Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
KLR650 ENGINE IDLE LEVER ADJUSTER SPRING FAILED SENDING METAL FRAGMENTS THROUGH OUT THE ENGINE THAT I HAD TO FISH OUT - VERY VERY COMMON PROBLEM TO THE POINT THAT IT IS THE FIRST THING PEOPLE DO WHEN THEY BUY A KLR OF ANY YEAR. *TR
KAWASAKI KLR 650 MOTORCYCLE CHAIN TENSIONER COUNTER BALANCER AND RETAINER SPRING BROKEN AND MISSING. THE BROKEN PIECES CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE INCLUDING ENGINE SEIZURE WHILE IN OPERATION. REPLACED THE PARTS FROM AFTERMARKET SUPPLIER. *TR
I HAVE A 2003 KAWASAKI KLR650 AND THE BALANCER LEVER ADJUSTER IS BROKEN. IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ENGINE SEIZURE. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS YET AND AM DRIVING AN ALTERNATE VEHICLE. *JB
I JUST CHECKED MY IDLER SHAFT LEVER (DOOHICKEY) ON MY 2003 KLR 650. THE DOOHICKEY WAS INTACT BUT, THE SPRING WAS BROKE. I CAN'T FIND THE END OF THE SPRING THAT BROKE OFF AND THE CHAIN WORE PART WAY THROUGH THE SPRING LEAVING METAL SHAVINGS THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE NOT GOOD!!! JUST ORDERED NEW DOOHICKEY AND SPRING FROM ARROWHEAD MOTORSPORTS. *JB
WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN OUT OF STORAGE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT TIRES SIDEWALL DEVELOPED WEATHER CHECKS. THESE WERE SMALL CRACKS THAT WENT AROUND THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS DRIVEN FOR 6 MONTHS, THEN STORED FOR 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING. DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED BUT COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHAT CAUSED THE CRACKS TO OCCUR BECAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE WASN'T STORED NEXT TO ANY CHEMICALS. THE FRONT TIRE SIZE WAS 90/90-21 AND THE REAR TIRE SIZE WAS 130/80-17. THE MODEL NAME LISTED ON TIRE WAS K750.*AK
THE MOTORCYCLE CAM CHAIN ADJUSTER SPRING BROKE AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING. SAUSAGE, KLR 650, 2003. *AK WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A GRINDING SOUND FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE BROKEN SPRING BENT THE INTAKE VALVE AND DAMAGED VALVE GUIDES (SAUSAGE 630 2003). *TS *NLM
6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2023 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2008 | 116 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 — this page | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2002 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2001 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2000 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1998 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.