2013 Kawasaki Ninja Zx-6R 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 2013 Kawasaki Ninja Zx-6R, 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
- Electrical650.0%
- Engine541.7%
- Fuel system18.3%
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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
COLD START STALL PROBLEM. MOTORCYCLE WILL TYPICALLY STALL ON 1ST 2 ATTEMPTS TO START IT. OPENING THROTTLE ON COLD START DOES NOT HELP. ECU NUMBERS ENDING WITH 62 AND 72 HAD BEEN REPORTED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BY REPLACING ECU NUMBER ENDING WITH 74. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM. IF ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHILE RIDING, IN MANY INSTANCES IT WILL RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH. 1000 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE. OTHER PEOPLE REPORT AFTER 2000 ENGINE SHOT OFF WHILE RIDING. SO I HAVE 1000 MILES LEFT TO LIVE ?
MY BIKE COMING TO A STOP WILL STALL OUT. SLOWING DOWN, ENGAGING THE CLUTCH TO DOWNSHIFT TO FIRST GEAR AND THE RPM WILL DROP TOO LOW AND STALL THE BIKE OUT WHILE MOVING. IT WILL ALSO DO IT HOLDING IN THE CLUTCH COMING TO A STOP IF IT DOESN'T DROPPING TO FIRST GEAR. I HAVE READ OF THE ISSUE BEING RESOLVED AFTER PUTTING IN A NEWER KAWASAKI ECU. ZX6R MADE BEFORE JUNE 2013 SEEM TO HAVE THESE ISSUES AND CHANGING OUT THE COMPUTER SEEMS TO BE THE FIX BUT KAWASAKI WILL NOT RECALL IT. BEING ON THE MOVE IN TRAFFIC AND YOUR BIKE STALLING BECAUSE HOLDING IN THE CLUTCH AT A SLOW SPEED SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IT WILL DO IT ALMOST OVERTIME COMING TO A STOP ONCE YOU ENGAGE THE CLUTCH. WILL NOT DO IT AT HIGHER SPEEDS ONLY DOWNSHIFTING TO FIRST OR BEING IN FIRST AND HOLDING IN THE CLUTCH. THERE ARE PLENTY OF VIDEOS OF THE 2013 ZX6R DOING THIS ONLINE.
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
COLD START STALL PROBLEM. MOTORCYCLE WILL TYPICALLY STALL ON 1ST 2 ATTEMPTS TO START IT. OPENING THROTTLE ON COLD START DOES NOT HELP. ECU NUMBERS ENDING WITH 62 AND 72 HAD BEEN REPORTED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BY REPLACING ECU NUMBER ENDING WITH 74. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM. IF ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHILE RIDING, IN MANY INSTANCES IT WILL RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH. 1000 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE. OTHER PEOPLE REPORT AFTER 2000 ENGINE SHOT OFF WHILE RIDING. SO I HAVE 1000 MILES LEFT TO LIVE ?
MY BIKE COMING TO A STOP WILL STALL OUT. SLOWING DOWN, ENGAGING THE CLUTCH TO DOWNSHIFT TO FIRST GEAR AND THE RPM WILL DROP TOO LOW AND STALL THE BIKE OUT WHILE MOVING. IT WILL ALSO DO IT HOLDING IN THE CLUTCH COMING TO A STOP IF IT DOESN'T DROPPING TO FIRST GEAR. I HAVE READ OF THE ISSUE BEING RESOLVED AFTER PUTTING IN A NEWER KAWASAKI ECU. ZX6R MADE BEFORE JUNE 2013 SEEM TO HAVE THESE ISSUES AND CHANGING OUT THE COMPUTER SEEMS TO BE THE FIX BUT KAWASAKI WILL NOT RECALL IT. BEING ON THE MOVE IN TRAFFIC AND YOUR BIKE STALLING BECAUSE HOLDING IN THE CLUTCH AT A SLOW SPEED SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IT WILL DO IT ALMOST OVERTIME COMING TO A STOP ONCE YOU ENGAGE THE CLUTCH. WILL NOT DO IT AT HIGHER SPEEDS ONLY DOWNSHIFTING TO FIRST OR BEING IN FIRST AND HOLDING IN THE CLUTCH. THERE ARE PLENTY OF VIDEOS OF THE 2013 ZX6R DOING THIS ONLINE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
THIS MOTORCYCLE SUFFERS FROM A ROUGH START IDLE THAT CAN RESULT IN THE VEHICLE STALLING AT LOW SPEEDS OR AT TIMES, OR WILL STALL WHEN THE VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP.
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 .