AI Damage2000 Honda S2000: common problems
Owners of the 2000 Honda S2000 filed 40 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 40
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 20% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 20% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 18% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 8 complaints (20% of all).
- Visibility: 8 complaints (20% of all).
- Structure: 7 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (13% of all).
- Seat belts: 4 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- manual, 6-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 40 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
Delayed airbag deployment (inflated after 2 seconds), upon hitting a tree.
While driving at higher than prescribed highway speed another car cut in front. Honda either swerved to miss the car, or the other vehicle left the road, and then came back and hit the honda. Honda was airbourne and hit another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. Upon impact, neither airbag deployed.
Your web site does not search the vin. Vin is correct. Web site is unresponsive
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…
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 corp.
During shifting at high speeds, the car would completely stall and shut off, due to some type of problem with this sensor. On dozens of occasions, I was in atlanta rush hour traffic and the car stalled. This was extremely dangerous, and I am lucky that I or nobody else was hurt.
The rear plastic window became opaque and yellow, to the point where 3 years after buying the car, you could not see through it at all. This made the car dangerous to drive when the convertible top was not down, because rear visibility was only through the side mirrors.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 5,948 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the S2000 has 12 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 40, above average.
What to check before buying
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2000 Honda S2000?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, visibility, structure. Total complaints: 40. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (25%), windows, sunroof (25%), seat belts (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 Honda S2000?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2000 Honda S2000 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2000 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.