Lotus has announced that it is recalling 860 2008-'11 Lotus Elise, Exige and 2011 Lotus Evora sport vehicles over an oil cooler that could detach from its fitting, increasing the chance of a fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
"A detached oil hose could spray oil on a tire, increasing the risk of a crash, or it could spray oil throughout the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire," said NHTSA in its summary of the issue.
Lotus decided to expand its earlier recall for the same issue "following some failures in other markets and in vehicles outside the declared VIN range," the automaker said to federal safety regulators, according to a letter posted on the NHTSA site.
Affected Elise and Exige vehicles were manufactured from November 2007 through July 2011.
Lotus has "not received notice of any reported deaths or injuries resulting from this issue," according to the automaker.
If the oil cooler line becomes detached the driver would notice several warning signs, like an illuminated oil-pressure warning light, excessive oil consumption, and increased engine noise.
Previous recalls involved Elise and Exige vehicles manufactured between June 1, 2004 and October 31, 2007.
"The remedy introduced by these recalls is identical to that proposed in this notification and the vehicles repaired to date do not need to be re-visited," Lotus said.
Dealers will replace the oil cooler hose fittings on the Elise and Exige and will repair the oil cooler hose assemblies on the Evora, free of charge.
A recall date has not been set yet.
Owners with more questions can reach Lotus at (800) 245-6887 for more information.
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