4,540 tests in 2025
Honda S2000 reliability and MOT pass rate
85.4% passed first time. The 14.6% fail rate is 8.0 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 21 years old with 75,769 miles.
Pass rate
85.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 14.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
75,769 mi
21 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 2 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 4,538 | 14.5% |
What the S2000 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Brakes82 dangerous33.4%
- Suspension46 dangerous28.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks24.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6 dangerous18.9%
- Visibility18.3%
- Tyres118 dangerous14.8%
- Body, chassis, structure5 dangerous10.1%
- Steering2 dangerous6.4%
Is the S2000 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.4 points to 14.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 0.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,230 | 18 | 16% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 5,145 | 19 | 16% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,266 | 20 | 15.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,540 | 21 | 14.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical S2000 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a S2000 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Service brake performance: excessively binding77 tests
- 2Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits56 tests
- 3Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits52 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working51 tests
- 5Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively48 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm46 tests
- 7Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid41 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak37 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical S2000 collects 2.77 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm410 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure265 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened232 tests
- 4Service brake performance: excessively binding226 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded195 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn195 tests
- 7Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak143 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick141 tests
Questions
What is the Honda S2000 MOT pass rate?
85.4% of the 4,540 Honda S2000 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 14.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Honda S2000 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Service brake performance: excessively binding", recorded on 77 failed tests, followed by "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" and "Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits". By section, brakes appears in 33.4% of failures, suspension appears in 28.3% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 24.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 14.5%. The median Honda S2000 tested in 2025 was 21 years old with 75,769 miles.
Is the Honda S2000 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.4 points to 14.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 0.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every S2000 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Honda models
Checking a particular S2000?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.