Vehicle recall 98V135000 · June 22, 1998
1997-1998 Lotus Esprit
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Certain wheels were not properly heat treated for hardness. The rear wheels could crack and break.
- Consequence
- The rear wheels could crack and break, resulting in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace these wheels.
- Notes
- This recall supercedes recall no. 97V-202.OWNER notification occurred on June 30,1998. 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.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 98V135000
- Reported to NHTSA
- June 22, 1998
- Filed by
- LOTUS CARS OF AMERICA INC
- Owner notification
- June 30, 1998
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 160
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Wheels › Rim
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Lotus Esprit (1997-1998): 1998, 1997
Has your Lotus been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Lotus dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.