2000 Honda S2000 problems & reliability
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Honda S2000, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2000 Honda S2000 vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 20% |
| Visibility | 8 | 20% |
| Structure | 7 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 5% |
| Power Train | 2 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving my s2000 and turning on curvy roads the vehicle would not turn correctly and ended up in a field to the side of the road. We noticed the upper control arm spot weld broke free meaning the upper suspension mount was not connected and caused the incident. Honda knows it's an issue with 2000-2003 model year…”
Structure · filed Jul 9, 2020
“I am the original owner of a 2000 honda s2000...this past month I replaced the headlight assemblies for both headlights because the plastic shields which protect the lights had deteriorated so much that virtually no light was emitting from the headlights and the part which was the problem (the plastic lens cover or…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Apr 8, 2009
“Dip stick showed good oil level. However, upon driving it one day the engine blew and the low oil warning light did not come on. Engine consumed oil enough that it threw a rod bearing. Replaced the bearings and it ran about 24 miles and it happened again. This time it destroyed the crank in number 2 cylinder. Honda…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 10, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
107 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2000 Honda S2000. The 10 most recent:
"Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector -Ultrasonic Leak Detector -Leak Dye"
A07-030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2021
Honda: troubleshooting of diagnostic trouble codes (dtc) p1456 and p1457. Dealers are to run evap function test to find if there is a leak so the vehicle can be repaired. *kb
SB-99-075 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2013
Load carrying capacity reduced label for all honda vehicles. *pe
08-040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2008
Transmission grinds at shifts, skip shifting. *tt
1205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2005
Convertible top does not open properly. *tt
02065 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 28, 2005
Engine oil cooler center bolt torque spec. *nm
09012005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2005
Engine falters, no power, won't rev over 7,000 rpm. Honda servicenews. *tt
04012005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
Creak of grunt from rear of vehicle at low speeds. *eh
01012005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Rear axle creak or grunt noise at low speeds. *tt
1204 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2004
Intermittent hesitation during hard acceleration. *tt
04073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 3, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2000 Honda S2000 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2000 Honda S2000?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.