2008 Kawasaki EX250J8FL Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2008 Kawasaki EX250J8FL, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes150.0%
- Engine150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP. HAS DECIDED THAT TWO DEFECTS WHICH RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN 2008 NINJA 250R MODELS (EX250J8F/L) ON ELIGIBLE UNITS WHEN THE FRONT FORK IS COMPRESSED THE BRAKE HOSE MAY MOVE FORWARD AND COME IN CONTACT WITH THE EDGE OF THE FRONT FORK. THIS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE BRAKE HOSE RESULTING IN BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE, CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. THEIR RECORDS INDICATE I HAVE PURCHASED ONE OF THESE UNITS. ADDITIONALLY AN ENGINE CRANKCASE VENT HOLE IN THE AIR CLEANER CASE COULD BE BLOCKED BY MATERIAL LEFT DURING THE MOLDING PROCESS. THIS COULD ALLOW AIR PRESSURE TO BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE AND CAUSE THE CYLINDER HEAD COVER GASKET TO BE PUSHED OUT OF PLACE AND LEAK OIL. OIL LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE DURING OPERATION COULD DRIP OR SPRAY ONTO THE REAR TIRE CREATING THE RISK OF A CRASH, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. I HAVE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MARCH 12 2008 TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRED, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY (THE DEALERSHIP) HAVE NOT HEARD OF SUCH RECALL AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOTHING BUT A "BULB" THIS IS BEFORE THEY EVEN GOT THE BIKE INSIDE THE SHOP. IN THE END NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT THE RECALL AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WILL ORDER THE NECESSARY PARTS AND THEY WILL CALL ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT'S BEEN ALMOST 2 MONTHS AND HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP. HAS DECIDED THAT TWO DEFECTS WHICH RELATE TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN 2008 NINJA 250R MODELS (EX250J8F/L) ON ELIGIBLE UNITS WHEN THE FRONT FORK IS COMPRESSED THE BRAKE HOSE MAY MOVE FORWARD AND COME IN CONTACT WITH THE EDGE OF THE FRONT FORK. THIS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE BRAKE HOSE RESULTING IN BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE, CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. THEIR RECORDS INDICATE I HAVE PURCHASED ONE OF THESE UNITS. ADDITIONALLY AN ENGINE CRANKCASE VENT HOLE IN THE AIR CLEANER CASE COULD BE BLOCKED BY MATERIAL LEFT DURING THE MOLDING PROCESS. THIS COULD ALLOW AIR PRESSURE TO BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE AND CAUSE THE CYLINDER HEAD COVER GASKET TO BE PUSHED OUT OF PLACE AND LEAK OIL. OIL LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE DURING OPERATION COULD DRIP OR SPRAY ONTO THE REAR TIRE CREATING THE RISK OF A CRASH, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. I HAVE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MARCH 12 2008 TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRED, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY (THE DEALERSHIP) HAVE NOT HEARD OF SUCH RECALL AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOTHING BUT A "BULB" THIS IS BEFORE THEY EVEN GOT THE BIKE INSIDE THE SHOP. IN THE END NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT THE RECALL AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WILL ORDER THE NECESSARY PARTS AND THEY WILL CALL ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT'S BEEN ALMOST 2 MONTHS AND HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .