Ive just bought an s2000 and am very pleased with it however im a bit curious on how reliable the engines are producing the BHP that they do. I have two other hondas (civic and CRX) and have never had any major problems there. Has anyone got any accounts of s2000 reliability/horror stories? My car is a 99 shape with 21000miles on the clock and full honda history. any input would be great
thanks

 

With proper maintenance, and not beating the crap out of her, I don't see any real problems. Hopefully the previous owner took care of her. Do you have any warranty? I'm sure S2k owners can give you more info. Congrats on the purchase...

 

Just keep up on the the maitenence intervals and keep an eye on oil consuption. Mine uses just under a quart per 3500 miles. The S-02 OEM tires grip like none other I've driven but don't expect them to last very long. I've had second gear problems with my 2003 where on a 1-2 shift at 7500+ RPM would grind 2nd bad, been to 2 different dealerships and not that happy there but it's intermittent. You should be under the "clutch buzz" TSB so if you hear any wierd noises other than the usual loud transmission take it to the dealer. http://www.s2ki.com has some very good posts on problems and solutions. Also make sure the #4 spark plug is torqued to the "updated" setting to prevent it from working itself loose.

 

most significant (and sometimes most commonly ignored) thing to watch for is differential failure. Either from the pinion/ring gear or bearing cap cracking/breaking. Best preventative practices to avoid such failure: 1. regular diff fluid changing (go ahead and change it now, in case previous owner didn't. Mobil-1 75w90 seems to be the most popular choice), 2. avoiding high rpm clutch drops.. Aside from that, most are virtually trouble free with regular maintenance and care.