One problem related to gasoline engine has been reported for the 2005 Lotus Elise. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2005 Lotus Elise based on all problems reported for the 2005 Elise.
Rocker arm broken on cylinder three. Multiple cars (~20) have been encountered the same failure on the same cylinder. Sold car in question as manufacturer refused to fix despite the fact the reasons for denial were not the proximate cause of the failure. Repair estimated at $4600-6500. Said bases of denial changed to suit manufacturer's stance of not warranting the repair when information to the contrary was provided. Manufacturer has warranted similar situations in the past based on discussions with other owners. Still have portion of rocker arm that was removed. Failure is identical to those of aforementioned owners, which suggests a trend of either defective parts, design flaws, failure to engineer a proper safety margin for the engine application, or a combination of any of these. Further studies by other owners with the same failure revealed a misaligned oil jet on the number-three cylinder intake side, which may have contributed to the failure.