBILITY FALLS ON JERRY'S SHOULDERS. THE FACT THIS OCCURRED IS TERRIFYING, APPALLING AND COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.

NHTSA ID

10818764

Incident

Nov 15, 2015

Mileage

82,000 mi

HAVE A LEAK AROUND OIL COOLER. I'M AFRAID IF OIL GETS ON TO EXHAUST IT COULD START A FIRE OR IF IT GETS ON THE TIRES CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE 2005 AND 2006 HAVE ALREADY BEEN INVESTIGATED FOR THIS PROBLEM AND A RECALL HAS BEEN ORDERED BUT APPARENTLY DOES NOT INCLUDE MY 2007 MODEL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10475921

Incident

Jul 24, 2012

Mileage

22,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LOTUS EXIGE S. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING BETWEEN 35-40 MPH WHEN THE DEFROST FAN FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 12,400.

NHTSA ID

10459523

Incident

May 23, 2012

Mileage

12,400 mi

THE OIL LINE LEADING TO THE FRONT OIL COOLER FAILED AT THE ENGINE SIDE, WHERE THE HOSE MEETS THE CONNECTOR. THIS CAUSED THE OIL TO LEAK ALL OVER THE ENGINE BAY AND EXHAUST. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE CAR AND THERE'S ALREADY A RECALL FOR 05&06 CARS, BUT THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS FOR 07 CARS AS WELL. THE OIL LEAK CAUSED A SMALL FIRE IN THE ENGINE BAY IN MY CAR. I WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE IN TIME, BUT HAD I NOT HAD THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TOTAL LOSS. THE REPAIR COST FOR THE OIL LINE SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY LOTUS. *JS

NHTSA ID

10457098

Incident

Apr 23, 2012

Mileage

16,500 mi

I WAS DRIVING WHEN I NOTICED SOME SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. WHEN I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS SMOKING FROM THE ENGINE BAY, AND THERE WAS OIL DRIPPING DOWN FROM THE UNDER PANELS. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO A LOTUS CERTIFIED SHOP, WHERE THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE BOLT HOLDING THE OIL SANDWICH PLATE THAT CONNECTS TO THE FRONT OIL COOLER BROKE, ALLOWING THE OIL TO SPRAY OUT ALL OVER THE ENGINE BAY AND UNDER PANEL. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO QUARTS OF OIL LOST, AND I WAS LUCKY THAT THE OIL DID NOT GET ON THE TIRES AS IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CATASTROPHIC CRASH.THE SHOP SAID THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL LOTUS CARS - EXIGE AND ELISE THAT CAME INTO THE SHOP WITH IDENTICAL ISSUES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINS BEING LOGGED ON LOTUS SPECIFIC FORUMS AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10439279

Incident

Nov 18, 2011

Mileage

16,131 mi

I CURRENTLY HAVE A 2007 LOTUS EXIGE S. MY VEHICLE HAS A LEAK IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE OIL COOLER. MY ID ON LOTUSTALK.COM IS [XXX] : I HAVE A THREAD WITH PICTURES LOCATED THERE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10416286

Incident

Jul 29, 2011

Mileage

8,600 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LOTUS EXIGE S. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED HE NOTICED THAT THE OIL LINES COMING FROM THE OIL COOLER WERE VERY LOOSE. HE WAS FEARFUL THAT THE OIL LINES WOULD POSSIBLY FRACTURE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING NOR WAS IT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 2,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 01/11/11*LJ

NHTSA ID

10368526

Incident

Nov 30, 2010

Mileage

2,000 mi

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.

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.

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

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).

LOTUS: INFORMATION PROVIDED REGARDING THE INSPECTION OF ALL BRAKE PIPE/HOSE, ON SOME VEHICLES, BASED ON SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND THE POSITIONING OF PIPE/HOSE. MODELS ELISE, EXIGE, EVORA, EUROPA. NO YEARS LISTED. *PE