2007 Lotus Exige S Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2007 Lotus Exige S, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine562.5%
- Powertrain (other)225.0%
- Visibility112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .