2002 Kawasaki Ninja

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Structure1
101
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000
Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator02V324000
Filed Dec 6, 20029,787 vehiclesKawasaki Motors Corp.

Defect. ON CERTAIN 2000 ZX1200-A1/A1-L, 2001 ZX1200-A2/A2-L, AND 2002-2003 ZX1200-B1/B1-L MOTORCYCLES, OIL LEAKING FROM THE ALTERNATOR LEAD ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CAN BE DEPOSITED ONTO THE REAR TIRE.

Risk. THIS CAN CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A LOSS OF TRACTION FOR BRAKING OR CORNERING, AND CAN LEAD TO A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL SEAL THE ALTERNATOR LEAD WIRES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN BEGIN DECEMBER 16, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT KAWASAKI AT 1-949-770-0400.

What owners reported

Newest filings
StructureCrash1 injured
Filed May 17, 200468 milesTX

CONSUMER WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE WHEN THE FRONT FORKS DISENGAGED. *LA THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AND DESTROYED THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT OF THE MECHANISM WHICH SECURED THE FRONT FORKS TO THE VEHICLE. (MODEL ZX900) *SC *JB

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Apr 20, 2004TX

AFTER RECALL WAS PERFORMED, MOTORCYCLE CONTINUED TO LEAK OIL. *PH THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED, HOWEVER LESS THAN A MONTH LATER, HE CHECKED THE CONNECTOR AND FOUND OIL IN IT. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED, HOWEVER TO THIS DAY, THE CONNECTOR IS STILL LEAKING OIL. THE CONSUMER EVEN TRIED TO USE SILICON SEALANT WHICH WAS ADVISED BY ANOTHER DEALER. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Dec 8, 20033,475 milesCA

FOR 4600 MILES OT THE 5500 MILES MY KAWASAKI ZX12R HAS SUCKED SAND THROUGH THE ENGINE. I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT IT WHEN I WENT TO DO SOME UPGRADES TO MY BIKE AT 3475 MILES. I WENT AHEAD AND FINSHED MY UPGRADES AND DID NOT RIDE THE BIKE UNTIL I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY DID A COMPRESSION TEST AND A LEAK DOWN TEST AND DETERMINED FROM THAT THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. IN ALL MY YEARS OF WORKING ON ENGINES, THE ONLY WAY I COULD TELL IF SAND HAD DONE DAMAGE WAS TO LOOK IN SIDE THE ENGINE. THEY ALSO TOLD ME PER THE KAWASAKI FACTORY REP. THAT MY UPGRADES CAN VOID MY WARRANTY. I ROAD THE BIKE FOR ABOUT 800 MILES TO SEE IF THE UPGRADES HELPED AND NO SAND GOT IN. SO I PUT THE BIKE BACK TO STOCK AS I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE MY WARRANTY AND IT STARTED TO SUCK SAND THROUGHT THE ENGINE AGAIN. ON 11/9/03, I CALLED THE DEALER WHO FIRST LOOKED AT IT AND TOLD THEM IT HAD SUCKED SAND THROUGH THE ENGINE AGAIN, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE REFUSEING TO WORK ON MY BIKE. SO I CALLED KAWASAKI AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER. I TOLD THEM THE ONLY ONE I TRUSTED, WAS A KAWASAKI DEALER IN RIVERSIDE. BUT EVEN THOUGH I GAVE THEM A LETTER TELLING THEM THE ONLY WORK I WILL ALLOW WAS A NEW TOP END, THEY WENT AHEAD AND ONLY DID ANOTHER COMPRESSION TEST AND LEAK DOWN TEST. THE NEW TOP END WAS DENIED. ALSO THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE BIKE IN TO BE FIXED, I WAS TOLD SAND GOING THROUGH THE ENGINES WOULD NOT AFFECT THEM. IF THIS IS SO, WHY DO THEY TELL YOU IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20211000Routine
20200100Do not drive
20191100Do not drive
20182200Do not drive
20141000Routine
20051000Routine
20047000Routine
20035100Routine
2002 — this page3100Routine
20017100Routine
20008300Routine
19992100Routine
19982000Routine
19962000Routine
19950200Routine

Compare every Ninja year →

Reading this record

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.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Dec 6, 2002. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.