Oil line recall

[Nickxpax]

Just got an email stating lotus is going to recall 05 and 06 models to repair oil cooler lines. Anyone else hear this?

[DealsGapCobra]

I have not heard anything about this but bought my car second hand. I will watch this thread with interest.

[Ryephile]

Interesting, why just '05 and '06? Aren't the oil cooler lines identical in all S2 Elise/Exige? Perhaps it's yet another oversight by the NHTSA.

I'll have to chat w/ my dealer to see what the low-down is, and if '07+ indeed have different part numbers.

[aronparsons]

Yep, just 05-06.

Recall Results | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

[invictusmaneo]

Awesome, keeping a very very close eye on this.

"Lotus will contact owners"

How exactly do they plan to do that? I know there are lots of original owners, but I would venture a guess a majority of elise/exige owners bought them used. Time to call the lotus number given!

[5qf3764b]

Now I wonder how they are going to fix them? Do they reinforce/re-clamp the existing connections or run with all new parts? If they use new parts, do you trust them to fix it with Lotus stock parts or do you show up at the dealership with Sector111's kit and hope they use those parts and cover the labor? Lots of questions...

[ZTEC]

Subscribed

[doug_porsche]

this is good.

[tmr]

I just purchased the upgraded lines from RLS and was getting ready to have them installed at the dealer. I'm guessing that I may get free labor at best. I'm also replacing the radiator at the same time with one from Wizard Cooling, as I don't want to have to pay to remove the front clam again for a long time.

[yellow99s]

This is great news, I'm constantly watching my side mirrors for the inevitable "streak". Hopefully an expense like this doesn't sink Lotus, then again, their new line up is pretty unobtainable for most of us anyway.

[naloise]

Originally Posted by aronparsons

Yep, just 05-06.

Recall Results | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

Click thru this link and click the Document Search. The letter from Lotus to NHTSA seems to indicate three things of interest:

1.) Recall notification to dealers and owners coming soon

2.) 5,037 vehicles are impacted by the recall and this is 74.92% of total Elise/Exige cars in USA which would extrapolate out to 6,723 total production - a figure that seems to have previously been elusive.

3.) An option for reimbursement of past performed remedies will be available.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/do...1V510-2615.pdf

[Nobuyasu]

I owned an M100 Elan which had a common leak issue with the gas tank. For the longest time Lotus did nothing until there were a lot of complaints. Then in 2002 Lotus notified all owners of the possible gas tank issue (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 02V199000). All they did was a pressure leak down test to see if your gas tank was leaking. If everything checked okay no action was done. IMO this seemed pointless as I the tank could have failed sometime in the future after the test.

Anyhow, with the above said, my take is Lotus will do the same with the Elise/Exige recall...you take your car to a Lotus dealer they are going to inspect all end points of the oil lines to see if they are showing failure. If the lines look okay they will say everything checked out okay and your oil lines do not need replacement. What further makes me believe this is the NHTSA report stating the Remedy as "…LOTUS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES AS NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGELOTUS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES AS NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE…"

But how knows...Maybe with a new CEO things will be different?

[fitfan]

ok now i just need to decide should i 'risk' taking my car to a dealer to get taken apart, have holes drilled in it and etc... or? no problems, knock on composite.

[JfBrews]

subscribed

Figures i put a down payment on a 05 last night and now i see this

[IamBatman]

wtf... no 07+? or Exiges?

[lotuscupcar]

Definitely watching this with interest. I wonder if TJ or other Lotus mechanic can chime in as to what Lotus plans on doing.

[tmr]

Anyhow, with the above said, my take is Lotus will do the same with the Elise/Exige recall...you take your car to a Lotus dealer they are going to inspect all end points of the oil lines to see if they are showing failure. If the lines look okay they will say everything checked out okay and your oil lines do not need replacement.

Since my local dealer told me back in June that one of my fittings was weeping oil very slightly and should be replaced, I figure that I'm in like Flynt. I will have the RLS lines installed, as the dealer has already agreed to use them, so I might just get reimbursed for labor. I don't want to use the crappy lines that Lotus supplies, as the RLS lines are head and shoulders above in quality.

[tvacc]

I am glad this has finally come about. I have been concerned as I like most of us drive my car quite a bit at high speed on twisty roads. Having the line come loose and spilling oil on the tires in a high speed turn would get real ugly real fast. About time.

[kmt63]

yes, I agree. the new lines that lotus will use. Will not be to the same quality as the nci hoses.

[razkaz24]

Has anyone found the VIN attachment the recall letter says included?

I know my VIN ends in 193, and off top of my head shows a manufacture date of April or May 2004 (Could be totally wrong on this though, my memory isn't that good.)... And notice the recall says June 1, 2004.

I'll check when I get home later today to verify that.