AI DamageLotus Exige S: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Lotus Exige S across 2 model years: 8 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
| Year | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) | YouTube repair videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 38% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 38% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 13% of all complaints
- Engine: 3 complaints (38% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (38% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Visibility: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
Radiator cooling fins are metal, but each side has a rectangular plastic tubing that allows water to flow up and down each side of the radiator. At 16,200 miles, the plastic portion of the radiator on the driver side catastrophically failed, resulting in a 6 inch crack in the plastic portion, spraying radiator fluid…
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.
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.
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.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.