2002 Honda S2000 Problems

2002 HONDA S2000 ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING DUE TO SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. *TS NEITHER THE DEALER, MANUFACTURER OR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD COVER THE COST OF REPAIR. FOUR WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A WEAK BATTERY AND REPLACED IT ALONG WITH THE SPARK PLUGS. AFTER THAT REPAIR THE DEALER STATED EVERYTHING WAS FINE. UPON THE CONSUMER'S REQUEST THE DEALER DID A FURTHER BREAK DOWN OF THE ENGINE AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE LOCK UP WAS CAUSED BY A MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN OF A WORN OUT THRUST WASHER. *NM

(1) NO KNOWN EVENTS LEADING UP TO FIRST FAILURE. SECOND FAILURE, IS DUE TO AN UNEXPLAINED OIL LOSS. NO OIL TRAILS ARE VIABLE FROM / ON THE ENGINE, NOR ARE THERE PUDDLES PRESENT IN THE DRIVEWAY. LAST OIL CHANGE WAS LESS THE 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE CRANK BEARING FAILURE. OIL LEVEL VERIFIED GOOD BY OWNER PRIOR TO LEAVING SERVICE STATION AND AT NO TIME DID THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT COME ON. (2) "FIRST FAILURE", HEAD DAMAGE DUE TO MISALIGNED VALVE AND LOSS OF COMPRESSION ON CYLINDER #3. SECOND FAILURE, SHORT-BLOCK DAMAGE DUE TO OIL LOSS AND SUBSEQUENT BEARING DAMAGE. FAILURE CONFIRMED OFF CYLINDER # 3, WITH STETHOSCOPE. (3) REBUILT THE HEAD UNIT AT 6 MONTHS WORTH OF MY TIME, AND AT A COST OF $3,500. CURRENTLY WAITING HAVE THE SHORT BLOCK REPLACED TO CORRECT ITS BEARING FAILURE, AT AN EST. COST OF $8,000. ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN DONE WITH OUT ASSISTANCE FROM HONDA, DESPITE MY BEST EFFORTS IN REPEATEDLY ASKING FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE / COMPENSATION. HONDA AND THEIR DEALERS DO THEIR BEST TO DELAY, IGNORE, REFUTE ALL CLAIMS IN THE HOPES THAT I'LL JUST GO AWAY. I HAVE READ SIMILAR POSTS ABOUT ENGINE FAILURES FOR THE SK2, ALL HAVING A SIMILAR FAILURE ON CYLINDER # 3, AND ALL GETTING THE SAME RESPONSE / TREATMENT FROM HONDA: "THAT THE CUSTOMER CREATED THIS PROBLEM" OR "DESPITE THE FACT IT'S UNDER WARRANTY, IT'S YOUR FAULT THE ENGINE FAILED, AND HENCE WE WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF REPAIRS" EITHER HONDA IS UNAWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ITS DEALERS (WHICH SERIOUSLY I DOUBT), OR IT DOESN'T CARE. REGARDLESS, ITS SERVICE DEALERS ARE RUNNING AMOK, MAKING UPWARDS OF 3 TO 8 THOUSAND DOLLARS A VEHICLE. *AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA S2000. THE CONTACT STATED HE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 50 MPH AROUND A CURVE. THE REAR TIRES WOULD NOT GRIP THE ROADWAY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD INTO A NEARBY FOREST. THE VEHICLE CRASHED WITH AN UNKNOWN OBJECT AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A LUNG INJURY, BROKEN RIBS AND CONTUSIONS. THE PASSENGER OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE AND NECK. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED ON SCENE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 97,000.

WHILE DRIVING 44 MPH VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT CRASHED INTO A CEMENT BARRIER. DRIVER TO SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION.*JB

MY HONDA S2000, WHICH WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JUNE OF 2002 CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA SO-2 TIRES FRONT AND REAR. THIS VEHICLE IS USED AS A THIRD VEHICLE IN A TWO DRIVER HOUSEHOLD, AND IS USED ONLY AS A DAILY COMMUTER CAR TO TRAVEL 15 MILES TO WORK (ROUND TRIP). I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR MY STATE INSPECTION, AND AT 6100 MILES, THE REAR TIRES WERE DOWN BELOW 2/32 OF TREAD DEPTH AND THE FRONT TIRES WERE FEATHERED BADLY ON THE INSIDE EDGES (BOTH) AND TREAD WAS BELOW 5/32 OF DEPTH. I HAVE SEEN MANY POSTS OF PEOPLE WITH THESE TIRES WHO HAVE HAD TREAD LIFE WELL BELOW 10K MILES UNDER LITE DRIVING CONDITIONS, WHILE OTHERS CLAIM UP TO 20K, EVEN UNDER HEAVY CONDITIONS. THE TIRES WERE UNACCEPTABLE IN THE RAIN AFTER ABOUT 4000 MILES ON IT AS THE REAR WOULD FISHTAIL EVEN UNDER THE LIGHTEST OF CORNERING. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF HONDA AND BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTON, AND NO ONE SEEMS TO WANT TO FESS UP TO A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN BATCHES OF THE TIRE HAVING TOO SOFT A COMPUND, OR DESIGN SPEC ISSUES. THIS IS A SERIOUS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. IF I HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE MORE OFTEN, I WOULD HAVE RUN THE RISK OF HAVING A TIRE PROBLEM (BLOWOUT OR LOSS OF CONTROL) DUE TO UNACCEPTABLE TIRE WEAR ON THE DRIVE WHEELS. *AK