Is the Elan reliable?
The Elan is probably the most reliable car Lotus has ever made. It was designed and built at a time when General Motors owned Lotus. The financial backing of such a large corporation and the fact that GM wanted the car to sell in the US ensured the Elan was subjected to far more rigorous testing than earlier models. The car does have weaknesses, but it would be fair to say that its major mechanical items are reliable and trouble free. Lotus put a lot of effort into addressing the old bogey of quality and reliability, testing the car from the cold of the Artic Circle to the heat of Death Valley. The chassis, engine and transmission have certainly proved to be robust, other areas such as the electric’s, soft-top and door internals are more prone to niggling problems. These can take considerable time, patience and money to put right.
