Selling a crashed or broken-down Honda S2000

The federal safety file on this car is short. NHTSA holds 107 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns across all ten years, and more than a third of those complaints concern the first year, the 2000. Below is what each recall fixed, what owners reported, and the count for every year.

AP1 or AP2: which one do you have?

Honda's chassis codes split the S2000 into two cars. The halves had different engines and came from different plants. Our complaint and recall counts come from NHTSA's data as downloaded on October 10, 2026.

The production car launched on April 15, 1999, for Honda's 50th anniversary, and reached US showrooms as a 2000 model. It took its name from the 2.0-liter engine. Honda built the first cars at Takanezawa, the plant that also made the Acura NSX.

For 2004 the engine grew to 2.2 liters for North America and Japan; Wikipedia says other markets kept the F20C. The 2006 cars gained a drive-by-wire throttle. A CR trim went on sale in the fall of 2007 as a 2008 model, which Honda called an "aggressively-tuned vehicle" inspired by club racing. In January 2009 Honda said the 2009 would be the final S2000, after more than 110,000 sales in 64 countries. Production ended that June.

The five recalls

Three of the five campaigns apply only to the 2000. Two also covered other vehicles, so their vehicle counts are campaign totals, not S2000 totals.

Seat belts on the 2000 (two recalls). Recall 00V016, from January 2000, covered 4,930 cars. With the top down and the seat slid all the way back, the belts might not retract, and NHTSA's notice says the slack "can reduce the protective capability and effectiveness of the belts." Dealers fitted a new convertible top cover so it stopped catching the belt. Recall 00V316 followed that October for 9,147 cars: a front belt retractor could deform and lock, so the belt could not be pulled out or worn. The remedy was a new seat belt actuator assembly.

Tail lamps on the 2000. Recall 04V257, filed in June 2004, covered 7,067 cars. The side marker lens and side reflector inside each tail lamp were made with the wrong dye, so they failed federal lamp standard 108. Dealers swapped the tail lamp assemblies.

Brake booster, 2006-2007. Recall 13V246, filed June 13, 2013, covers S2000s built from January 19 to November 13, 2006, which includes early 2007 models. The booster may not hold vacuum. With less assist, the driver has to push the pedal harder, and the car can take longer to stop. Dealers inspect the booster and replace it free when needed. The campaign's 18,352 vehicles include 2006 Acura RSX cars as well as S2000s.

Owner's manual, 2006. Recall 06V270 corrected the NHTSA safety hotline details printed in owner's manuals. Honda mailed owners a postcard to tuck into the manual. Its 1,190,000 vehicles span 45 Honda and Acura listings, motorcycles among them, so that figure says nothing about S2000 numbers.

None of the five is an air bag inflator recall, and none of the Honda warranty extensions we have on file names the S2000. Coverage goes by VIN and build date, so run yours through NHTSA's recall lookup anyway.

What owners told NHTSA

Each complaint is filed under the systems it names. Over the ten years, engine and engine cooling comes up most, in 16 complaints, and 15 of those are on 2000-2003 cars. Structure follows with 12, spread from 2000 to 2006. Power train has 10, eight of them on 2004-2007 cars. Our data holds those categories, not the owners' own write-ups, so we don't name a cause for any cluster.

The 2000 stands apart. Its 40 complaints name exterior lighting 8 times and visibility 8 times, and seat belts 4 times, in the same year both belt recalls landed. The six AP2 years add up to 36 complaints, about half the 71 filed on the four AP1 years.

Of all 107, 14 report a crash and 4 a fire. Across them, owners list 10 people injured and no deaths.

Year-by-year complaint and recall counts

As of October 10, 2026. Recall 13V246 counts in both 2006 and 2007, so the recall column adds to 6 for 5 campaigns. The last column leaves out NHTSA's "unknown or other" category.

Should you fix it first?

We have no sourced repair prices for this car, so we won't guess at any. Get a written quote, then set it beside what a running S2000 like yours sells for. When the quote comes near that figure or passes it, selling the car unrepaired usually makes more sense.

• Check the VIN for open recalls. On a 2006 or 2007, ask a Honda dealer whether the 13V246 booster inspection was ever done.
• After a crash. Once the insurance company calls the roadster totaled, our wrecked car guide explains how that verdict is reached and what selling looks like.
• A failed engine. Engine complaints bunch up on the 2000-2003 cars, though NHTSA's counts don't say why. The blown engine guide helps you weigh a replacement.
• Parked for a long time. Read car sitting for years before deciding it's dead.
• Parting it out. Selling the engine, wheels and seats one at a time takes tools, room and buyers. Part it out or sell it whole compares the two.

Getting your S2000 picked up

1. Have the details handy: VIN, year, mileage, what's wrong, whether it rolls, and how the soft top looks.
2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it is: a garage, a driveway, a storage unit or a body shop. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Mention what isn't stock. Note any changed wheels, exhaust or suspension, and anything already removed. Leave the rest on the car.
5. Paperwork for the driver: the title and a photo ID, plus any keys you still have. Plate rules vary by state; after you sell lists them.

No title? Start with the no-title guide. For other two-door Hondas, see the Prelude, del Sol and CR-Z, or every Honda we cover.