RoadVitals

2021 Kawasaki Ninja 400

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

NHTSA has issued a “do not drive” advisory affecting this model year.

Campaign 20V774000. Confirm whether your specific vehicle is covered using its VIN before acting on this.

Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Nov 27, 2024
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Dec 11, 2020
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 400, most frequently naming the powertrain (other) category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Powertrain (other)1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
20V774000NHTSA advisory: do not drive

ENGINE; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

Dec 11, 2020
1,770 units potentially affected
The defect: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) is recalling certain 2021 Z400 ABS (ER400D), Ninja 400 (EX400H) and Ninja 400 ABS (EX400G) motorcycles. The strength of the camshaft chain tensioner may be insufficient due to improper heat treatment, possibly causing it to be damaged.
The risk: A damaged camshaft chain tensioner can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: KMC will notify owners, and dealers will replace the camshaft chain tensioner, free of charge. Note: Owners are advised to not ride their motorcycles until the repair has been completed. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact KMC customer service at 1-866-802-9381. KMC's number for this recall is MC20-13.
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.Manufacturer number MC20-13View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 27, 2024
Crash reported

This issue has been documented on hundreds of KAWASAKI NINJA400 Motorcycles ranging from 2019 to 2023. The clutch will malfunction and slip with miles as low as 200. I personally have a ninja 400 from the dealership with 7000 miles on it and the clutch is indeed slipping abnormally and this has almost caused me in many times to loose control as it creates a very unpredictable situation. for many drivers. This needs to be recalled as kawasaki is avoiding this due to the “costs”. This is unacceptable please do your investigation into this further as to see how notorious this problem actually is and how unsafe of a situation it creates to to the general public.

NHTSA ID
11627639
Incident
Nov 6, 2024

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

MC24-01

STRUCTURE

Service Information about a shipping bracket attaching the motorcycle to the crate can cause damage to the motorcycle fuel tank if removed.

MC20-05

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

Some newly-released 2021 Kawasaki models require “service activation” before delivery to the customer. The main purpose of this is to record the "service activation" date of the vehicle.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Kawasaki Ninja 400 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024000—
2023000—
2022100—
2021Viewing110—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.