Problems

[Realdavid]

Seems that a lot of posts deal with mechanical problems clutches, gears, engines, bearings, extended warranties etc.. i recently bought an 01 spa yellow now has 8,500 miles and these stories have me worried.

Are they that delicate? I have owned 15 different sports cars over the past 30 years and the only one that gave me problems was an XKE.

Please tell me that for every problem post there are hunderds of problem free S200s.

[Halo]

Heh. If you had an XKE then I doubt the S will be a 'problem' car for you in comparison.

Seriously though, although still a Honda, the S has some factors that set it apart to keep in mind.

For one thing, the car is unique in the Honda line in that it doesn't share an engine, drivetrain, body parts etc. with ANY other Honda. This means, service peeps at Honda dealers aren't necessarily well trained on how to fix the car. For example, the S is the only Honda with adjustable caster and camber making wheel alignments troublesome for some service depts.

Second, as this is most certainly NOT a FWD econobox, it doesn't get driven as such. Harder driving, relatively high redline, and enthusiast drivers make for a combination that will find problems, however minor.

Specific 'issues' to keep in mind.
1. There was a recall on the plugs pre-02 resulting in new plugs with steel washers and higher torque. Might want to ask your dealer to see if your car had the recall done. Should be able to check in their database based on your VIN.

2. There was a Europe-only recall for the oil injector bolts in mid model 02. The US market cars were not subject to the recall. The jury is still out whether upgrading to the newer bolts (at your own cost, or DIY) is worth it in a stock car.

3. There have been a few complaints about the LSD and clutch having problems, but in some cases related to hard launches from a stop.

Overall, the S still has a better reliability record than the Boxster, Z3 (Z4 is too new to tell) or TT.