Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2005 Honda S2000, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train4
- Vehicle speed control2
- Structure2
- Electrical system2
- Exterior lighting1
- Engine1
- Air bags1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Suspension1
- Seats1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 2005 S2000 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 4 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2005 Honda S2000 failed the safety check 0.48% of the time — 79% less often than the average 2005 passenger car (2.30%). Median odometer at inspection: 59,488 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
47 first registered in 2005 are on Dutch roads; 45% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €48,821.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde28
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld7
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt6
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm6
- Schijf-, trommelrem loopt niet vrij5
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht5
- Drager/bevestigingsmiddel van remvoering raakt trommel/schij4
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)3
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
463 cars built in 2005 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 389 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 718 of these cars first registered in 2005 took their annual MOT test. 81% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2005 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2005 |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 5.7% | 13.7% |
| Suspension | 4.9% | 17.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.6% | 21.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.2% | 6.8% |
| Visibility | 2.9% | 7.5% |
| Tyres | 2.1% | 7.0% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In New Zealand
7 2005 cars are on the New Zealand register; 14% arrived as used imports, 71% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 12.0 L/100 km (about 20 mpg US), CO₂ 276 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2000 · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 13.5 | 10.1 | 12.0 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2005 Honda S2000.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Honda told its dealers about the 2005 Honda S2000: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10186009 | "Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector -Ultrasonic Leak Detector -Leak Dye" |
| 10128559 | Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of July 23, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and service bulletins 14-040, Safety Recall: Accord, Civic, and Others ? Front Passenger?s Airbag Inflator Can Be Over-Pressurized, 14-045, Recall: Front Driver?s Airbag Inflator May Produce Excessive Pressure After Long-Term Exposure to High Absolute Humidity Recall, and 14-046, Recall: Front Passenger?s Airbag Inflator May Produce Excessive Pressure After Long-Term Exposure to High Absolute Humidity have been posted to I |
| 10128531 | Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated. |
| 10053545 | HONDA: TROUBLESHOOTING OF DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) P1456 AND P1457. DEALERS ARE TO RUN EVAP FUNCTION TEST TO FIND IF THERE IS A LEAK SO THE VEHICLE CAN BE REPAIRED. *KB |
| 10043248 | HONDA: ON SOME MODEL VEHICLES, THERE IS AN ALTERNATOR/STARTER TESTER (AST) MODULE CAPABLE OF TESTING ALTERNATORS, INSTALLED ON GR8 DIAGNOSTIC BATTERY STATION. *PE |
| 10032953 | HONDA: WARRANTY EXTENSION-VEHICLE WARRANTY MILEAGE. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ALLEGING THAT THE ODOMETERS ON CERTAIN 2002-2006 HONDA MODELS WERE OVERSTATING MILEAGE. FEDERAL COURT PROVIDED FINAL APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT ON 12/29/07. NO MODELS LISTED. *PE |
| 10025523 | LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY REDUCED LABEL FOR ALL HONDA VEHICLES. *PE |
| 10018868 | TRANSMISSION GRINDS AT SHIFTS, SKIP SHIFTING. *TT |
| 10018471 | ENGINE OIL COOLER CENTER BOLT TORQUE SPEC. *NM |
| 10018159 | PILOT- KNOWNGOOD PCM SWAP WITH SIDEWINDER KEY. *JB |
| 10018085 | REAR AXLE CREAK OR GRUNT NOISE AT LOW SPEEDS. *TT |
| 10017429 | TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF 2ND GEAR. *TT |
| 10017042 | INTERMITTENT HESITATION DURING HARD ACCELERATION. *TT |
| 10016342 | ENGINE FALTERS, NO POWER, WON'T REV OVER 7,000 RPM. HONDA SERVICENEWS. *TT |
| 10014737 | CREAK OF GRUNT FROM REAR OF VEHICLE AT LOW SPEEDS. *EH |
| 10014480 | XM RADIO ERROR MESSAGES. *EH |
| 10014283 | NEW SOFTWARE FOR HDS (HONDA DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM): VERSION 1.013.008 *SC |
| 10013833 | SENDING HDS SNAPSHOT. *EH |
| 10013658 | XM SATELLITE RADIO MESSAGING AT A GLANCE. HONDA SERVICENEWS. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)