How reliable is the s2000?

[Cool Breez]

Here is my short little story of why Im here..........

My first car was a 90 HONDA ACCORD, got it had 220,000 miles when it finally died and it only died because a drunk driver totaled it, next was a honda civic ex..I beat the living hell out of that car and it loved it. I put a lot of mods on it and the car just responded great, it had over 100,000 miles on it and was the most relibale car i have ever had, Since i traded in my civic back in 2002 and i have miserable ever since........................................... I have had 3 mitubish eclipse that were horrible..3 engines blew, 2 transmitions and a bunch of other problems, I have owened a mazda protege and that also blew tranny and other things. Bought a 240sx and the original motor crapped out on me so I swapped it for the all powerfull sr20 turbo motor.....well dont ya know after 2 weeks of driving it i now have some rod knock due to oil pump failure


I decided after the last little engine failure i had enouph!!! I should have never strayed from the honda family, NEVER! My family has owned honda cars my hole life. prelude/accord/civic/passport/ And I plan on going back to my roots. I decided to really take a look at the s2000 because its rear wheel drive( the 240 got me hooked) It looks sexy, and from what i hear is damn fast.

I have a few questions before i go get one though.........

1) are they reliable?
2) can this be a daily driver car?
3) can i beat on it?
4) are there any motor problems i should know about whith this car?
5) is it high maintenance?
6) when things do break is it really expensive?
7) could this car still be any good at 100,000 miles?
how well do the stock internals hold up to boost?

Thanks guys, sorry this is so long.
Dan

[Java Junky]

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Requires oil, air, fuel.
No.
Depends on the "things".
Opinion territory: yes, but less the 100,000 miles of newness.
So much for my experience. Wait one. A forced induction specialist will be along shortly.
Be well.
Java

[Bubblerboy64]

(I am of the opinion that with respect to major engine and transmission longjevity the cars are more similar then different. Metal is metal. The original poster didn't relate how many miles he had on those cars that failed to meet his expectations nor how he used them. Car quality seems to be more in connected to the fit and finish of materials involved with the "finish" of cars. Do the high end cars last longer then the cheaper cars? On the average likely not. I related engine failure and transmission failure more to miles used and the type of use given then to the actual quality of the car. Just my take on this. Everyones experience is different. John H)

[Cool Breez]

Bubbler:

my sr20 240sx only had 30,000 on the motor and tranny..I only raced it 3 times, and kept it a grand under red line. babyed it all the time and put nothing but the best gass, oil, and parts. and the same with the civc except it had 90,000 miles on it.

I drive hard, but i dont beat the hell out of my cars, but when someone lines thier car up next to mine reving thier motor......well I want to be able to stomp on the gass with out worry.

Im lookiing at a couple s2000'a right now but because of my lack of money im only able to spend around $12,000...thats why im stuck in the 90-100 thousand mile range. I just wanted to know if it was even worth it. I dont want another headach on my hands. So far I have only found problems with the s2k's tranny. and some premature clutch problems but thats not that big of a deal. Any other problems i should be awear of?

If i do end up getting this car i have to boost it...once you go turbo you will never go back....its just too much fun, the sound of the turbo spooling up and your neck flying back in your seat after you make full boost is just the best feeling!......But I know that will be an expensive venture.. I already have a intercooler with universal pipes/blow off valve/fuel pressure regulator/ s15 turbo(2000-2003 silvia turbo), and some other parts left over from my sr20 swap, so maybe it wont be too expensive.

Do they sell reformated ecu's for the s2k in order to except boost? and will the stock maf work as well?

and my last question I swear.....how bad is the cost of insurence on this car? I would think because most people that own and drive an s2k would be a little on the older side and have better driving records, It might not be as bad as Im expecting.. Im about to turn 25 this month so i know that will help with the cost as well.

Sorry for all the questions, Im just getting excited of the possibiliy of owning a beautiful, quick, and honda made car!

[Bubblerboy64]

Cool Breez, Oh to be 25 years old again for just a day!! Well, to answer your questions. The S 2000 is pretty reliable but it is a sports car. What that tells me that a car with 90 to 100 K on it has likely been run pretty hard. Even old guys like me "use" a S2000 a little differently then the wife uses her toyota. That stands to reason so unless you are extremely fortunate to find that one car in one thousand that was driven only for its looks and not is its purpose I think you could figure that the Honda as any sports car is going to need more then the typical repairs. It certainly would or should be better then the cars of my youth the MG's and Triumphs but to think that you would buy an high miles S2000 and have few repairs is being at least optimistic. I have found that car expenses are as follows: If you buy a used car to save money often the cost of the car plus the repairs comes close to the cost of the newer car. I would suggest it a gamble to buy anything older then a couple years old and more then lets say 40,000 miles. I remember buying a used car to save money and two years later figuring I was paying for a new car why not be driving one. Consider that in your planning. At your age you obviously want an S2000 (who can blame you). But from the stand point of the finances it likely is a poor choice. (Sound like your father?) I would just suggest that you consider spending the money up front and getting a newer lower miles car rather then gambling on an almost certain looser and spending as much or more. In the end reality sucks doesn't it? Insurance?
Call you agent and find out. Ain't going to be cheap. John H

[s2000isu]

you will blow it up dont buy it. If you have killed all those cars in the past then what makes you think the s will be any different? You want to boost a high revving high mileage high compression motor and want it to be low maintenance and reliable. Time to whip out the wad of cash to build something that can fit all those parameters. I know all about boost and what to much feels like and even the best built motor cant take it. Ask me how I know . Youre best off buying a beater to boost and destroy and leave the s stock. Or buy a kit made for the s and run the boost they recommend and don't touch it. I was also wondering your accord you liked so much was is boosted?

[Cool Breez]

s2000:

lol. no the accord ws not boosted...It just seemed to last forever like every other honda i have owned. I can handle not boosting the s2k...i would prefer to slap a tubo on there but if the motor does not respond well to turbo aplications then I suppose a super charger like alot of people on this forum have will be just fine. Im not even going to be upgrading the motor for some time. I have other things I would much rather do first...like get a hard top for the car, or a front lip. Making an already fast car go faster is not high on my list.

Me and my family only seem to be lucky with hondas so thats why I ask about reliability of the s2k. I want a honda...but i want rear wheel drive,.....well that only seems to leave one car, so I hope that helps explain interest in this little car. Im not a ricer so please dont get that impression, I am just curious about what this car has to offer...just doing my homework.


Bubbler:

You have been very helpfull thank you .............I agree with you on a lot of points you made here. I would just need the motor to last me around a year. Then I can tear into the motor and Replace parts such as, rods/crank/bearings/pistons and so on. Im good with motors so some natural wear and tear does not bother me as you mentioned...I guess you kinda have to expect some issues with a flat out sports car with that many miles...thanks for giving me a little common sense

I guess me questions really were more or less to know if the same quality and craftsmen ship went into this car as in all other honda cars. That meaning can I expect this car to last me if i treat her right, and can she take some punishment from time to time. Thanks again for really taking the time to inform me on this car. I really do appreciate it

Now one more question.....How much fun is this car? Is this one of your all time favorite cars? Or would you guys given the chance go out and buy something else? . Do you regret buying this car for any reasons?

[Bubblerboy64]

As I might have mentioned I am 60 yrs old so I have had a couple cars from which to reference. Never owned a high end sports car but as compaired to what I have owned ( Z's, Rx7's, Miata's) this car is without a question the best built and the most fun to drive. I think my favorite was and old Austin Healey 3000 that was just worn out but I think that was romance rather then reality. There was just something special about that car which I could never put into words. Of the modern cars the Honda is the best of the bunch I have had the pleasure of owning. It fits me well. Its not for tall or real big people. It fits me like a glove and the car is just made to drive. I would not be happy with it as my only car. There are times when I want the smooth quiet ride of the sedan's. I consider this S2000 a four wheeled motor cycle. I gave up the bikes because I got fearful of riding them. The Honda makes that reality easier to accept. They are well built and lots of fun. But they are pure sports cars. I would love to and may very well drive a Porsche some time just to compare but for what I paid I couldn't be happier. John H

[Vezna31]

Originally Posted by s2000isu

you will blow it up dont buy it. If you have killed all those cars in the past then what makes you think the s will be any different? You want to boost a high revving high mileage high compression motor and want it to be low maintenance and reliable. Time to whip out the wad of cash to build something that can fit all those parameters. I know all about boost and what to much feels like and even the best built motor cant take it. Ask me how I know . Youre best off buying a beater to boost and destroy and leave the s stock. Or buy a kit made for the s and run the boost they recommend and don't touch it. I was also wondering your accord you liked so much was is boosted?

Plus, The S2000 is not known to be a drag racer. It is known for not having a strong rear differential. If you expect to stomp on it like that, you'll go through diffs and money very quickly.

[allmotor13]

1) are they reliable?
its a honda so you know its reliable

2) can this be a daily driver car?
I use my s2k as a daily driver

3) can i beat on it?
its a sports car not a beater. if you plain on beating the s2k dont buy it

4) are there any motor problems i should know about whith this car?
i havent had any problem or heard of any for the matter of the engine having problems

5) is it high maintenance?
all cars are high maintenance

6) when things do break is it really expensive?
just like any other car things always break when you least expect it. and is always expensive

7) could this car still be any good at 100,000 miles?
again its a honda what do you think.

how well do the stock internals hold up to boost?
please dont turbo that car...hondas should stay allmotor.

[67AtlasDave]

My father-in-law owns a Honda Acura Repair shop and my wife use to work for him (She is now NNICU Nurse) so i see the cost of parts all the time from his store.. My brother-in-law use to work for a local Ford Dealership and now currently work with my father-in-law and he said parts wher marked up at the dealership almost 300% Part mark up at my father-in-law's shop...12.5%. One can draw there own conclusions from that. Now my brother-in-law is the proud new owner of an NSX and part for him (cost only) are so ridicusly crazy i would never own an NSX.

[desmo4]

Originally Posted by Cool Breez

Here is my short little story of why Im here..........

My first car was a 90 HONDA ACCORD, got it had 220,000 miles when it finally died and it only died because a drunk driver totaled it, next was a honda civic ex..I beat the living hell out of that car and it loved it. I put a lot of mods on it and the car just responded great, it had over 100,000 miles on it and was the most relibale car i have ever had, Since i traded in my civic back in 2002 and i have miserable ever since........................................... I have had 3 mitubish eclipse that were horrible..3 engines blew, 2 transmitions and a bunch of other problems, I have owened a mazda protege and that also blew tranny and other things. Bought a 240sx and the original motor crapped out on me so I swapped it for the all powerfull sr20 turbo motor.....well dont ya know after 2 weeks of driving it i now have some rod knock due to oil pump failure


I decided after the last little engine failure i had enouph!!! I should have never strayed from the honda family, NEVER! My family has owned honda cars my hole life. prelude/accord/civic/passport/ And I plan on going back to my roots. I decided to really take a look at the s2000 because its rear wheel drive( the 240 got me hooked) It looks sexy, and from what i hear is damn fast.

I have a few questions before i go get one though.........

1) are they reliable?
2) can this be a daily driver car?
3) can i beat on it?
4) are there any motor problems i should know about whith this car?
5) is it high maintenance?
6) when things do break is it really expensive?
7) could this car still be any good at 100,000 miles?
how well do the stock internals hold up to boost?

Thanks guys, sorry this is so long.
Dan

Mine has 100600 and is way better than when it was new.

Jonathan

[philiam]

Contrary to a previous post, all cars are not created equally. Pick up the current(April 0 issue of Consumer Reports, the car issue. It has ratings on reliability for every production car made, going back several years. The ratings are based surveys of 1.3 million people who actually drive the cars. Even the same model will vary from year to year. Only 2 companies are recommend 100%. Honda is one. Among the worst makes were Mercedes and Rover.

Stewies are like women. Treat them kindly and you won't regret it. Take them for granted and you'll pay the piper.

[cdgs2000]

If you are willing to sacrafice reliability for boost then slap a big ole compressor on there en listen to her whistle. lol. The S2k IMO is a very reliable car in stock form, and even with minor mods, It will not dissapoint you Im sure.

[MattG]

110,000 kms - daily driver 1999 model.

Problems that required fixing:
1. Air pump (possible due to an accident a few months beforehand)
2. Master cylinder for clutch seals needed replacing.

Apart from regular scheduled maintenance and oil changes every 5000kms, that is all.

[TheSoundMan21]

Cool Breeze man I am 23 with a clean record (miracle). It is my daily and I only have 53,000 miles. I live in OK. and my insurance is $137 a month. Cheapest I have paid in a long time. (Cause my record went clean a couple months back). I have owned a Mini Cooper S and a BMW 328is and my favorite an 8.0 liter V-10 Dodge that good truck thought me how to slide. The S2000 is the best out the group. I like it.

She is a twitchy car but in the right hands its art.

[army_boy]

I have a question, i havent bought mine yet, but im just tring to see how well the stock parts hold up with a little bit of power going though them, li,ke the clutch, tranny, drivetrain in general, im looking to get about 300WHP out of mine, and im kinda concered with the tranny, i was going to replace the clutch with a sprots package one. I kno that 300 whp isnt a huge gain over the stock, but just looking to avoid problems be4 they start thanks guys