Alright, so I've owned this car, a 2001 s2000 with 110k miles, for less than 2 months. In that time I've had 2 major, not little things, but major problems. The first was the differential, I know it's a weak point, but the car was mainly dealer serviced and had been from a dealer right before I bought it. The second was today, I was backing out of my driveway when all the sudden I hear a snap an grinding, so I pull the ebrake and the nut that connects the ball joint on the front drivers side hub to the lower control arm just stripped out and set the wheel free, f@#ked up my bumper, fender and headlight brackets. So now the car looks like shit, and its stuck on my steep driveway because the nut that connects it is in some mythical size that isn't available anywhere except honda. This car was in mint condition, aside from some minor scrapes on the front bumper. I do all my own work and this car looks like it's brand new on the underside and under the hood, not a car that you would expect to have nuts on extremely important suspension pieces failing.

On top of those two things, it has clutch buzz and some horrific noises coming from the transmission.

Had to vent, thanks..

after jacking it up to relieve pressure on the fender

Hard to see the gap and the head light issues

 

who ever had it before you probably dropped clutch and abused it or the dealership messed something else. mine hasnt have a problem so far but you never know... my clutch can blow or start slipping any day now.

 

I know you're just venting but you do own an 11 year old car with over 100k miles on it, almost all of which were put on the car by somebody you don't know at all. If it looks mint it is more likely it was cared for, but it could just mean that the person(s) who owned it before kept up with the aesthetics yet still beat on the car.

Either way I'm sure you are better off in a 2001 110k mile Honda than most any other 2001 sports car with 110k on it.

 

It's not just the exterior, when the car is up on the rack, it looks new, like it's never seen rain. I understand that likely it was just beaten to shit, but still, how does a cotter pin a 19mm nut just fail, I don't get it. It's so upsetting because of the damage it did to the body, I mean even if the car needs mechanical repair, I can do it, but I have to take the car to a body shop, have them fix it and at the end of the day this stupid nuts going to have costed me over 1000$ and the car will likely never look the same.

 

You bought a car from an abuser. I have much more milage than you and I'm on the original clutch, diff, and tranny.

 

The only thing that broke, is a rip in the soft top. That's normal.

 

Is the clutch the one with the TSB for clutch buzz? My clutch is fine and won't slip in any gear all the way up to redline, it just makes noise when you leave the car in gear while coasting because of clutch buzz.

 

As others have said it could have been beaten. Bought a car with over 100k unknown miles on it so really don't know how most of it's life has been.
Yeah that is the clutch buzz. Annoying but clutch still works fine. If you plan to get an exhaust that covers up the buzz sound easily.
Since the diff went out right away it could have been launched a lot or boosted maybe prior to you getting it.

 

Top Gear's survey some years ago from 76,000 people - s2000 topped the list. A cotter pin is subject to failure when it's reused.

 

No Hondas ,EVER, have been prone to falling apart on their own. Thats why I (and so many others) love Hondas. If S2000s were built by Dodge, then yeah, they would be notorious for breaking. Either you have bad luck or you bought someone's stepchild.