RoadVitals

2006 Kawasaki ZX14 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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.
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Latest Aug 27, 2025
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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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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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2006 Kawasaki ZX14, 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

  • Body & structure233.3%
  • Engine116.7%
  • Steering116.7%
  • Suspension116.7%
  • Transmission116.7%

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

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

APPLIED BRAKES ON A 2006 ZX1400 KAWASAKI TO NEGOTIATE A TURN IN THE ROAD. AT THAT TIME THE FRAME BROKE 3 TO 4 INCHES BEHIND THE TRIPLE CLAMPS. THIS CAUSED ME TO BE THROWN OVER THE HANDLEBARS AND ONTO THE ROAD IN THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR 2 DAYS. THE FRAME HAS 4 HOLES IN IT FOR AIRCLEANERS AND THE RAM AIR INDUCTION. I THINK THIS DESIGN MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FRAME BREAKING AS IT MAY BE WEAK IN THIS AREA. THE BIKE WAS NOT REPAIRED AS IT WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

NHTSA ID 10314010 · filed Feb 24, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 (NA) KAWASAKI NINJA ZX 1400. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE OUT OF A TURN, HE CAN HEAR A VERY LOUD CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE BEGAN THE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL PERTAINING TO THE FRAME INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE RECALL NUMBER AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 12,503. UPDATED 09/10/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/16/08.*JB

NHTSA ID 10233792 · filed Jul 10, 2008

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 (NA) KAWASAKI NINJA ZX 1400. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE OUT OF A TURN, HE CAN HEAR A VERY LOUD CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE BEGAN THE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL PERTAINING TO THE FRAME INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE RECALL NUMBER AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 12,503. UPDATED 09/10/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/16/08.*JB

NHTSA ID 10233792 · filed Jul 10, 2008

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

KAWASAKI ZX14 2006 MODEL STEERING HEAD CRACKED. NOT ATTENDED TO BY DEALER & KAWASAKI IN SOUTH AFRICA, NOR WAS THIS ATTENDED TO AS PER RECALL IN 2008. RIDER SERIOUSLY INJURED UPDATED 10/28/10 *BF UPDATED IVOQ 11/01/10 *TR

NHTSA ID 10362318 · filed Oct 25, 2010

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

2006 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 frame broke in the same location as recall defect, causing rear suspension collapse. Dealer denied recall coverage due to modifications, but failure matches official recall issue. My 2006 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 suffered a complete frame break, causing the rear suspension to collapse while riding. This matches the safety defect covered under Kawasaki’s recall for 2006–2007 ZX-14 models. I was told to tow my motorcycle to a dealer for recall repair and provided a log number. The dealer later denied coverage, claiming my modifications (lowered and stretched) caused the failure. This is not reasonable, as many ZX-14 owners have similar modifications without failures, while documented reports online show identical frame breaks both with and without modifications. My bike has been in this setup for years without issues until the sudden failure. The break occurred in the exact location noted in the recall, with no warning signs beforehand. This was a life-threatening incident that could have killed me. Kawasaki customer service told me my case was still under review and that no photos were submitted, while the dealer claimed photos were sent and a California rep denied the claim. Even the customer service representative could not explain why it was denied. This is the same defect that was recalled, and Kawasaki should be held liable regardless of aftermarket parts. A frame should not catastrophically fail simply because of modifications unless Kawasaki had explicitly warned of such risks.

NHTSA ID 11683325 · filed Aug 27, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Transmission

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

THIS IS THE SECOND CLUTCH TO GO BAD THE FIRST AT 2,800 MILES AND THE SECOND TO GO AT 10,000 MILES GOING OUT WILL DRIVING CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOCKUP WILL I WAS RIDING IT AND ALMOST HAVING A ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID 10257317 · filed Feb 3, 2009

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

Data on this page last refreshed .