2018 KAWASAKI NINJA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
3
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
4
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA
The 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA has received a total of 3 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE, POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION, STRUCTURE:MOTORCYCLE:KICKSTAND/CENTER STAND. 4 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. for this model year. The most commonly reported problem area is the Power Train (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA, potentially affecting up to 1,988 vehicles.
Recall 20V676000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
| 799 vehicles affected
Defect: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Ninja H2 SX, Ninja H2 SXSE, and 2019-2020 Ninja H2 SXSE+ motorcycles. In the event of a gear misengagement the engine electronic control unit (ECU) programming doesn't have the capability to suppress high RPM during transmission. If the transmission gears are not properly engaged while shifting into 4th or 5th gear,...
Consequence: Damaged gears and the inability to shift can cause the engine to lock up, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: KMC will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owners are advised to not ride their motorcycle until the repair has been completed. The recall began November 16, 2020. Owners may contact KMC customer service...
View full details →Recall 20V676000 — POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
| 799 vehicles affected
Defect: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Ninja H2 SX, Ninja H2 SXSE, and 2019-2020 Ninja H2 SXSE+ motorcycles. In the event of a gear misengagement the engine electronic control unit (ECU) programming doesn't have the capability to suppress high RPM during transmission. If the transmission gears are not properly engaged while shifting into 4th or 5th gear,...
Consequence: Damaged gears and the inability to shift can cause the engine to lock up, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: KMC will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owners are advised to not ride their motorcycle until the repair has been completed. The recall began November 16, 2020. Owners may contact KMC customer service...
View full details →Recall 18V580000 — STRUCTURE:MOTORCYCLE:KICKSTAND/CENTER STAND
| 390 vehicles affected
Defect: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (Kawasaki) is recalling certain 2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE (ZXT02BJ) motorcycles. The pin for the center stand spring may have been improperly welded, and, as a result, the pin may shift or fall off resulting in the spring detaching and the center stand dropping to the ground unexpectedly and dragging while riding.
Consequence: The dragging center stand can cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kawasaki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left center stand bracket, free of charge. Owners may contact Kawasaki customer service at 1-866-802-9381. Kawasaki's number for this recall is MC18-05.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA
3 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
ISSUES SHIFTING... IM SUSPECTING ITS THE BRAKE IN OIL CAUSING THIS BECAUSE AT LEAST 15 TIMES UP UNTIL MY FIRST OIL CHANGE YOU WOULD BE SHIFTING GEARS AND THE GEAR WOULDN'T FULLY ENGAGE UNEXPECTEDLY CAUSING THE BIKE TO RAPIDLY SLOW DOWN WITH CARS BEHIND ME HAVING TO SLAM ON BRAKES. AND ALSO AT LEAST ONCE A DAY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DOWN SHIFT THE SHIFTIER WILL FEEL SOLID AS A ROCK LIKE ITS IN FIRST GEAR AND THEN YOU'LL TRY AGAIN AND THEN IS GOES INTO GEAR FINE. ALSO ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN TRYING TO START BIKE ILL TURN IGNITION ON, THEN HALF CLICK SHIFTIER UP TO GET IT IN NEUTRAL AND WITH THE SHIFT INDICATOR SAYING ITS IN NEUTRAL I'LL HIT THE START BUTTON AND THE BIKE WILL RIDE THE STARTER CAUSING THE BIKE TO LEAP FORWARD LIKE ITS STILL IN GEAR. IVE CONTACTED KAWASAKI AND WAS TIOLD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, I TOLD THEM THAT IVE ALREADY DONE THAT AND WAS TOLD THEY DIDN'T FIND AN ISSUE AND AHVENT HEARD A RESPONSE FROM KAWASAKI SINCE
ISSUES SHIFTING... IM SUSPECTING ITS THE BRAKE IN OIL CAUSING THIS BECAUSE AT LEAST 15 TIMES UP UNTIL MY FIRST OIL CHANGE YOU WOULD BE SHIFTING GEARS AND THE GEAR WOULDN'T FULLY ENGAGE UNEXPECTEDLY CAUSING THE BIKE TO RAPIDLY SLOW DOWN WITH CARS BEHIND ME HAVING TO SLAM ON BRAKES. AND ALSO AT LEAST ONCE A DAY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DOWN SHIFT THE SHIFTIER WILL FEEL SOLID AS A ROCK LIKE ITS IN FIRST GEAR AND THEN YOU'LL TRY AGAIN AND THEN IS GOES INTO GEAR FINE. ALSO ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN TRYING TO START BIKE ILL TURN IGNITION ON, THEN HALF CLICK SHIFTIER UP TO GET IT IN NEUTRAL AND WITH THE SHIFT INDICATOR SAYING ITS IN NEUTRAL I'LL HIT THE START BUTTON AND THE BIKE WILL RIDE THE STARTER CAUSING THE BIKE TO LEAP FORWARD LIKE ITS STILL IN GEAR. IVE CONTACTED KAWASAKI AND WAS TIOLD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, I TOLD THEM THAT IVE ALREADY DONE THAT AND WAS TOLD THEY DIDN'T FIND AN ISSUE AND AHVENT HEARD A RESPONSE FROM KAWASAKI SINCE
ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE DEALER IT POPPED OUT OF GEAR AND ACTED LIKE IT MISSED A GEAR TWICE. HAVE HAD IT ABOUT 20 DAYS NOW AND ITS MISSED OUT POPPED OUT OF GEAR AT LEAST 20 OR 25 TIMES NOW. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING ON A NEW BIKE
Safety Rating for the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has issued 4 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
MC20-05 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Kawasaki has required a service activation in KVCS for selected 2021 models before delivery to the customer. The main purpose of this is to record the "service activation" date of the vehicle.
MC20-05 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Kawasaki has required a service activation in KVCS for selected 2021 models before delivery to the customer. The main purpose of this is to record the "service activation" date of the vehicle.
99931-1574-02 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Assembly and Preparation manual - Not to be released to Public
99931-1586-01 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Assembly and Preparation manual - Not to be released to Public
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the KAWASAKI NINJA
- 2014 KAWASAKI NINJA — 1 complaint
- 2016 KAWASAKI NINJA — 0 complaints
- 2018 KAWASAKI NINJA (current)
- 2019 KAWASAKI NINJA — 1 complaint
- 2020 KAWASAKI NINJA — 0 complaints
- 2021 KAWASAKI NINJA — 1 complaint
Other KAWASAKI Models
- KAWASAKI KLR650 — 229 total complaints
- KAWASAKI KAWASAKI — 102 total complaints
- KAWASAKI NINJA 300 — 77 total complaints
- KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-6R — 77 total complaints
- KAWASAKI VULCAN — 70 total complaints
- KAWASAKI CONCOURS 14 — 64 total complaints
- KAWASAKI VULCAN 1500 — 31 total complaints
- KAWASAKI KL650E — 23 total complaints