AI Damage2005 Honda S2000: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Honda S2000 filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 27% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (27% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
This 2005 honda s2k lower control arm broke and then bent the tie rod at a 45 degree angle and which sent the tire under the unibody of the car. Which for a rear wheel drive car is very bad. You will have no control of the car in this scenario.
Both occupants were wearing their seat belts, but the passenger sustained minor whiplash injuries. Both frontal airbags deployed as a result of the accident. The police took a report at the scene.
The left seat adjustment rail for the driver's seat cracked all the way across immediately behind the bolt holding the forward end of the rail to the floor. This allowed the drivers seat to rock back and to the right. The failure occurred while the car was parked.
The car turned off and would not start. Towed by aaa to my mechanic to find out why it would not start. He called and stated he could not turn the engine over. Tried several different things and the motor would not crank over even with a bar. He stated the engine seized.
I have a 2005 honda s2000 that has a safety problem. The maintenance light has come on & has a internal error coming from my obs2 reader. The car acts up like you turned the key off & on when driving. If they are a recall I have not been notified of one. I have only had the car 9 months & it started at 6 months.
Started my 2005 honda s2000 with 144,456 miles on it. The srs airbag code illuminated. I had the code read and it is a 02-2 for a increased resistance in passenger side airbag inflator. Vehicle has never been wrecked but has a faulty airbag. I am wondering if this car may fall into a upcoming airbag recall.
The car was left in a business intersection the first time this happened as the car would not start again. I recreated the incident again shortly thereafter, and again had to turn the ignition switch off to shut down the racing engine.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda s2000. The contact stated that after down shifting into second gear, the vehicle shifted into neutral independently, causing the vehicle to become resistant to acceleration. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
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 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the S2000 has 12 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 15, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Honda S2000?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electrical system, structure. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: won't start (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), engine failure or replacement (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.