Problem Car?

[JoeWisconsin]

I am a not so proud owner of a 2005 elise. I picked it up on August 31, 2004, drove it two months (3200 miles , work and back) Parked for winter drove in June 2005 up to 4994 miles in shop three times. Imobilizer had to be replaced would not let me start, Very ruff idle and black smoke if parked more than a week and now the stick broke off (A really cheap looking weld). Add a radio that dosn't work because I can not find the card and the dealership and Blaupunkt do not supply or know how to get a new card (they have offered to replace with a cheaper radio). Paint chipping off the backend, and a leather seat that looks to be wearing out on the side. I drive this car to work and treat it just like my Honda Civic which has 260,000 miles on it and only broke once and I still drove home. After waiting a week for the dealer to tow when it broke at my home and four hours when it broke on the highway 20 miles from the dealer ship I am more than alittle disappointed. Is this stuff comon? Joe

[andykeck]

Well, it sounds like you've had more problems than most of the rest of us. But I think it's unrealistic to compare a low-volume, handbuilt British sports car to a Honda. I expect that I would be disappointed to have as many problems as you've had, but I knew that just because it had a Toyota engine that couldn't expect Camry reliability.

[Ground Loop]

So the honeymoon is over, then..

Bummer about the headaches. Yours isn't the first to have the shifter snap off -- crappy design that needs improving. I think you are the third one reported here?

Poor paint finish/blisters/bubbles have all been reported, but so far most dealers seem to be going the extra mile to make that right.

As for your radio key card, it sounds like you got one and lost it? You can't honestly be upset at Lotus for that. It came with instructions to take it out of the car and keep it somewhere safe. It's supposed to be hard to replace -- that's kindof the point.

In any case, if you're expecting the reliability of a Civic -- one car that practically redefined dependable cars in America -- you may be in for some ongoing disappointment.

[doma]

>Is this stuff comon? Joe

No, I don't think so. I whine sometimes about an occasional stall but otherwise I haven't had any problems - and I drive the car hard and have 12k miles. Unfortunatly perhaps yours is a lemon? Also I've had my shifter console apart and found the shifter to be a strong piece of hex stock ... not like the weak bent square stock that others have reported on this board, so I suspect Lotus changed the design of the shifter at some point. Sorry to hear your's broke. Good luck.

-doma

[Chris D.]

Sorry to hear about the problems you've had with your car, Joe. I'm not sure how many problems you have to have with a car before it is considered a lemon. I took delivery of my car in February and have had no problems. I have to wonder if some of the earlier built cars didn't have a few bugs that they eventually worked out. I wouldn't accept any of the problems as a given; keep on the dealer about working them out while the car is under warranty.