S2000 Maintenance Costs, Quality
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From: Akron
S2000 Maintenance Costs, Quality
I have some questions about the S2000 with regards to maintenance and the expected reliability of the car in the future.
I currently own a BMW Z3 and am considering switching to a s2000. Besides what I have found to be disappointing quality in the Z3, one of my frustrations with the car is the amount of money that I am dropping on routine maintenance. In addition to oil changes, BMW recommends that you have the car "serviced" about every 15-20k miles. These service appointments cost around $300 and $600, respectively, alternating each time. This is in addition to the cost of repairing any parts that break or wear out over time. Does Honda have this same type of maintenance schedule and are the costs comparable?
All of my friends who own Hondas talk about changing the oil as being about the only maintenance that they have ever had to do.
Also, how good has the s2000 been in terms of quality so far?
A long term question: I have heard that higher revving engines tend to become more problematic than other engines over the long haul and thus, the s2000 will suffer from these problems because of its engine. Is this the case? Thanks for any input.
I currently own a BMW Z3 and am considering switching to a s2000. Besides what I have found to be disappointing quality in the Z3, one of my frustrations with the car is the amount of money that I am dropping on routine maintenance. In addition to oil changes, BMW recommends that you have the car "serviced" about every 15-20k miles. These service appointments cost around $300 and $600, respectively, alternating each time. This is in addition to the cost of repairing any parts that break or wear out over time. Does Honda have this same type of maintenance schedule and are the costs comparable?
All of my friends who own Hondas talk about changing the oil as being about the only maintenance that they have ever had to do.
Also, how good has the s2000 been in terms of quality so far?
A long term question: I have heard that higher revving engines tend to become more problematic than other engines over the long haul and thus, the s2000 will suffer from these problems because of its engine. Is this the case? Thanks for any input.
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From: Wayne
Originally posted by fisch
i would not compare the quality of the s2000 with previous honda products - it is not even close in my experience.
89 civic dx
95 civic vx
99 odessey
00 s2000
i would not compare the quality of the s2000 with previous honda products - it is not even close in my experience.
89 civic dx
95 civic vx
99 odessey
00 s2000
Hugh
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From: Hopkinton
Other than oil changes, you can change your transmission and differential fluids every 15,000 along with the stock air filter. Plugs are good for 105,000. Tires last anywhere from a few thousand up to 20,000 depending upon how you drive the car...I would guess an average is around 10,000. Brakes will also vary greatly depending upon how you drive. Other than those items, I cant see any reason why you would need to spend the $300 and $600 every 15,000...plus, you can reset your own maintenance light without buying an $85 tool 
This is my first Honda so cant compare it, but will say that for 7400 miles, I have no complaints...well, except for the damage I just did to it when I hit a raccoon!
This is my first Honda so cant compare it, but will say that for 7400 miles, I have no complaints...well, except for the damage I just did to it when I hit a raccoon!
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From: Sugar Land
I think in general, you will find that the S2000, and most Hondas for that matter, will be cheaper to keep and own than the typical BMW. The reason being that there most of the procedures(maintance) can be done at home and parts are cheaper... there simply isn't a premium attached to the name. There are the "regular" maintance procedures at xxx miles... but you can do these yourself at reduced cost with parts from the net. Just keep a record of what's been done and you'll be ok. This is if you are up to working yourself. If not, I am certain most dealer service price will be lower than that of BMW.
As for high revving... I don't think you have to worry about it. The engines were designed from the beginning to rev high. Proper geometry were taking into consideration etc. I've got a 8000rpm revver in the CRX that's 10 years old and it still runs like a champ. so worry not.
-Shing
[QUOTE]Originally posted by AEz3
[B]I have some questions about the S2000 with regards to maintenance and the expected reliability of the car in the future.
I currently own a BMW Z3 and am considering switching to a s2000. Besides what I have found to be disappointing quality in the Z3, one of my frustrations with the car is the amount of money that I am dropping on routine maintenance. In addition to oil changes, BMW recommends that you have the car "serviced" about every 15-20k miles. These service appointments cost around $300 and $600, respectively, alternating each time. This is in addition to the cost of repairing any parts that break or wear out over time. Does Honda have this same type of maintenance schedule and are the costs comparable?
As for high revving... I don't think you have to worry about it. The engines were designed from the beginning to rev high. Proper geometry were taking into consideration etc. I've got a 8000rpm revver in the CRX that's 10 years old and it still runs like a champ. so worry not.
-Shing
[QUOTE]Originally posted by AEz3
[B]I have some questions about the S2000 with regards to maintenance and the expected reliability of the car in the future.
I currently own a BMW Z3 and am considering switching to a s2000. Besides what I have found to be disappointing quality in the Z3, one of my frustrations with the car is the amount of money that I am dropping on routine maintenance. In addition to oil changes, BMW recommends that you have the car "serviced" about every 15-20k miles. These service appointments cost around $300 and $600, respectively, alternating each time. This is in addition to the cost of repairing any parts that break or wear out over time. Does Honda have this same type of maintenance schedule and are the costs comparable?
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From: Houston
AEz3,
The quality of the S2000 is very good, but not as good as I thought. But, the problems that I have found in my S2000...Honda has recalls and service bulletins to fix them for you.
The problem with service bulletins is that the quality of your car now effected by the quality of the person(s) working on your car.
I recently got screwed by Honda Gillman (Houston) on a seat belt and clutch disk service bulletin.
Check out the recent bulletins here:
http://www.s2000online.com/library/service...ce/index.php?s=$session[sessionhash]
The quality of the S2000 is very good, but not as good as I thought. But, the problems that I have found in my S2000...Honda has recalls and service bulletins to fix them for you.
The problem with service bulletins is that the quality of your car now effected by the quality of the person(s) working on your car.
I recently got screwed by Honda Gillman (Houston) on a seat belt and clutch disk service bulletin.
Check out the recent bulletins here:
http://www.s2000online.com/library/service...ce/index.php?s=$session[sessionhash]
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From: Houston
AEz3,
I took my car in today for it's 30,000 mile service.
I think the regular cost is $400.00.
I'm getting a deal at HondaRepair center for $350, and then I told them that I would change my own oil, and I didn't need an air filter because I have an aftermarket...the price is now $300.00.
I took my car in today for it's 30,000 mile service.
I think the regular cost is $400.00.
I'm getting a deal at HondaRepair center for $350, and then I told them that I would change my own oil, and I didn't need an air filter because I have an aftermarket...the price is now $300.00.
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From: Dana Point, CA
I have had an Integra LS, Integra GSR, Legend Coupe LS 6 speed, Civic EX, and a CBR600F3 sport bike. All of them have been dead reliable and cost nearly nothing to maintain/repair. I am a little anal and change the oil every 3,700 miles but for the $15 that I pay, it gives me good piece of mind and I've never had a problem with any of them.
The S2K is going to be a bit more expensive to maintain than a garden variety Honda but such is the nature of the beast. It is not; however, going to be anywhere near as expensive as a BMW. If nothing else, Honda's labor rates are much lower than BMW's. To give you an idea, after someone posted on this board about a $400 30K mile service, I called two dealers near me and found that the same service is about $275 - $300 on an S2K as opposed to the $260 I paid for my Civic. Not too bad, me thinks.
As to the questions about the high reving nature of hte car, let me say this. I had one fo the first GS-R Integra's sold in the states. I was worried about the then stratospheric redline but after 100K miles of very hard driving, the only problem that I had with the car was the aftermarket cd changer that i added to it. Honda designs these cars as packages. The engine is designed to run at the redline damn near all day long and the rest of the car is desinged to complement and support that type of use. If you are really worried, but an insurance policy (better known as an extended warranty) for the car. You can get a 100K mile warranty for less than $500 around here, or so I am told.
As far as the quality is concerned, if you had one of the first years of the Z3 you will find the S2K to be in an entirely different ballpark. According to Consumer Reports,, the Stook has excellent reliability for the model year 2000 and I imagine that reliability will get better with each year.
After reading this board, you might think that the car has been plagued by a lot of problems. In truth, it has had some issues. More than you would expect from a Honda. Much of that can be attributed to the fact that the car is largely hand made by today's standards along sid the NSX in the Tochigi factory in Japan. There have been some issues with the car. Honda, IMO, has been very proactive at fixiing the issues and making things right for the owners. I still think that if you compare the car to a Boxster or a Z3 you will be able to immediately noice how the gaps are smaller in the car and the lines are all properly lined up. Moreover, the car is roack sold and suffers no cowl shake. It is stiffer than some coupes I have been in.
Members of this board are enthusiasts and drive their cars very hard. As they should. They also use this board to sound ideas and see if anyone has had similar experiences. Finally, people by their very nature are more likely to post/question when they have a problem vs. when they enjoy a problem free drive into work.
Just my 2 cents.
Unless you have an M roadster, I can't see you being anything but ecstatic about this car. It is truly a sports car, where as, IMO the Z3 has been more about style and panache as opposed to hustling down the road in the quickest manner possible.
The S2K is going to be a bit more expensive to maintain than a garden variety Honda but such is the nature of the beast. It is not; however, going to be anywhere near as expensive as a BMW. If nothing else, Honda's labor rates are much lower than BMW's. To give you an idea, after someone posted on this board about a $400 30K mile service, I called two dealers near me and found that the same service is about $275 - $300 on an S2K as opposed to the $260 I paid for my Civic. Not too bad, me thinks.
As to the questions about the high reving nature of hte car, let me say this. I had one fo the first GS-R Integra's sold in the states. I was worried about the then stratospheric redline but after 100K miles of very hard driving, the only problem that I had with the car was the aftermarket cd changer that i added to it. Honda designs these cars as packages. The engine is designed to run at the redline damn near all day long and the rest of the car is desinged to complement and support that type of use. If you are really worried, but an insurance policy (better known as an extended warranty) for the car. You can get a 100K mile warranty for less than $500 around here, or so I am told.
As far as the quality is concerned, if you had one of the first years of the Z3 you will find the S2K to be in an entirely different ballpark. According to Consumer Reports,, the Stook has excellent reliability for the model year 2000 and I imagine that reliability will get better with each year.
After reading this board, you might think that the car has been plagued by a lot of problems. In truth, it has had some issues. More than you would expect from a Honda. Much of that can be attributed to the fact that the car is largely hand made by today's standards along sid the NSX in the Tochigi factory in Japan. There have been some issues with the car. Honda, IMO, has been very proactive at fixiing the issues and making things right for the owners. I still think that if you compare the car to a Boxster or a Z3 you will be able to immediately noice how the gaps are smaller in the car and the lines are all properly lined up. Moreover, the car is roack sold and suffers no cowl shake. It is stiffer than some coupes I have been in.
Members of this board are enthusiasts and drive their cars very hard. As they should. They also use this board to sound ideas and see if anyone has had similar experiences. Finally, people by their very nature are more likely to post/question when they have a problem vs. when they enjoy a problem free drive into work.
Just my 2 cents.
Unless you have an M roadster, I can't see you being anything but ecstatic about this car. It is truly a sports car, where as, IMO the Z3 has been more about style and panache as opposed to hustling down the road in the quickest manner possible.
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From: HouStook TX
My stooks reliability has some blemishes. I use it as a daily driver through a 70+ mile round-trip commute in this wonderful Houston traffic.
The sad thing is I don't mind these problems, because the good far outweighs the bad. I simply love driving this car and I will try to keep it maintained throughout my 100k mile extended warranty.
Like most owners, I am addicted to the thrill of driving this exceptional car every day. Since 8/22/00, I smile every time I get into it and that little teenage "rush of excitement" just overcomes me.
27k in 10 months and loving it!!
- Transmission leak (Fixed 02/2001)
- 1-2 Syncro TSB (Fixed 02/2001)
- Noisy Clutch TSB
- Driver's side window problem.
- A/C not cooling during idle. Tech found a hole in one of the hoses.
- Infrequent Idling/Hesitation/Stumbling problem when stuck in traffic. Still happens even after dealer replaced MAP sensor. Will attempt IAT sensor at next service.
- One occurence of not being able to rev past 7k RPM after being on the road for 20 or so minutes. Could not repeat with TECH in car.
The sad thing is I don't mind these problems, because the good far outweighs the bad. I simply love driving this car and I will try to keep it maintained throughout my 100k mile extended warranty.
Like most owners, I am addicted to the thrill of driving this exceptional car every day. Since 8/22/00, I smile every time I get into it and that little teenage "rush of excitement" just overcomes me.
27k in 10 months and loving it!!