Kawasaki
Kawasaki has 49 model lines on NHTSA's register (model years 1977–2026), with 64 recall campaigns and 425 consumer complaints.
Campaigns were most numerous in 2008 (8). The component complaints name most often is exterior lighting (191 per 1,000 component mentions). The KLR650 line has the most complaints, 186 over 14 model years.
A further 3 equipment, tire or child-seat campaigns name Kawasaki and are listed on monthly pages. Comparisons here are between Kawasaki model lines; complaint counts across makes depend on fleet size and reporting rates and are not compared.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Model lines
Ordered by total complaints. "Per model year" divides complaints by the number of model years on the register, a comparison within Kawasaki only.
| Model line | Model years | Campaigns | Complaints | Per model year | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLR650 | 14 | 1 | 186 | 13.3 | Exterior Lighting |
| Concours 14 | 9 | 5 | 45 | 5.0 | Service Brakes |
| Ninja 300 | 3 | 1 | 44 | 14.7 | Engine |
| Ninja | 14 | 8 | 40 | 2.9 | Power Train |
| KL650E | 4 | 3 | 20 | 5.0 | Exterior Lighting |
| Ninja ZX-6R | 9 | 3 | 16 | 1.8 | Electrical System |
| VN1500 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 1.7 | Power Train |
| ZX1200-A1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 12.0 | Electrical System |
| VN900D6F | 1 | 2 | 12 | 12.0 | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Ninja ZX-10R | 6 | 4 | 10 | 1.7 | Power Train |
| VN900B6F | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7.0 | Power Train |
| ZG1400A8F | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5.0 | Service Brakes |
| VN1600-A1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4.0 | Fuel System, Gasoline |
| VN1500-E7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3.0 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic |
| EX250J8F | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | Electrical System |
| EX250J8FL | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | Engine and Engine Cooling |
| VN1500-E6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | Engine and Engine Cooling |
| ZG1400B8F | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | Suspension |
| VN1500-E7L | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | Engine and Engine Cooling |
| VN800-B8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | Fuel System, Other |
| VN900D6FL | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | Structure |
| VN900D8F | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | Fuel System, Gasoline |
| ZX1200-A1L | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | Fuel System, Gasoline |
| Ninja H2 SX | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| KZ1000 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Ninja 1000 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| W800 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Ninja H2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZX1002A | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZR1000K | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| KZ1100 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| VN1600-A1L | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| W230 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Z900 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZG1400A8FL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZG1400B8FL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZR1000L | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZX1002D | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| BN 125-A4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Ninja 7 Hybrid | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| VN1500-P1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| VN800-B8L | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| VN900B6FL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| VN900C8F | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Z H2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| Z7 Hybrid | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZX1002R | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZX600-F1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| ZX600-F1L | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
Campaigns by year
Complaints by year
Components most reported
Per 1,000 component mentions across all Kawasaki complaints.
Questions and answers
How many recalls has Kawasaki had?
64 NHTSA recall campaigns name Kawasaki vehicles (model years 1977–2026). Units potentially affected across those campaigns total about 343,610, a figure that includes other makes where a campaign is shared (Takata air bag inflators, for example). Campaigns naming several model lines count once.
Which Kawasaki model line has the most complaints?
KLR650: 186 complaints over 14 model years (13.3 per model year). Larger-selling lines draw more complaints; the per-model-year column controls for the number of years, not for sales.
What components are reported most for Kawasaki?
exterior lighting (191 per 1,000 mentions), engine and engine cooling (165.7 per 1,000 mentions), engine (124.8 per 1,000 mentions). Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation flat files, public domain, dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints).
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation flat files, public domain, dated 29 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019. Make names are as NHTSA records them. Comparisons are within this make; see the methodology for why makes are not ranked against each other.