Honda S2000: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Honda S2000 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 7.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 4,947 individual Honda S2000 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 84.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 16 in every 100 Honda S2000s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Honda S2000 tested had covered 77,480 miles and was built around 2004.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Honda S2000 sits 7.5 points above the national average, ranked 1,290 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Honda S2000 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Honda S2000s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Honda S2000

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.8% of tests (4.97x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 1.1% of tests (4.16x the national rate for this defect)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 1% of tests (3.71x the national rate for this defect)
4. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.6% of tests (2.5x the national rate for this defect)
5. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 1.1% of tests (2.18x the national rate for this defect)
6. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 1% of tests (1.94x the national rate for this defect)
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.8% of tests
8. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.3% of tests
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.2% of tests
10. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.1% of tests

From 4,946 DVSA-tracked Honda S2000 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.71% of these flagged Honda S2000 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Honda S2000

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Honda S2000 before it actually fails on it.

1. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 6.2% of tests (3.1x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.6% of tests (2.89x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 2.9% of tests (2.27x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 8.8% of tests (1.7x the national rate for this advisory)
5. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 2.3% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 16.7% of tests, also fails
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 10.1% of tests
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 9.1% of tests
9. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 6.4% of tests
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 6.3% of tests

From 4,946 DVSA-tracked Honda S2000 tests, 2024.

Honda S2000 pass rate by model year

From its 2000 to its 2009 model year, the Honda S2000's first-time pass rate has risen 12.3 points, from 80.1% to 92.4%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Honda S2000 year:

• 2000 Honda S2000 - 80.1% first-time pass, 322 tests
• 2001 Honda S2000 - 79.2% first-time pass, 226 tests
• 2002 Honda S2000 - 83.2% first-time pass, 607 tests
• 2003 Honda S2000 - 81.1% first-time pass, 608 tests
• 2004 Honda S2000 - 85.2% first-time pass, 669 tests
• 2005 Honda S2000 - 86% first-time pass, 701 tests
• 2006 Honda S2000 - 84.6% first-time pass, 539 tests
• 2007 Honda S2000 - 87.3% first-time pass, 463 tests
• 2008 Honda S2000 - 87.3% first-time pass, 284 tests
• 2009 Honda S2000 - 92.4% first-time pass, 342 tests

Other Honda models

• Honda Jazz - 78.7%
• Honda Civic - 73.4%
• Honda Cr-V - 79.3%
• Honda Hr-V - 89.8%
• Honda Accord - 68%
• Honda Jazz Ex I-Mmd Cvt - 95.6%
• Honda Insight - 78.1%
• Honda Fr-V - 63.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Ford Transit 350 Leader Ecoblue - 84.3%
• Porsche Boxster - 84.2%
• BMW 220 - 84.2%
• Maserati Ghibli - 84.2%
• BMW 428 - 84.2%
• Ford Transit Custom 280 Trend Eblue - 84.2%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate