2005 Kawasaki EX250F19

Defect. ON CERTAIN NINJA MOTORCYCLES, THE FUEL TANK MAY HAVE BEEN PUNCTURED OR WEAKENED BY A FAIRING MOUNTING SCREW OR MANUFACTURING OPERATION.

Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL TANK AND REPLACE THE TANK IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 11, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KAWASAKI AT 1-866-802-9381.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KAWASAKI EX250F19. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK WHERE THE MOUNTING SCREW WAS LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V003000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE SCREW HAD NOT PUNCTURED THE FUEL TANK AND REFUSED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,700.

MOTORCYCLE HAS A FUEL TANK LEAK AT THE MOUNTING TABS OF THE TANK. GASOLINE POURS OUT FROM AROUND THE WELD AREA OF THE FRONT MOUNTS. IT WAS POURING GASOLINE ALL OVER THE MOTOR. SOME OF THE ROADS AND FREEWAYS I TRAVEL ARE BUMPY. OCCASIONALLY, I MAY HAVE HIT POTHOLES THAT MIGHT HAVE PUT STRESS ON THE MOUNTS. UPPER FAIRING STAY ALSO BROKE, VERY COMMON FAILURE ACCORDING TO OTHER RIDERS ( HTTP://FAQ.NINJA250.ORG/WIKI/MY_UPPER_FAIRING_STAY_IS_BROKEN ), AT LOWER MOUNT AND COULD HAVE PUT STRESS ON THE GAS TANK. I HAVE BEEN RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE FOR THE PAST MONTHS WITH ANOTHER FUEL TANK FROM MY OTHER MOTORCYCLE. I CURRENTLY HAVE THE LEAKING TANK IN MY BACKYARD. *TR

I OWN A 2005 KAWASAKI EX250 MOTORCYCLE THAT HAD A GAS TANK PUNCTURE RESULTING FROM THE SCREWS THAT MOUNT THE FRONT COWLING TO THE TANK. AFTER SMELLING A PERSISTENT, STRONG GAS ODOR NEAR THE PARKED BIKE I INVESTIGATED BY REMOVING THE COWLING AND GASOLINE BEGAN RUNNING OUT OF ONE OF THE SCREW HOLES. I IMMEDIATELY BOUGHT A BRAND NEW KAWASAKI GAS TANK AND INSTALLED IT MYSELF (A VERY SIMPLE PROCEDURE THAT THE KAWASAKI DEALER SAID WOULD TAKE THEM THREE WEEKS TO GET TO BECAUSE THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS BACKED UP). SOON AFTER REPLACING THE TANK, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN FORCE FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE ON MY MOTORCYCLE (CONFIRMED BY CHECKING MY VIN ON THE KAWASAKI WEBSITE). THE RECALL WORK THAT WAS TO BE PERFORMED INVOLVED REPLACING THE GAS TANK. TO MY SURPRISE, KAWASAKI REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE NEW GAS TANK (OVER $700) BECAUSE I HAD DISCARDED THE OLD TANK. THEY DID CONFIRM THAT MY VIN WAS SUBJECT TO THE RECALL AND THAT THEY HAD NEVER PAID FOR ANY RECALL WORK ON MY BIKE. THEY ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THEY NEVER REPAIR A PUNCTURED TANK, ONLY REPLACE IT. CUSTOMER SERVICE AT KAWASAKI WAS EXTREMELY POOR AND RUDE. THEY EMPHATICALLY REFUSED TO REMEDY THE SITUATION IN ANY WAY, CLAIMING THAT SINCE I DID NOT KEEP THE OLD TANK FOR THEIR INSPECTION, I WAS "OUT OF LUCK". *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KAWASAKI EX250F19. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER A RECALL. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH IN WHICH THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE SUSTAINED CUTS AND UNDERWENT SURGERY ON HER KNEE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP, THE CONTACT TOOK THE FUEL TANK AND THE RECALLED COMPONENT TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO WORK ON IT AND STATED THAT THEY NEEDED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE PRESENT IN ORDER TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE PURCHASE DATE, ENGINE SIZE, TRANSMISSION TYPE, POWERTRAIN, RECALL NUMBER, AND MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.