HONDA S2000 · model year

2003 HONDA S2000

8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003HONDAS2000 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 S2000 is engine and engine cooling:engine with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 77 investigation files overlapping the 2003 S2000, and 9 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

8
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
STRUCTURE1
TIRES1

Recent Complaints

20080506TIRES

WHILE TRAVELING ON A FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY. I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND DROVE IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. AN INSPECTION SHOWED THE TIRE WAS SLIGHTLY INFLATED. (THE RIM WAS NOT CRUSHED INTO THE RUBBER.) I DETERMINED THAT THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER AND TAKE THE FIRST EXIT TO GET AWAY FROM THE HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC WHERE I CHANGED THE TIRE. THE TIRE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO RIDING ON AN UNDER INFLATED TIRE. THIS IS NOT SO. BEFORE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED, I WALKED TO MY CAR FROM THE RIGHT REAR AND I WOULD HAVE NOTICED AN UNDER INFLATED TIRE. ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER LEAVING THAT PARKING PLACE THE TIRE FAILED. MY CAR IS A HONDA S2000 AND I FUSS OVER IT ALL THE TIME. THE TIRES ARE WELL INSPECTED WHEN THE CAR IS WASHED AND THEN TIRE SHINE IS APPLIED. THE TIRE WAS NOT UNDER INFLATED. THE TIRE DEALER COULD FIND NO EVI

Mileage: 23,000

20070531STRUCTURE

THE CONVERTIBLE SOFT TOP SEEMS TO HAVE LITTLE HOLES APPEARING THROUGHOUT THE TOP. ALSO CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP ARE ALSO RIPPED DUE TO MANUFACTURING PROBLEMS. *TR

20070515ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE VEHICLE THOROUGHLY MAINTAINED LOST VALVE IN CYLINDER 3.I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT VEHICLE WAS OVER REVVED. I WAS AT A CONSTANT SPEED ON THE HIGH WAY WITH A STATE TROOPER IN FRONT OF ME SO THERE WENT THE OVER REVVED THEORY THAT THEY SEEM TO LIKE PRESENTING EVERYONE. SO IF SOME ONE COULD TELL ME WHY HONDA IS SCREWING EVERYBODY OVER WITH THEIR WARRANTY CLAIM I WOULD APPRECIATE IT,SINCE THE DEALER WANTS TO PUT A MOTOR IN THE CAR FOR 11K.P.S. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 7,000 MILES AND OWE CLOSE TO 200O0 ON THE CAR SO WHAT DO I DO FROM HERE?IM SPEAKING WITH A LAWYER ABOUT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT.THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS BEING TOLD THE SAME THING LIES. *AK

Mileage: 50,500

20060103CrashSTEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED TWICE FOR ABOUT THREE SECONDS EACH TIME. THREE MINUTES LATER, WHILE ENTERING A CURVE, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND IT HIT A CONCRETE BARRICADE ON THE LEFT SIDE , CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BOUNCE BACK ONTO THE ROAD AND HITTING THE CONCRETE BARRICADE A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE QUARTER PANEL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND FOUND PART OF THE STEERING COLUMN LYING ON THE ROAD ABOUT 25 FEET BEFORE THE CRASH SITE. THE PART WAS NOT RETRIEVED DUE TO THE TRAFFIC. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER BOTH WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS AND SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. *AK

Mileage: 18,000

20041101ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE SIEZED, HONDA REFUSES TO HONOR WARRANTY. ALTERNATELY CLAIMS LOW OIL WHICH IS INCORRECT, AND NO OIL LIGHT WAS INDICATED, OR AFTERMARKET AIR INTAKE SYSTEM IN CLEAR VIOLATION OF MAGUNUSSON - MOSS. ESCALATION TO HONDA HQ HAS RESULTED IN NO RESPONSE.*AK SAFETY ISSUE: IF THIS HAD OCCURED AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE REAR WHEELS WOULD HAVE IMEDIATELY LOCKED UP CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND ASSOCIATED ACCIDENT/INJURY.

Mileage: 26,000

20040803ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE BEGAN KNOCKING WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY. 14741 MILES ON CAR.OIL LEVEL WAS FULL AND HAD ~1600 MILES ON OIL AND FILTER CHANGE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. WARRANTY DENIED BY HONDA. ENGINE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE.*AK

Mileage: 14,741

20040716ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY CASE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER SINCE IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SAID IT WAS A COMPUTER GLICH AND THEY RESET THE COMPUTER. A WEEK LATER ON A TRIP TO TEXAS THE LIGHT RETURNED. WE TOOK THE CAR AGAIN TO THE CLOSEST HONDA DEALER IN TEXAS. THEY CHECKED CAR AND REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES. THE LIGHT STAYED! THEY THEN SAID THAT CYLINDER 2 FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL DAYS! THEY TOLD US TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BACK HOME TO OKLAHOMA AND THEN TAKE IT TO OUR HONDA DEALER. WE DID AND NOW THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER SAYS THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS CYLINDER 2 REPLACED! THEY SAY IT ISN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE REVIVED THE RMPS TO HIGH. WE DID NO SUCH THING AND THEY WANT $1700 TO FIX THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF FAILURE. WE WILL SOON BE FILING SUIT AND CONTACTING THE BBB SINCE THEY WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE WARRANTY! I HAVE READ AND SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

Mileage: 13,778

20040427CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE BRAKING VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HIT A GUARD RAIL. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP , BUT DEALERSHIP DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Mileage: 13,000

Compare 2003HONDAS2000 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 9 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 HONDA S2000 have?
The 2003 HONDA S2000 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 HONDA S2000?
The most-complained component for the 2003 HONDA S2000 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 2003 HONDA S2000 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.