RoadVitals

2005 Kawasaki Ninja

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

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 Aug 17, 2014
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.
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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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2005 Kawasaki Ninja, most frequently naming the body & structure category. 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

  • Body & structure1100.0%

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

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

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

Body & structure
Filed Aug 17, 2014

I WAS CLEANING MY BIKE AND NOTICED CRACKING COMING UP THE SIDE OF THE FRAME. THEN I LOOKED IT UP ON LINE AND FOUND OTHER 2004 AND 2005 KAWASAKI'S THAT HAD THE SAME ISSUE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO LOOK UNDER THE PLASTIC OF THE BIKE TO SEE THE EXTEND OF THE CRACK, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT THE WHOLE WELD WAS CRACKING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAME. I CONTACTED KAWASAKI VIA PHONE AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE MY BIKE TO A KAWASAKI DEALER AND THEY WOULD TELL ME WHAT COULD BE DONE. I TOOK THE BIKE TO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP, EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED, THEY EXAMINED THE BIKE, TOOK PICTURES AND CALLED KAWASAKI HEAD QUARTERS. I WAS TOLD TO LEAVE THE OFFICE OF THE DEALERSHIP WHEN THEY WERE TALKING TO HEADQUARTERS. THIS MADE ME QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE IT MADE ME FEEL LIKE THEY PROBABLY KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING AND WERE BEING DISHONEST WITH ME. AFTER A FAIRLY SHORT CONVERSATION, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT KAWASAKI WOULD SEND A NEW FRAME TO A KAWASAKI DEALER AT NO COST, BUT THAT I WOULD NEED TO PAY ALL OF THE LABOR AND ADDITIONAL PARTS COSTS. I WAS GIVEN AN APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE OF $1500.00. AFTER SEEING SEVERAL OTHER POSTS REGARDING THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE FACT THAT KAWASAKI READILY WAS WILLING TO SEND THE FRAME, I FEEL THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THIS DEFECT IN THESE MOTORCYCLES AND ARE KNOWINGLY PUTTING LIVES IN HARMS WAY. I FEEL A RECALL WOULD BE THE RIGHT THING FOR KAWASAKI TO DO. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE GET HURT ORKILLED DUE TO THESE DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10625830
Incident
Jul 14, 2013
Mileage
12,000 mi

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.

MC14-04

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

KAWASKI 2014 NINJA 650, INFORMATION REGARDING MISSING OWNERS MANUAL , VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN SHIPPED FROM THE FACTORY WITHOUT OWNER'S MANUAL, MSF RIDING TIPS BOOKLET, EMISSION CERTIFICATE AND WARRANTY CERTIFICATE. *LJ

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 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2021100—
2020010—
2019110—
2018220—
2016000—
2015000—
2014100—
2005Viewing100—
2004700—
2003510—
2002310—
2001710—
2000830—
1999210—
1998200—
1996200—
1995020—

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.