The 1991 Lotus Elan has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 546 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. Last updated July 5, 2026.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANKS CAN LEAK.
FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 26, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT LOTUS AT 1-800-245-6887.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Near the top of the fuel tank there is a crack. When filling vehicle up with fuel it leaks. Took vehicle to dealer and had it repaired. *ak dealer replaced the fuel tank, it was split on one side. Window regulator broke and was inoperative. *slc”
“Near the top of the fuel tank there is a crack. When filling vehicle up with fuel it leaks. Took vehicle to dealer and had it repaired. *ak dealer replaced the fuel tank, it was split on one side. Window regulator broke and was inoperative. *slc”
“Near the top of the fuel tank there is a crack. When filling vehicle up with fuel it leaks. Took vehicle to dealer and had it repaired. *ak dealer replaced the fuel tank, it was split on one side. Window regulator broke and was inoperative. *slc”
“Gas tank leaks fuel if you fill it up.”
“When gas tank was filled fuel leaked on ground and fumes entered vehicle. Fumes were so strong that consumer felt sick and pulled over. Vehicle leaked so much fuel in gas station that employee was going to bill the consumer. Dealer, lotus was not admitting there was a problem. Fuel tank would have…”
“This type of failure has been reported by other owners of this vehicle model before. No safety defect mentioned in summary. *ak”
“When filled with gas, the fuel tank leaks from the left-hand side of the tank; leaking fuel is a fire hazard and gas odor in car is annoying. I suspect that the tank neck has cracked at its juction to the tank body as reported by other owners. I contacted lotus cars, who insisted that I take it to…”
“The car for as long as I have owned leaked fuel when ever the tank is filled up. It is not leaking as a result of overflow, but from some where between the neck and the tank. Besides leaking fuel it has a real bad smell. *ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1991 Lotus Elan as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.