Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||||||||||||
| 11V510000 | LOTUS CARS LTD | from 06/01/2004 to 11/30/2006 | V (Vehicle) | 5047 | 12/19/2011 | ODI | LOTUS CARS LTD | 10/14/2011 | 10/25/2011 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Lotus is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 elise and exige vehicles manufactured from june 1, 2004, through november 30, 2006. the oil cooler line may become detached from its fitting. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | A detached oil line could spray oil on a tire, increasing the risk of a crash, or it could spray oil throughout the engine compartment increasing the risk of a fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Lotus will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles as necessary free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin on or before december 19, 2011. owners may contact lotus at 1-800-245-6887. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| PE11022 | LOTUS CARS LTD | 07/18/2011 | 11/03/2011 | Engine Oil Cooler Line Detachment | 11V510000 | |
| On october 14, 2011, lotus cars usa inc. notified the office of defects investigation (odi) that it will conduct a safety recall (11v-510) to address concerns with engine oil cooler lines detaching from its crimped fitting on my 2005-2006 lotus elise vehicles.in its 573 report to odi, lotus indicated that they have identified instances where the oil cooler lines would detach from their fittings.lotus attributes this condition to a majority of single supplier affected parts built from june 2004 to november 2006.lotus states that the cause of the failure is an inadequate process by which the hose is crimped into its fitting by the supplier.in october 2006 the supplier implemented an improved crimping process.reports indicated that this condition can occur while driving or while the vehicle is stationary with the engine running.in cases where the failure occurred while driving, oil would be expelled under pressure and could come into contact with the tires and or brake friction surfaces, potentially causing a loss of braking or vehicle control. one crash and one vehicle fire were also reported with no injuries.additionally lotus indicated that the same condition can occur in my 2005-2006 exige vehicles as well. these vehicles are also included in the recall.the action taken by lotus is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.this investigation is therefore closed. | ||||||
| PE11022 | LOTUS CARS LTD | 07/18/2011 | Oil Cooler Line Rupture | |||
| Consumers state that while driving smoke would appear in the interior of the vehicle, or an oil leak would become otherwise apparent.on further examination the consumer discovered an oil cooler line had failed causing oil to spray within the engine compartment area, and/or near one of the wheel or brake assemblies.one report alleges an engine compartment fire, while others allege a vehicle control concern due to oil leakage on a tire.odi is opening this pe to further examine the issue. | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | ||||||
| PE11022 | LOTUS CARS LTD | 07/18/2011 | 11/03/2011 | Engine Oil Cooler Line Detachment | 11V510000 | |
| On october 14, 2011, lotus cars usa inc. notified the office of defects investigation (odi) that it will conduct a safety recall (11v-510) to address concerns with engine oil cooler lines detaching from its crimped fitting on my 2005-2006 lotus elise vehicles.in its 573 report to odi, lotus indicated that they have identified instances where the oil cooler lines would detach from their fittings.lotus attributes this condition to a majority of single supplier affected parts built from june 2004 to november 2006.lotus states that the cause of the failure is an inadequate process by which the hose is crimped into its fitting by the supplier.in october 2006 the supplier implemented an improved crimping process.reports indicated that this condition can occur while driving or while the vehicle is stationary with the engine running.in cases where the failure occurred while driving, oil would be expelled under pressure and could come into contact with the tires and or brake friction surfaces, potentially causing a loss of braking or vehicle control. one crash and one vehicle fire were also reported with no injuries.additionally lotus indicated that the same condition can occur in my 2005-2006 exige vehicles as well. these vehicles are also included in the recall.the action taken by lotus is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.this investigation is therefore closed. | ||||||
| PE11022 | LOTUS CARS LTD | 07/18/2011 | Oil Cooler Line Rupture | |||
| Consumers state that while driving smoke would appear in the interior of the vehicle, or an oil leak would become otherwise apparent.on further examination the consumer discovered an oil cooler line had failed causing oil to spray within the engine compartment area, and/or near one of the wheel or brake assemblies.one report alleges an engine compartment fire, while others allege a vehicle control concern due to oil leakage on a tire.odi is opening this pe to further examine the issue. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 03/01/2012 | 28000 | ||
| Oil line failure by the front left (driver side) tire. was traveling straight on the freeway, no collision of any sort. oil light came on and car started leaking oil by the front tire. apparently a recall is in effect for this issue, but no fix is available yet. recall summary can be seen here: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsummary.cfm?rcl_campaign_id=11v510000&prod_id=215286&moduletype=vehicle&make=lotus&model=elise&veh_model_year=2005&searchtype=drilldown note: can't get exact mileage of car because it requires turning the engine on. | |||
| 09/19/2011 | 26000 | ||
| Oem oil cooling line crimp let go that is in front wheel well to oil cooler. engine oil poured all over front tire and brakes. even at 15 mph i lost control. this would have been fatal if driving at highway speed. | |||
| 03/29/2010 | 29268 | ||
| This is a complaint for a 2005 lotus elise oil line failure. i previously reported two oil line failures together but in retrospect should have reported them individually as they occurred at separate times. the first oil line failure occurred on 3/29/2010. i came out to my car in the parking lot and there was a large puddle of oil under it. i did not ever see a drop of oil from the car previously. i paid 1,066 to get the driver side oil line repaired. i was told that the passenger side oil line should be fixed but i was not told that if it failed while driving that i could potentially lose control of the car. the passenger side oil line did indeed fail 4 months later but this time while i was driving on a highway going 55mph. the entire oil capacity of the engine sprayed onto the passenger side front and rear tires as well as the windshield. not only was it like driving on a sheet of ice, i could not see anything. luckily there was no one in the lane next to me as i slid into it. i was able to gain control of the car and pull over. by the time i pulled over the engine was ruined requiring me to pay approximately 8,000 for a new engine and new oil lines. i have pictures of the car showing the entire passenger side of the car covered in oil. | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 51000 | ||
| I bought my car used from a private seller in pennsylvania. after doing the first oil change myself i noticed the was oil seeping from one of the oil line fittings at the sandwich plate. after some research i have found this is a common problem among lotus' years 2005-2007, and can result in failure of the oil line at speed causing a crash or fire. it has also been brought to my attention that the nhtsa is performing an investigation on this issue. | |||
| 03/24/2011 | 74000 | ||
| After reading of serious oil line fitting failures on my model of car, i inspected my oil line fittings and found one that was leaking. if this fitting had failed to the point where the hose came off (which has happened to others), it would have sprayed oil in front of my right rear wheel, which could have caused loss of vehicle control, and ruined my engine. i repaired it with a new fitting that is more secure than the factory fitting. i also made measurements (using digital calipers) of the original fitting crimp before i removed it, and another fitting on the car that wasn't leaking oil. the measurements showed that the leaking fitting was not crimped as tightly as the one that wasn't leaking. i recommend that the original crimp specifications be reviewed (the original specification may not be tight enough), and that a recall be issued to, at a minimum, measure the actual crimp size on all six oil line fittings on the car to see if any are not sufficiently crimped. if they are not, then they should be replaced or recrimped (if that can be done properly). | |||
| 03/10/2011 | 34000 | ||
| Vehicle inspection found oil is leaking at oil hose connector due to insufficient crimping of adapter to oil hose. eventually this will lead to oil hose disconnection and a loss of engine oil. | |||
| 01/28/2011 | 35000 | ||
| Oil line failure in lotus elise - got red engine oil pressure low light, pulled over, clamp/hose had blown out and oil spilled out everywhere | |||
| 07/26/2010 | 17200 | ||
| 2005 lotus elise oil-line (cooler line) failure. the oil line failure occurred while operating vehicle. the driver side rear wheel was coated with oil, creating possible deadly situation. i turned car off immediately. i hope that there was no engine damage. the vehicle had to be towed. this incident occurred during daylight hours and while operarting the vehicle in a straight line. if the oil cooler line had failed at night or during a curve on a highway, the incident could have been serious or tragic. there have been serveral other complaints reguarding this failure. | |||
| 10/23/2010 | 27500 | ||
| Oil line connection failed which led to the oil hose popping out of the connection and causing oil to be pumped out of the engine all over the rear of the car and in front of the rear tires. as the car was being pulled over the rear end broke loose due to the oil being pumped out. i was lucky the car didn't spin out or it didn't happen in a more dangerous location. cost $400 in repairs. | |||
| 06/15/2010 | 30250 | ||
| Oil line from engine to oil cooler failed. all oil in the engine sprayed onto bottom of car and tires. almost lost control of car on highway. engine subsequently overheated and needed to be replaced | |||
| 02/28/2010 | 18000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2005 lotus elise with 18000. mile on it and my blower is not working and when i turn it on it smells like something is burning. *tr | |||
| 10/24/2009 | 35000 | 1 | |
| Damaged/scored intake cam on toyota 2zzge engine,resulting in piston damage as well as head/block damage. this has occurred with a high percentage of cars equipped with this engine. the symptoms are codes 1301 and 1302 from ecu, for 2005+ lotus elise and lotus exiges. http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f25/code-1302-1301-years-miles-49570/. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 06/02/2011 | 10881 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 lotus elise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine oil change; however, the technician stated the oil line was leaking at the fitting where it connects to the engine and it needed to be replaced. there was an open investigation under nhtsa action number: pe11022 (engine and engine cooling engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hose) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 10,881. rvk | |||
| 06/02/2011 | 10881 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 lotus elise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine oil change. the technician stated the oil line was leaking at the fitting where it connects to the engine and it needed to be replaced. there was an open investigation under nhtsa action number: pe11022 (engine and engine cooling engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hose) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 10,881. ds | |||
| 10/22/2007 | 30500 | ||
| My 2005 lotus elise experienced a coolant leak in the p/n a12e0017f aluminum u-tube due to excessive rubbing on a oil fitting that the tube was resting on. due to the engine vibration and shaking, the u-tube wore through the tube wall completely allowing coolant to leak out. the u-tube is located on the front side of the engine and rubs on a oil line fitting. based on an online forum (lotustalk) and other lotus elise/exige owners, the u-tube rubbing is not an isolated. apparently, some elises/exiges have the u-tube zip-tied to the oil line fitting, but the rubbing is still apparent and only a matter of time before a coolant leak will occur. my elise was not zip-tied, which no doubt accelerated the wearing and resulting leak. i decided to make a report since it looks like lotus owners are still identifying the rubbing and apply do-it-yourself fixes. i repaired mine at my own expense and started a thread on lotustalk to help other owners protect their cars from ever leaking like mines. | |||
| 01/13/2011 | 55000 | ||
| On starting my car in the morning, the passenger side oil cooler hose from the engine to the front oil cooler separated at the rear crimp, quickly draining all of the oil. the oil warning light came on, and as i shut the engine off the engine made a couple of rattling noises. on attempting to replace the defective hose, i have been unable to find the part in stock, leading me to have new hoses made by a hydraulic shop. the failure is at a minimum responsible for a costly repair and clean up, that may take several weeks due to parts availability, and in a worst case may cause an accident due to oil on the tires, as well as engine failure due to loss of oil. my car is a 2005 elise with 55,000 miles. | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Said to be a 'common' problem when looking on forums;my 2005 lotus elise while driving down the roadthe oil light comes on, so naturally i see a gas station and go to pull in when the driver side front tire locks and skids to the right side . i was only doing less than 30mph so nothing bad happed . got out and my entire crankcase of synthetic oil is all up the driver side and covering the front driver tire. i was headed to the interstate and this could have been disasterous. i feel blessed the light came on before i hit high rpm's. this would have lead to a locked up bottom engine ( thousands in repair) or sliding on the interstate causing accident. i contacted lotus with no reply. the online forums have horror stories of the exact same thin happenin and i find this unacceptable. the repair is a hydraulic hose that cools yopur engine oil from rear to front. the fitting is know to be bad and just break away over time. a very costly problem if ignored. i'm out the repairs , towing, tow damage to front clam. | |||
| 01/17/2010 | 15800 | 1 | |
| My 2005 lotus elise has a inherent problem with the a/c fan not working. this si a design flaw in the resistor being placed were it is prone to water intrusion. *tr | |||
| 08/18/2009 | 24000 | 1 | |
| Premature wearing on cam shaft in engine resulting in internal engine failure. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 02/10/2006 | 1000 | ||
| Failure of oil line connector. spread oil over front brake, so as to make car stop poorly. has happened twice: once when car was 1 month old, now 6 yrs later. | |||
| 03/24/2011 | 45000 | ||
| While driving at highway speeds i suddenly smelled oil and looked down to see my oil pressure light come on. i immediately pulled over and found oil coming out of the right front side of the car onto the right front and rear tires. upon have the vehicle towed to a repair should they found that the incoming oil line into the passenger side oil cooler had completely separated from the connector. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 22000 | ||
| 2005 lotus elise oil-line failure. catastrophic oil line failure while operating vehicle. passenger side rear (driven) wheel was coated with oil, creating possible deadly situation. turned car off immediately, still might have engine damage. several of these cases have been reported... less than 10,000 of these vehicles were made. | |||
| 06/10/2008 | 7000 | 1 | |
| 2005 lotus elise has a defective intake cam that usually flattens out over cylinder 3 causing valve engine damage. my car has 7,000 miles. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 12/11/2007 | 18293 | 20 | 03/04/2005 |
| Rocker arm broken on cylinder three. multiple cars (~20) have been encountered the same failure on the same cylinder. sold car in question as manufacturer refused to fix despite the fact the reasons for denial were not the proximate cause of the failure. repair estimated at $4600-6500. said bases of denial changed to suit manufacturer's stance of not warranting the repair when information to the contrary was provided. manufacturer has warranted similar situations in the past based on discussions with other owners. still have portion of rocker arm that was removed. failure is identical to those of aforementioned owners, which suggests a trend of either defective parts, design flaws, failure to engineer a proper safety margin for the engine application, or a combination of any of these. further studies by other owners with the same failure revealed a misaligned oil jet on the number-three cylinder intake side, which may have contributed to the failure. *tr | |||