What breaks most · 1990 to 2003 model years
Kawasaki Kawasaki problems by year
Owners have filed 82 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kawasaki Kawasaki across model years 1990 to 2003. Three years stand out: 2002 for engine and cooling complaints, 1999 for suspension complaints and 2000 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1990, 1992 and 1994.
- Years to check closely: 2002, 1999, 2000
- Fewest complaints: 1990, 1992, 1994
- Complaints on file
- 821990 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 200214 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 96 fires · 8 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 7kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Steering (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 11 | 1 | 0 | Suspension (3) | |
| 11 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 14 | 2 | 0 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 9 | 4 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) |
What fails on the 2002 Kawasaki Kawasaki
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 36% |
5 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 29% |
4 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 14% |
2 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 14% |
2 | 1 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 14% |
2 | 1 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Kawasaki klr650 cam chain balancer/idler shaft lever failed prematurely. The bike had only 13,000 miles and is a 2002 model year.*ak
-
When motorcycle is being driven at various speeds it would start to shimmy from the front to the back. Would be able to maintain control. Was nearly thrown from motorcycle due to vibrations. Been to dealership & mechanic could not locate any problems. *ak
-
Engine oil migrates from stator housing, to voltage regulator connectors. Connectors fused together, then begin to emit smoke from the compartment that the connectors are housed.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Kawasaki Kawasaki years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002, 1999, 2000 carry the most filings on the Kawasaki Kawasaki. The 2002 alone has 14 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Kawasaki Kawasaki problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 5 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kawasaki Kawasaki problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kawasaki Kawasaki complaints that include mileage is about 7,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.