I was wondering what are some of the common issues owners are having with the S2000? I saw a thread were an owner said he got rid of his S2000 because of all the trouble he had with it. I thought Honda cars were bulletproof and nearly trouble free????

 

That's a complicated question with no easy answer. Your best bet is to simply spend a few weeks reading the threads here at S2Ki, you'll start to get a feel for the car that way.

Some people have trouble with premature clutch wear and a grind when shifting from first to second at 9000 RPM. Most others, like me, haven't had any mechanical issues.

If you take a look at Consumer Reports automobile reliability figures, they rate the S2000 as much better than average, and this is based on actual owners surveys, so don't let the issues you occasionally read about here give you a bad taste. I think it's safe to say that most people talk about the problems they've had on this BB because it's the best place to find answers, not because the car is in any way a lemon.

 

For Example: I own a 2002 M3. The common complaints from M3 owners are:

1. Cold start issue (engine stumbles and dies after it sits for more than 2 days).
2. Drive train clunk when changing gears.
3. Exhaust vibrates badly when cold for first few minutes.
4. Oct-Dec 01 build cars have very high rate of crank bearing failure.

This is something Consumer Reports won't tell you. This is the same thing I'm looking for concerning a S2000 issues.

 

OK I'll try to be more specific.
1. The shift "grind". Bear in mind this doesn't happen to all cars.
2. Engine consumes some oil during break-in, oil consumption decreases or stops as rings become properly seated.
3. Spark plugs can come loose, there is a TSB out that corrects this.
4. There have been some engine failures due to insufficient oiling in #4 cylinder, again a small number of cars involved.
5. Plastic rear window in '00 and '01 year cars has been a POS from day one, corrected by glass window in '02.

I'm sure I'm missing some, others will chime in. Not listing such things as tire wear and burned out clutches. Tires on this car are Ultra-High Performance Bridgestones, they wear quickly because they are so sticky. Clutch wear typically has to do with driver habits: high-RPM launches result in early clutch replacement, and to get this car to launch quickly from a start, high RPMs are a must.

My MY '01 hasn't had any mechanical issues, but I don't race people or do burnouts, I'm a little more mature than that.
Also, this car was designed with handling in mind, not straight-line acceleration. Owners who attempt to make it into a dragster will often complain of "lack or torque". This is why you need to drive one before buying, most of us find 240 HP and 153 lb/ft of torque perfectly satisfactory.

 

My 02 has had no problems. I changed the tranny and diff oil at 1400 miles to Neo synthetic and mileage has been about 30 driving aggressively, but smooth. My only problem has been in trying to sort out the handling. I can't maintain smooth transitions in high speed corners without correction. I've changed alignment settings and tire pressures, but still have to correct for what seems like a slight initial set and then looseness, then set again. My front wheel drivers do not do this. I've got the chassis pretty much to neutral steer at this point. Other than this issue, if you drive the car smoothly and do not hammer the clutch, it should be a very durable car. During break in, I took extreme pains to do it correctly, as this will determine engine longevity. I have used 1/2 quart in three thousand miles so far.

 

Not to get off-topic, but is this really what it's like to own one of BMW's flagship cars? Damn! So much for fine German engineering! Can't wait till I bust on my friend who just bought a used M3!!

 

I've had only one issue and that is the door windows don't go down all the way when dropping the top (they're supposed to automatically go down when the top is lowered). However, a member here suggested turning the engine on to give it more power to do the top and windows. I haven't had a chance yet to try this out.

 

That's not the problem, the window regulator needs to be replaced. Mine has the same problem, I intend to have it fixed next week, to me it's a minor nuisance, nothing more.

 

Yeah. I know it's the regulator. But this individual said this cured his problem. I know eventually I will have to get it replaced. However, I understand even once the regulator is replaced, the new one may go bad. I'm also waiting for the better regulator.

 

Mine started out requiring two presses of the window down button to get it down all the way, now after the car sat outside for a month in all kinds of weather at the repair shop, I have to hold the button the whole time to make it go down all the way, lending credence to the theory that the contacts become oxidized after exposure to the weather. Makes me glad I have the extended warranty, this may require repair frequently if they don't improve the part. Still just a bloody nuisance though