Lotus bulletin 131-26009
What it saysAvailability of ASO exhaust muffler (rear silencer) valve actuator as service replacement part. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lotus filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 13, 2026, about the engine. It names 4 model years (2023–2026). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationAvailability of ASO exhaust muffler (rear silencer) valve actuator as service replacement part. Until recently the failure of the exhaust muffler valve actuator has required the exhaust muffler and valve to be renewed as a complete assembly. The exhaust muffler valve actuator is now available as a separate replacement part. The advantages of not having to replace the combined assembly are for a faulty actuator are: - Less labour-intensive procedure to replace. - More practical to keep an exhaust muffler valve actuator as a parts stock item. If an exhaust muffler valve actuator is diagnosed as faulty then please determine if the exhaust flow valve mechanism in the rear silencer is operating and moving correctly*, if it is then please fit a new valve actuator instead of a complete muffler assembly. *Actuator replacement is only suitable if the exhaust flow valve mechanism in the rear silencer is operating and moving correctly. If the exhaust flow valve is not operating or seized, then the exhaust silencer or actuator assembly should be replaced.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 131-26009 | Service bulletin | Apr 13, 2026 | 11031269 | PDF, 219 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2023 Lotus Emira.
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA since 2015.
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group3 other manufacturer communications filed against the Lotus Emira under the same component group (engine), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 131-26007 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2026 | Diagnosing medium temperature engine coolant thermostat operation to prevent unnecessary thermostat replacement. The information in this bul… |
| 131-25020 | Service bulletin | Nov 3, 2025 | Updating the ECM (Engine Control Module), to the latest level software. REASON - A new ECM SW update is available on EmiraDS to resolve the… |
| TSB-131-24003 | Service bulletin | Feb 24, 2024 | Installation of the latest ECM software for Emira vehicles in the Federal market to ensure that they meet the current CARB compliance requir… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Lotus, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Lotus 131-26009 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 131-26009 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does 131-26009 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2026 Lotus Emira, 2025 Lotus Emira, 2024 Lotus Emira, 2023 Lotus Emira. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.