There are 1 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2007 Lotus Elise in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 1 of 1 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)THE 2007+ LOTUS ELISE/ EXIGE ARE ALL EQUIPPED WITH A SHIFTER THAT IS PRONE TO FAILURE. I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD A BROKEN SHIFTER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAS STUCK AT THE 3RD GEAR AND ALMOST GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT. MANY HAVE ALSO REPORTED THE SAME SITUATION. IT'S BELIEVED TO BE TRUE THAT THE BALL JOINT STRUCTURE AT THE PIVOT POINT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SHIFTER IS THE MAIN REASON TO THIS FAILURE. ALMOST EVERY CASE THAT HAS SURFACED ON INTERNET HAS SHOWN THE IDENTICAL BROKEN STRUCTURE WHICH WE CALLED THE "BLUE BALL". IT IS MADE WITH PLASTIC AND IS COMMONLY SHATTERED IN PIECES, AND THAT HAPPENS, THE ENTIRE SHIFTER IS LOOSE AND BROKEN.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Sep 8, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.