Most common 2004 Honda S2000 problems
Share of the 5 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda S2000 complaints by model year
Best S2000 years: 2004. Years to avoid: 2000. Compare all years →
What 2004 Honda S2000 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
The differential went out. I know this May sound like a maintenance problem, but this is very common in the Honda S2000 community. The metal (gears) in the housing begin to break apart. All it takes is a chunk of that metal to lodge in to the wrong gear and your wheels could lock up and it doesn't care if you are doing 30 MPH or 90 MPH. This is potentially dangerous or even deadly. My car has approximately 130K miles on it. I was taking a right turn from a dead stop/stop sign when mine failed, fortunately. Again. This is very common for these (differentials) to fail. I was able to get it off of the busy road and on to a residential road. It hasn't drove since. To make matters worse, the rigt turn I was making was at the end of a curve making visibility of my being there very low. Again. …
I have an 04 Honda S2000. The transmission will sometimes pop out of 1st or 2nd gear when you let out the clutch. Almost like it was not in gear to begin with. This is a known issue on the 04 S2000. The service engineer that works for Honda knows about the problem but Honda refuses to make the repairs. This is especially dangerous in a high traffic area because you could try to accelerete through a small break in traffic, making a left hand turn and drift right into oncoming traffic with the engine revving and no acceleration and get killed.
2004 Honda S2000 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 17 / 23 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Sports car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Honda S2000 a good car?
Based on 5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 S2000 rates better than average: 48% fewer complaints than a typical year of the S2000 at the same age. It is one of the best S2000 years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Honda S2000?
The transmission & drivetrain — 4 complaints, 80% of all complaints for this model year, most often about manual transmission. Next are the windows, wipers & sunroof (1) and body & structure (1).
How many recalls does the 2004 Honda S2000 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Honda S2000. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda S2000?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000. See the full Honda S2000 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Honda S2000 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 25,000 miles; 67% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.