Problems · NHTSA complaints
2003 Honda S2000 problems
Owners filed 34 complaints about the 2003 Honda S2000 with NHTSA between Jul 2002 and May 2008. The most-cited component is air bags (6).
Complaints
34
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags6
- Visibility5
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Structure3
- Tires2
- Power train2
- Equipment2
- Steering2
- Electrical system1
- Service brakes, air1
- Latches/locks/linkages1
- Other / unknown1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
6
5
11
1
8
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 11 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
6 reports3 crashes1 fire
“DT: CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON AUGUST 1, 2005 . UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. HAD NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK”
Visibility
5 reports
“SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD CRACKS, RIGHT LOWER WINDSHIELD AND LEFT LOWER WINDSHIELD AT 13 MONTHS OF PURCHASE AND 15 MONTHS OF PURCHASE CONSECUTIVELY. MILLER HONDA OF WINCHESTER, VA REFUSES TO FIX SAYING THE CRACKS OCCURRED FROM A STRIKE FROM ROCK OR SOMETHING. WEBSITE FOUND CONTAINING SEVERAL C/O HONDA ELEMENT CRACKED WINDSHIELDS. MILLER HONDA STILL REFUSES TO FIX. *AK”
Engine and engine cooling
4 reports
“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”
Service brakes, hydraulic
4 reports1 crash
“SINCE I BOUGHT MY PILOT LAST NOV. EVERYTIME I APPLY THE BRAKES, GOING LESS THAN 10 MPH, BUT MORE THAN 5 MPH, MY BRAKES POP VERY LOAD, IT CONTINUES EVEN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING ALL DAY. I BOUGHT IT IN TWICE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S SUPPOSE TO DO THAT. I TALK TO PEOPLE THAT OWN PILOTS AND HAVE KNOW PROBLEM WITH LOAD POPPING NOISES WHEN THEY APPLY THE BRAKES. *JB”
Structure
3 reports
“I TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE THE SRS SYSTEM CHECKED BECAUSE THE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DID A 40 POINT INSPECTION WHICH RESULTED IN THE RECOMMENDATION TO REPLACE THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT DUE TO A "FAILURE" IN THE SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD THE MOUNTS (FRONT, SIDE AND BACK) FAIL ON THE HONDA ODYSSEY'S (NEWER MODELS, OURS IS AN '03) OFTEN. THE RESULT OF MOTOR MOUNT FAILURE IS EXCESSIVE MOVEMENT OF THE ENGINE WHEN UNDER "LOAD." I WAS TOLD THAT MEANS THE ENGINE MOVES WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DURING BRAKING, SHARP TURNS, BUMPS AND ACCELERATION. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT ONCE ONE MOTOR MOUNT "BREAKS" THE OTHERS HAVE MORE TENSION AND WILL ALSO FAIL. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PART BE REPLACED BEFORE THE OTHER MOTOR MOUNTS FAIL AND CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS. THIS IS CURRENTLY NOT A RECALL OR FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY. OUR LOCAL HONDA MECHANIC TOLD US THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS SHOULD NEVER FAIL (ESPECIALLY ON SUCH A NEW CAR). HE SAID MOTOR MOUNTS SHOULD OUTLAST THE ENGINE/CAR AND HE HAD NEVER IN ALL OF HIS EXPERIENCE SEEN A MOTOR MOUNT FAIL. *TR”
Tires
2 reports
“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 EVIDENCE OF A PUNCTURE THAT WOULD CAUSE UNDER INFLATION. *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.