Emira Issues - from final production cars

[TomE]

This table summarises known issues with production dealer demo and customer cars reported by the owner or someone test driving the demo car. This is for faults, not perceived shortcomings in the design.

The purpose of this thread is for reporting issues, clarifying what the issues are and how many cars are affected (if known), possible workarounds or fixes, and details of official solutions. Off topic posts will be deleted.

Anyone who would like to report a fault but does not want to post it on here is welcome to send info to @TomE via private message and it can be added anonymously.

Issues with known resolutions are highlighted in green.

Issue	Description	Known Occurrences	Reported By	Resolution	Links
Wind noise and window seals	Mis-sealing of windows to window seal causing wind noise	1​	@Markc	[tbc]	Thread
Steering pump	Servo fault resulting in intermittent failure	2​	@1stczechemira @hml_xy	Recall warranty replacement on early EU cars (first 30ish)	Thread
Boot closure	Boot sticky to close	"some"​	@Mistral	May need adjustment. Needs to be closed firmly. Pressing down on hatch will close it fully	Post
Boot hatch water retention	Hatch frame fills with water due to incorrect composite gluing	2​	@ott 1 UK owner (anonymous)	Warranty replacement	Thread
Paintwork orange peel	Seen on some UK demo cars	"some"​	[needs more evidence]	[tbc]
Manual gear knob etching	Machining of gear positions on knob appears rough	1​	@Markc	[tbc]	Thread
ECU fault	UK demo and early customer cars show Check Engine Light, "limp mode" or "reduced acceleration" warnings	12​	5 UK demo cars @FarmerJ @shaank @Mh59 @Lots_Of_Trouble Several on Facebook	Software update required, due in Jan-23. Fixed for some by replacing ECU	Thread
ECU software update problems	Some dealers having difficulty installing Jan-23 ECU software update	"some"​	@Markc	[tbc]	Thread
Door seal imperfections	Door seals fitted poorly and show some wrinkles	"a few"​	@Bilbao-Emira (on Bilbao demo) @Emiragirl (on Central demo) @1stczechemira @AudR8 (on JCT demo) @scoates	Dealers should be able to rectify (or improve), also possible to DIY	Thread
Broken part in door lock mechanism	Door won't open	1​	@hml_xy	Warranty replacement of broken part	Post
SOS warning	System takes long time to reconnect after signal loss	1​	@FarmerJ	[tbc]	Post
Seat belt mounting bolt exposed	Bolt cover missing	1​	Collecting Cars car for sale / @NeilS	[tbc]	Post
Seat belts jammed	Belts not usable	"a few"​	@duff 1 on Facebook	Warranty fix, Lotus field engineer attended immediately. Fix resulted in second occurrence, also fixed	Thread
Wipers won't switch to fastest speed	After time in auto-sensing mode, the wipers won't manually switch to fastest speed	"many"​	Harry's Garage video @duff @Markc @hml_xy @ott @Mh59 @JWJ9000	Software update due from Lotus in Jan-23	Thread and Thread
Brake discs and pads corroded and fractured	Brake discs heavily corroded and pads fractured 400 miles after delivery	1​	@Mh59	Warranty replacement. Dealer and Lotus investigating cause	Post
Brake pad material stuck to disc	Appears as an unswept area on the disc, probably caused by pads sticking to discs when damp and left for long period	4​	@Sid @KJD @donskibeat @Evotion	Dealer reviewing, likely warranty replacement of pads and clean discs	Post
Tracker app alerts	Push reporting not working from app for factory-fitted Scorpion S5 tracker	1​	@Mh59	New version of Scorpion app published 1 Feb 2023 and fixes the issue	Thread
Cross-gate shift cable jammed in sub-zero temperatures	Able to select 3/4 (or 1/2 or 5/6) but unable to move shifter left/right	1​	1 UK owner (anonymous)	Moisture inside shift cable freezes. Interim fix is to run engine without driving, so heat soak frees the cable (driving the car increases air flow and slows the unfreezing). Full fix is cable replacement under warranty.
Demist not working	Air flow directed to face or foot vents, not to windscreen	5-6​	@Jimblob @duff @NeilS 2-3 UK dealers	Lotus investigating issue	Thread
Transmission fluid leak	Smoke and oil vapour from engine bay	1​	@Lots_Of_Trouble	Leaking hose replaced under warranty	Thread
Unable to select gear	Likely gear linkage needs adjustment but could be gearbox fault	1​	Reported on Facebook	Dealer reviewing	Post
Stuck in first gear	Gear linkage needed adjustment	1​	@Kimmax	Dealer fixed	Thread
Auto Hold failure	Warning message on driver display	3​	@jcyl @Sport190 @JWJ9000	Software issue awaiting Lotus fix. Ignition off, lock car, wait 15 mins, unlock appears to clear it temporarily.	Post
Light stalk not working as per handbook	'0' tab not working as expected, RESET button not clearing Trip A	2​	@Sizona @Wonza	Software issue, due to be fixed in update in Apr-23	Post

 

[TomE]

Other items reported that are features of the car rather than faults

• Transmission noise at low revs in 1st/2nd gear - characteristic of the Toyota gearbox
• Inside of windscreen misting up easily - also clears easily (thread here)
• Water running off outside of boot hatch when opened and running into engine bay - usually doesn't run into boot/trunk space (hold the hatch horizontal for a moment when opening and it will run off away from the boot) and shouldn't cause problems in the engine bay
• Rev hang with manual gearbox - working as intended (thread here)
• Tyres skipping on full lock - a characteristic of the steering design (thread here)
• Headlights misting internally - common problem with LED headlamps in cold/damp weather and will usually clear with increased ambient temperature

 

[Jon_N]

In fairness, most new cars will have some form of snagging, although it’s typically a small rattle rather than a major & obvious fault

 

[Magma]

Orange peel is in every new car these days and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Just something we need to get used to seeing as polishing it out is a dangerous decision. Keep as much clear on your car as you can. There isn't much if it to begin with . About the thickness of a piece of paper.

https://newoldcars.com/orange-peel-why-your-new-car-paint-may-look-so-bad/

 

[Leonard]

Orange peel is in every new car these days and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Just something we need to get used to seeing as polishing it out is a dangerous decision. Keep as much clear on your car as you can. There isn't much if it to begin with . About the thickness of a piece of paper.

https://newoldcars.com/orange-peel-why-your-new-car-paint-may-look-so-bad/

Should it be on a new Lotus though with the investment they have made in the paint shop?
Demo I viewed last week was worse than any car I've had in last 6 years

 

[Magma]

Should it be on a new Lotus though with the investment they have made in the paint shop?
Demo I viewed last week was worse than any car I've had in last 6 years

Absolutely! Read the article...yes, it's long. But it's the best explanation as to WHY orange peel exists in the first place.

In order to completely remove or reduce orange peel, you must sand at certain points in the painting process. This takes labor and time. Again, orange peel is not BAD. It can actually be helpful in some ways. I'd rather see orange peel and have a good clear thickness than runs, dirt nubs and fish eyes in my factory paint.
Also, orange peel is one way that may help determine repaints in future classics, etc.

 

[1stczechemira]

My first real car issue:
- recall for the servo steering pump
- my actual car had problems with less/no servo support at low rpms/shortly after the start of the engine
- the pump came in about 3 working days after ordering it (would be more quick if there was no customs border between GB/EU 👎)
- replaced, now everything fine

 

[Leonard]

My first real car issue:
- recall for the servo steering pump
- my actual car had problems with less/no servo support at low rpms/shortly after the start of the engine
- the pump came in about 3 working days after ordering it (would be more quick if there was no customs border between GB/EU 👎)
- replaced, now everything fine

That bodes well regards replacement time for parts at least!
Thanks for sharing and glad to hear everything is good again 😀

 

[1stczechemira]

The servo steering pump is an original Toyota part. Seen after being disassembled.

It was a Recall by Lotus for cars from a certain interval of VIN numbers. So all cars from that interval will be repaired regardless if the pump works (not my case) or doesn't (my case).

 

[digilotus]

Its a brand new car so I expect some recalls. Lets put things into perspective though.
The 718 GT4 when released had engine conrod failure issues, so whole new engines needed to be stripped down (same engine #) or replaced (new engine #). Brand new delivered cars were in the shop for weeks. How's that for a quality benchmark?

 

[New to Lotus]

Yes every manufacturer has its faults my mate was one of them with an issue with his porsche. But the customer service was brilliant he got a new engine a high end luxury car to drive while he waited several freebies lunches track days and extended warranty.
What would lotus be able to do in that situation. 🤔

 

[Cutting42]

Try searching for problem Ferrari/McLaren/Lambo/etc. on you tube you will find very quickly the purchase price has very little to do with problem incidence.

 

[Lotustoronto]

Any issue you find, I think should be discussed to let others know what to look out for. Even if it's small things it is still helpful to know what to look out for. This is basically one of the most important parts of a car forum amongst other great discussions.

Also might help the people at Hethel catch other items they may have missed. I don't see any negatives with this topic.

 

[ott]

Rear hatch of my car will be replaced, because its frame fills with water when raining. Diagnosed as problem with glueing composite panels together. Its not possible to check this visually. When car has seen some rain, then its easy as you will hear how water flows inside of hatch frame when its lifted. Temporary fix as advised by Lotus is to drill drain hole. Lets see how long it takes for new hatch to be delivered ?

 

[Green]

Rear hatch of my car will be replaced, because its frame fills with water when raining. Diagnosed as problem with glueing composite panels together. Its not possible to check this visually. When car has seen some rain, then its easy as you will hear how water flows inside of hatch frame when its lifted. Temporary fix as advised by Lotus is to drill drain hole. Lets see how long it takes for new hatch to be delivered ?

This is interesting in a bad way. When I tested the car in Boston I asked them to open the rear hatch and water ran out of the hatch. The salesman had a rag and wiped up the water quickly. He said it was just the test car that had this issue. Sounds like there may be more to the story. Has Lotus corrected the issue?

 

[ott]

This is interesting in a bad way. When I tested the car in Boston I asked them to open the rear hatch and water ran out of the hatch. The salesman had a rag and wiped up the water quickly. He said it was just the test car that had this issue. Sounds like there may be more to the story. Has Lotus corrected the issue?

Lower part of the hatch collects water due to its design and this then drips into engine compartement when hatch is opened. Thats another issue. I though it rains often enough in UK so they would have noticed it. Could also be that production version of the hatch was tested only in Atacama desert.

 

[Lotustoronto]

Rear hatch of my car will be replaced, because its frame fills with water when raining. Diagnosed as problem with glueing composite panels together. Its not possible to check this visually. When car has seen some rain, then its easy as you will hear how water flows inside of hatch frame when its lifted. Temporary fix as advised by Lotus is to drill drain hole. Lets see how long it takes for new hatch to be delivered ?

Please keep us updated on the progress... sorry to hear about that problem. Hopefully it comes soon.

Well.... sooner than a Lotus soon.

 

[hml_xy]

I can confirm the servo pump recall. My car had it as well and it was taken care of before I took delivery.

No wind noise issues.
My Emira hasn't seen rain yet, so I can't comment on the rear hatch water issues.
But mine makes squeaky noises when lifting it, which in my opinion is a fault as its definitely less haptic quality than the rest of the car which feels very good.

Panel tolerance was adjusted by my dealer pre delivery (at least he said so). Paint job is fine.

 

[mikeerhymes]

Less than a mile traveled from MD in a brand new SVJ before the engine cut out. Back to the MD for 2 weeks for them to diagnose as loose earth strap….

The Emira will have faults and recalls will likely happen, it’s quite naive to think otherwise on a car radically different to anything Lotus have produced previously. If you’re taking an early delivery, expect to have more niggles than someone with a late ‘23 ETA.

The V6 should be the safer option as it’s tried and tested. I’m on the i4 list, no doubt that will produce currently undiscovered issues by introducing a new power train? And if it doesn’t, that’s a win!

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

To my understanding we have one more to add to the list:
I am lacking the appropriate wording to explain it in English, surely anybody here will help.
On the Demo car that arrived this week in Bilbao I spotted on both sills what I consider a bad fitting of the rubber strip on top of the carpet. I forgot to take pictures, you can barely spot it on the video I took of the inside, I also saw on the video of the Japanese car, and on one of the yellow demos in UK, and I thought may these cars where not final custom version, but I just saw it also on the customer car just delivered in Hethel.
Confirmation from members in here with customer cars delivered would be appreciated, and if Lotus is aware and solutions to this issue for both existing and new deliveries

Picture of !st Hethel collection: @shaank could confirm if he sees this as an issue