Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Complaints

41 consumer complaints on file.

#11670447July 1, 2025
ENGINE
Currently the bike is under a "Do not ride" and is inoperable and will continue to be for an extended period of time for myself and many others, with no compensation or alternative during the downtime. Myself and many other riders are stuck with loan payments and/or insurance payments on a bike that is not even a year old in many cases with no word from the manufacturer other than the recommended fix we will be waiting in queue for. This fix is extremely damaging to our value of the $13000-$14000 many of us paid and it will be worth only a fraction of that to resale from here on. Not to mention the reliability of having our engine opened but local mechanics and serviced by them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670224June 30, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V376000 ( ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670134June 30, 2025
ENGINE
I own a 2024 Kawasaki KRT ABS ZX6R. They want to do an inspection that will not be sufficient to ride my motorcycle safely. The absolute only way for Kawasaki to do that would be to open the engine up to where they could see the actual crank shaft. I feel we are all being jerked around with this. They won't be able to deem it safe simply by inspecting the outer bearing. My motorcycle doesn't even have 300 miles on it. I haven't been able to ride it for almost a month now. It sitting can cause further damage. I'm not sure if my State of Nevada will be one of the States that offer a refund. I am making payments on a motorcycle that I cannot ride. Which is unexceptable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670064June 29, 2025
ENGINE
Told my 2025 ninja was unsafe to ride.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669613June 27, 2025
ENGINE
Manufacturer issued a Do Not Ride recall (25V376) but failed to provide a safe alternative or compensation. This has created a transportation hardship. I also felt very worried that I had been riding this motorcycle which had this serious issue. There is no timeline from the manufacturer on when the problem will be fixed. I'm extremely disappointed with this situation on a one year old bike. -thanks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669555June 26, 2025
ENGINE
My 2025 Kawasaki ZX-6R was recently included as a part of a federal recall concerning a defective crankshaft bearing. A critical engine component, the failure of which could lead to engine seizure, stalling or loss of power - posing a very serious risk and likelihood of a crash. After learning of this recall, I contacted my authorized dealer who confirmed that my VIN was affected, but advised me to CONTINUE RIDING, until I got a letter which would give more information on getting it repaired. I am currently unable to use the motorcycle as a mode of transportation or recreation, significantly affecting my mobility. Given the nature and severity of this defect, I do not accept any resolution that involves partial disassembly or reconstruction of the engine. That is not what I paid for when buying a new motorcycle. I believe the only fair and reasonable remedies are either: Option A: A full engine replacement with a new factory-built, unblemished engine installed by an authorized dealer, with a full reset of warranty coverage from the date of installation. Option B: A complete refund of the original purchase price of the motorcycle, including all dealer fees and taxes, while allowing me to retain title and possession of the bike given the substantial non-recoverable investment in modifications made in good faith." I have requested they confirm a resolution by July 10th and, according to '49 CFR Part 573', and whereby the NHTSA interprets 'reasonable timeframe' as 60 days, that the remedy is completed by Aug 5th, 25.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669504June 26, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle: 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Recall Number: 25V376 VIN: [XXX] Date Received “Do Not Ride” Notice: 6/20/2025 Subject: Recall 25V376 – No Remedy Provided / Loss of Use / Warranty Concerns Dear NHTSA, I am submitting this complaint regarding NHTSA Recall No. 25V376, which applies to my 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R due to a potentially catastrophic crankshaft bushing failure. On 6/20/2025, I received a formal “Do Not Ride” notice from Kawasaki Motors Corp. advising me to stop using my motorcycle immediately due to the risk of engine seizure. Since that day, my motorcycle has been parked and unusable — and Kawasaki has not provided any timeline or available remedy for this recall. This means I am now without use of a brand-new motorcycle that I paid for in full, during the entire prime riding season in my home state of Michigan. Even worse, Kawasaki has indicated that the required repair will involve a 20+ hour engine teardown rather than a full replacement. This significantly affects the value, mechanical integrity, and future reliability of my vehicle. I am reporting this to NHTSA because: 1.Kawasaki has not yet provided a fix, nor a timeline, more than 3 weeks after the problem was known. 2.There is no loaner program, compensation, or customer support plan in place. 3.Owners are losing months of use, insurance payments are still required, and the bike cannot be sold or traded. 4.Dealers were issued stop-sale instructions around June 4, 2025, but many continued sales through that time. 5.I fear this recall will result in severe devaluation of affected vehicles, even after repair. I’m asking NHTSA to please hold Kawasaki accountable for timely remedies, appropriate compensation, and warranty protection for affected owners like myself. If manufacturers are allowed to sideline vehicles with indefinite no-ride directives and offer no restitution, that leaves consumers completely unprotected. Thank you for your time [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669479June 26, 2025
ENGINE
#5 Bearing is out of torque putting engine at risk of seizure. Bike is stored and liquids drained pending recall and repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669438June 26, 2025
ENGINE
I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX‑6R. June 22, 2025, I received two official “Do Not Ride” letters from Kawasaki. These letters state that, due to a possible internal engine defect, the motorcycle is unsafe to operate. My authorized Kawasaki dealer has confirmed that my unit is affected by a manufacturing issue that can cause engine seizure without warning, leading to serious risk of crash, injury, or death. It’s also important to note that Kawasaki notified dealers of this issue on June 4, 2025—over two weeks ago. Despite this, I only received my first formal customer notice on June 22. In the meantime, I was unknowingly operating a potentially dangerous motorcycle. Kawasaki has not provided a fix, recall repair, or buyback option. The bike is currently parked and unusable, while I continue to incur insurance costs, loss of use, and storage burden. The issue appears to stem from an over-torqued crankshaft bolt or related internal engine component — a known problem on other 2024 ZX‑6R units already recalled. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this case further and ensure all affected motorcycles — including those not yet officially listed by VIN — are promptly included in the recall campaign and made eligible for full safety repair, buyback or additional compensation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669355June 25, 2025
ENGINE
Unknown
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669353June 25, 2025
ENGINE
Recall due to crankshaft bearing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669333June 25, 2025
ENGINE
2days after I bought this bike Kawasaki issued a stop sale and DNR due to faulty #5 crank bushing, and refused to buy the bike back but instead expected me to sit and pay payments and insurance on a bike that I can’t ride for possibly a year with no fix in mind so I had to trade it in and take a big loss on a brand new bike, kiss off Kawasaki that will be my last purchase from you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669308June 25, 2025
ENGINE
Spent an hour waiting to talk to a Kawasaki rep and was told this about the 24/25 recall. "Currently, the recall affects all bikes. There is no current fix on the way BUT Kawasaki is confident (lol) that one will be on the way soon. Do not ride your zx6r for your own safety, but also because if the mechanical failure happens, your bike will take much much much longer to fix." People are spreading so much BS about this issue and a lot of it comes from being overly hopeful that maybe we all aren't screwed. Well, we are. This fix WILL affect every bike, or at the least every bike will need to be inspected, the recall is still not inbound to dealers, and even when it will be (like many have mentioned) this major repair will be done by some kid who's a technician at your local dealer...that's frightening in it of itself. I'm pissed about all this. I'm pissed I bought the bike 2 months before this, I'm pissed I won't have a rideable bike for maybe 6+ months and MOST OF ALL I'm pissed that this will forever be a huge black eye on my $13000 bike.The 24/25 ZX6R's will go down as the "BAD YEAR DONT BUY" bikes. That's the worst part. Even after the fix these bikes will all be bikes that have been cracked open for inspection/fixes. I've been living in limbo with this for weeks now going between hopeful, trying not to care and being angry that about the situation. People are rightfully extremely disgruntled owners of useless $13000 bikes that we just bought for right now. Riding season isn't year round for a lot of us. Anyway, hope I'm wrong. Hope the kawi rep I talked to is wrong. Hope this ends up being something that only affects 1% of the almost 18,000 25/25 ZX6r bikes even though I think we aren't getting accurate info from that document either.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668770June 23, 2025
ENGINE
My 2025 Kawasaki ZX-6R was recently included as a part of a federal recall concerning a defective crankshaft bearing. A critical engine component, the failure of which could lead to engine seizure, stalling or loss of power - posing a very serious risk and likelihood of a crash. After learning of this recall, I contacted my authorized dealer who confirmed that my VIN was affected, but advised me to CONTINUE RIDING, until I got a letter which would give more information on getting it repaired. I contacted Kawasaki customer care on two separate occasions via their chat option, copies of these interactions is included hereto whereby they proceeded to give conflicting responses that provided little to no information. I have also sent them a letter containing the following: "I am currently unable to use the motorcycle as a mode of transportation or recreation, significantly affecting my mobility. In addition, I have made over $9,000 in aftermarket modifications, which are rendered useless unless I’m willing to endanger my safety by ignoring the recall." and "Given the nature and severity of this defect, I do not accept any resolution that involves partial disassembly or reconstruction of the engine. That is not what I paid for when buying a new motorcycle. I believe the only fair and reasonable remedies are either: Option A: A full engine replacement with a new factory-built, unblemished engine installed by an authorized dealer, with a full reset of warranty coverage from the date of installation. Option B: A complete refund of the original purchase price of the motorcycle, including all dealer fees and taxes, while allowing me to retain title and possession of the bike given the substantial non-recoverable investment in modifications made in good faith." I have requested they confirm a resolution by July 10th and, according to '49 CFR Part 573', and whereby the NHTSA interprets 'reasonable timeframe' as 60 days, that the remedy is completed by Aug 5th, 25.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668253June 20, 2025
ENGINE
I purchased a brand new 2024 Kawasaki ZX-6R. At just 3,500 miles, the engine catastrophically failed while I was riding. The bike seized and shut off suddenly without warning. This was months before Kawasaki issued their official “do not ride” notice for this known issue. I received no prior warning and had no opportunity to prevent the failure. The dealership confirmed the failure and linked it to a known internal defect affecting this model, which has since triggered a recall. My bike has now been sitting at the dealership for over 7 months with no resolution, no ETA, and no support from Kawasaki. Despite this being a critical safety issue, Kawasaki has offered no compensation, replacement, or meaningful update. I’ve been forced to continue paying insurance on a bike that was brand new and is now completely unusable. Their “do not ride” letter arrived after the engine was already blown. This is a serious manufacturer defect with real safety consequences. The lack of accountability and customer support is unacceptable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668245June 20, 2025
ENGINE
Recently purchased a 2025 Kawasaki ninja ZX6R back in April 2025. Been riding and getting use to the bike.(absolutely love it) Got my 1st service done after break-in period just to see rumors of a possible recall on social media a week later. This was late May early June. Today is June 20th and i am just now receiving an Official notice from Kawasaki about the issue that’s been floating around for months. Very disappointed that i can’t ride the Bike and that im still stuck having to pay on the bike even though it’s currently in the DNR stage. Also there is no know possible fix. 1% of the 17.7k units are affected. Which if you do the math that’s roughly around 170-180 bikes. I would feel somewhat better if they could at least narrow it down to the VIN of the bikes that’s truly affected so that the ones who aren’t can enjoy the Bike they purchased. Kawasaki please handle this swiftly
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668215June 20, 2025
ENGINE
I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX‑6R. Today, June 20, 2025, I received three official “Do Not Ride” letters from Kawasaki. These letters state that, due to a possible internal engine defect, the motorcycle is unsafe to operate. My authorized Kawasaki dealer has confirmed that my unit is affected by a manufacturing issue that can cause engine seizure without warning, leading to serious risk of crash, injury, or death. It’s also important to note that Kawasaki notified dealers of this issue on June 4, 2025—over two weeks ago. Despite this, I only received my first formal customer notice today, June 20. In the meantime, I was unknowingly operating a potentially dangerous motorcycle. Kawasaki has not provided a fix, recall repair, or buyback option. The bike is currently parked and unusable, while I continue to incur insurance costs, loss of use, and storage burden. The issue appears to stem from an over-torqued crankshaft bolt or related internal engine component — a known problem on other 2024 ZX‑6R units already recalled. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this case further and ensure all affected motorcycles — including those not yet officially listed by VIN — are promptly included in the recall campaign and made eligible for full safety repair, buyback or additional compensation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667869June 19, 2025
ENGINE
I am the registered owner of a 2025 Kawasaki ZX-6R (VIN: [XXX] ), purchased in New Jersey and registered in Ohio. I am reporting a potentially dangerous engine defect related to the crankshaft bushing or internal bottom-end components. I have received credible information indicating that this model may suffer from premature crankshaft bushing failure, which can lead to catastrophic engine failure while riding. This poses an extreme safety risk to the rider, especially if it occurs at high speeds. I contacted a Kawasaki dealer, but they told me there are no active recall or service bulletins from Kawasaki regarding this issue. As a result, I cannot get the motorcycle inspected or repaired, and I am currently unable to ride it due to safety concerns. To make matters worse, it has come to my attention that Kawasaki has recently halted the sale of the 2025 ZX-6R in the U.S. market, which further suggests that there may be a serious defect the manufacturer is withholding from the public. I request that NHTSA investigate this matter and determine whether a safety recall is warranted before any serious injuries or fatalities occur. This issue affects not just mechanical integrity but rider safety at its core. Please advise on the next steps and acknowledge this report as soon as possible. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667196June 16, 2025
ENGINE
As you are probably aware of this issue, there is a "do not ride" order in place for my 2024 Kawasaki ZX6R. The dealership confirmed that my VIN has been involved. I just got it, and I am paying for a motorcycle that cannot be used. The issues are below. This is unacceptable. safety recall report revealed certain vehicles may lose engine power during operation due to a seizure of the No. 5 metal crankshaft bushing leading to certain vehicles losing engine power and increasing the chance of a crash. "The bolts holding the crankshaft together in the crank case were over-torqued, and as a result the #5 metal crankshaft bushing can be damaged by improper oil clearance between the crankshaft and the bushing," a description of the issue read. Riders won't receive a warning before the potentially catastrophic issue arises, according to the document.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666677June 13, 2025
ENGINE
Complaint Summary: I purchased a brand-new 2025 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R ABS for approximately $15,000, and within one week of purchase, the bike was affected by a safety recall involving a potential engine seizure or rear wheel lockup. I was told by the dealership that the bike should not be ridden due to the severity of the issue. Since then, I have contacted the dealership three times. They have not provided a timeline for repair, no parts are available, and they offered no remedy — other than trying to upsell me another bike for $3,000 more. The motorcycle is not rideable, and I am essentially left with a useless vehicle and no resolution. Kawasaki has not provided a timely or effective fix, which I believe violates federal recall safety laws. I am requesting NHTSA intervene and escalate this issue so that Kawasaki provides a proper remedy, refund, or replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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