VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE
Honda S20002000–2009
Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.
Best Years to Buy a Honda S2000
Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.
Honda S2000 Years to Avoid
2 recalls · 28 complaints
6 reported injuries
Top issue: VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
0 recalls · 14 complaints
Top issue: POWER TRAIN
1 recall · 5 complaints
2 reported injuries
Top issue: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Honda S2000 — Year-by-Year Comparison
Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | Injuries | Deaths | Reliability | Value | Buyer Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 100 | 38 | 78 | Excellent |
| 2008 | 0 | 2 | — | — | 98 | 38 | 77 | Excellent |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 94 | 38 | 74 | Excellent |
| 2006 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 89 | 38 | 71 | Good |
| 2005 | 0 | 14 | — | — | 86 | 38 | 69 | Good |
| 2004 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 99 | 38 | 78 | Excellent |
| 2003 | 0 | 3 | — | — | 97 | 38 | 76 | Excellent |
| 2002 | 0 | 2 | — | — | 98 | 38 | 77 | Excellent |
| 2001 | 0 | 7 | — | — | 93 | 38 | 74 | Good |
| 2000 | 2 | 28 | 6 | — | 59 | 38 | 52 | Avoid |
Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.
Known Honda S2000 Problems
Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.
Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.
Shopping by Era
How each generation of the S2000 compares — best year within each era shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best year S2000 to buy?+
The 2004 Honda S2000 scores highest on our Buyer Score (78/100) — combining a reliability score of 99/100 with a value score of 38/100. It has 0 recalls and 1 NHTSA complaint on record.
Which S2000 years have the most problems?+
The 2000, 2005, 2006 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2000 S2000 leads with 2 recalls and 28 owner complaints.
What is the Buyer Score?+
The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.
What are the most common S2000 problems?+
The most frequently reported Honda S2000 issues involve: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AIR BAGS. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.
Deep-Dive Research
A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.