Lotus bulletin sb_2020_01
What it saysAny unauthorised modifications, including fitment of non-approved after-market air filter resulting in generation of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCâs) P0101 & P1109. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Lotus filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 19, 2020, received Jun 1, 2020, about the engine. It names 5 model years (2016–2020). 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 communicationAny unauthorised modifications, including fitment of non-approved after-market air filter resulting in generation of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCâs) P0101 & P1109. We have had several instances where DTCâs P0101 & P1109 had been set and the car recovered into the dealer, only for them to find that the original equipment engine air intake filter had been substituted for a non-approved after-market type (applicable to both dry and oil coated types).
Trouble codes it names: P0101 P1109
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sb_2020_01 | Service bulletin | May 19, 2020 | 10175849 | PDF, 7,193 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2016 Lotus Evora; 2019 Lotus Evora.
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 4 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 2 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
Driving on an interstate highway a MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) illuminated and within less than 5 seconds, the engine went into shutdown mode. I was able to safely clear the highway but on a central lane and heavy traffic it would have been impossible to safely clear the highway and the car would be stranded in the middle of the…
2017 Lotus Evora · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 22, 2024 · ODI 11610304
For the second time, a Throttle Actuator code forced an engine shutdown while on a busy freeway with only very narrow breakdown lane stranding the car. Attempts to reset the code(s) failed for about 30 minutes whereupon codes reset and have not recurred indicating the code was only transient but very dangerous
2017 Lotus Evora · Engine · filed with NHTSA Nov 1, 2024 · ODI 11623114
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 Evora under the same component group (engine), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| sb_2021_08_21_MY | Service bulletin | Dec 15, 2021 | An ECU.crp program update is now available for all Federal Evora 2021 model year vehicles to ensure that they meet the current emissions dia… |
| sb_2021_06_DTC | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2021 | There is often inconsistent or insufficient information received from dealers when reporting ECU and TCU related faults. This bulletin aims… |
| sb_04_21MY_Evora | Service bulletin | May 10, 2021 | Inspection and potential renewal of the auxiliary drive belt due to inclusion of incorrect specification material during manufacturing proce… |
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 sb_2020_01 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 sb_2020_01 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 sb_2020_01 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2020 Lotus Evora, 2018 Lotus Evora, 2017 Lotus Evora, 2016 Lotus Evora, 2019 Lotus Evora. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.