CONNECTING ROD BOLTS BACK OUT AROUND 6000 MILES ON A LOT OF BIKES INCLUDING MINE STARTS WITH KNOCKING NOISE LET ME KNOW WHAT TO DO
2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Ninja 300 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
39 reports with mileage · 3 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
42 reportsKAWASAKI IS SELLING THEIR 2012, 2013 AND 2014 NINJA 650S WITH A DEFECTIVE FRONT TIRE. THE TIRE IS DUNLOP'S SPORTSMAX 2, FRONT 120/70ZR17(58. THEY LAST ABOUT 5 MONTHS BEFORE THE TIRE DEVELOPS DRY-ROT IN THE TREAD AREA. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND OTHERS ARE REPORTING ON MOTORCYCLE FORUMS. I PURCHASED THE BIK…
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KAWASAKI IS SELLING THEIR 2012, 2013 AND 2014 NINJA 650S WITH A DEFECTIVE FRONT TIRE. THE TIRE IS DUNLOP'S SPORTSMAX 2, FRONT 120/70ZR17(58. THEY LAST ABOUT 5 MONTHS BEFORE THE TIRE DEVELOPS DRY-ROT IN THE TREAD AREA. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND OTHERS ARE REPORTING ON MOTORCYCLE FORUMS. I PURCHASED THE BIKE ON MARCH 1ST AND IT COMES WITH A 1 YEAR WARRANTY. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED KAWASAKI HONORED THEIR WARRANTY AND REPLACED IT WITH THE SAME TIRE ON AUGUST 14TH. ON JANUARY 13TH, 2014 I FILED ANOTHER CLAIM WITH KAWASAKI AND SENT THEM PHOTOGRAPHS OF IT HAPPENING YET AGAIN. IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE TIRE EVEN THOUGH THE BIKE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE TIRE THEY REPLACED HAS 95% OF ITS TREAD LIFE LEFT AND IT'D SEEM KAWASAKI HAS NO REGARD FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS' SAFETY. EVERY AREA OF THE ENTIRE TIRE TREAD IS SEVERELY DRY-ROTTED A SECOND TIME AND YET I'VE ONLY HAD THE TIRE 5 MONTHS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN BARKER CYPRESS I WAS APPROACHING A LIGHT. I STARTED DOWNSHIFTING AND APPLYING MY REAR BRAKE. WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON THE REAR BRAKE, THERE WAS A THUG THEN NOTHING, NO GRIP, NO TIGHTENING, NOTHING BUT AIR. I DID NOT HAVE BRAKES. I REALIZED I WAS GOING TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I SWERVED BETWEEN THE CAR,…
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WHILE DRIVING DOWN BARKER CYPRESS I WAS APPROACHING A LIGHT. I STARTED DOWNSHIFTING AND APPLYING MY REAR BRAKE. WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON THE REAR BRAKE, THERE WAS A THUG THEN NOTHING, NO GRIP, NO TIGHTENING, NOTHING BUT AIR. I DID NOT HAVE BRAKES. I REALIZED I WAS GOING TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I SWERVED BETWEEN THE CAR, HIT MY LEG ON THE BUMPER AND LAID THE BIKE DOWN. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED TO HOUSTON MOTORSPORTS AS THE BIKE IS UNDER WARRANTY. HOUSTON MOTORSPORTS IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY ON THE BIKE FOR DEFECTIVE BRAKES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KAWASAKI NINJA 300 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,050. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KAWASAKI NINJA 300 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO DOWN SHIFT BUT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KAWASAKI NINJA 300 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO DOWN SHIFT BUT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES IN TRAFFIC, WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS ENGAGED. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE BUT THE ENGINE ALWAYS RESTARTS IMMEDIATELY. *TR
JUST PURCHASED THE NINJA 300 WITH 2 MILES ON IT, FIRST 2 WEEKS WAS FINE, UNTIL I STARTED TO TAKE IT TO WORK. EVERY TIME I WOULD LEAVE FROM WORK MY MOTORCYCLE WILL STALL AT EVERY STOP LIGHT/SIGN UNTIL I HIT THE FREEWAY (BASICALLY ANY TIME I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH TO SLOW DOWN). AFTER I GET OFF THE FREEWAY THE MOTORCYCLE SEEMS TO BE…
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JUST PURCHASED THE NINJA 300 WITH 2 MILES ON IT, FIRST 2 WEEKS WAS FINE, UNTIL I STARTED TO TAKE IT TO WORK. EVERY TIME I WOULD LEAVE FROM WORK MY MOTORCYCLE WILL STALL AT EVERY STOP LIGHT/SIGN UNTIL I HIT THE FREEWAY (BASICALLY ANY TIME I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH TO SLOW DOWN). AFTER I GET OFF THE FREEWAY THE MOTORCYCLE SEEMS TO BE FINE. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD TO DO THE FIRST SERVICE, THIS IS MY FIRST BIKE SO I DID NOT KNOW BETTER, WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE BREAK IN SERVICE I LET THEM KNOW OF THE PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME THE RPM'S MIGHT JUST BE A LITTLE LOW AND THEY WOULD RAISE IDLE. I GOT IT BACK TOOK IT TO WORK AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. ONLY SEEMS TO HAPPEN IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE SUN IS OUT, IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN THE MORNINGS. *TR
WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM ALMOST ANY SPEED , AS YOU DOWN SHIFT THE GEARS THE BIKE WILL DIE COMPLETELY, THUS FORCING ME TO STOP AND RESTART THE BIKE, EVEN IN HIGHWAY OCCURRENCES . STEERING BEARINGS ARE FAULTY AFTER ONLY 100 MILES AND ALMOST THROUGH ME OFF THE BIKE IN MULTIPLE TURNS. *TR
I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON A PUBLIC STREET. A VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING ME ON A NARROW ROAD, WHEN I DOWNSHIFTED FROM 6TH GEAR TO 5TH GEAR TO SLOW DOWN, MY MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE STALLED OUT. I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE NEW FROM THE DEALER WITH ONLY 5 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. SINCE I'VE OWNED THE BIKE (PURCHASED ON 07/17/2013) THE EN…
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I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON A PUBLIC STREET. A VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING ME ON A NARROW ROAD, WHEN I DOWNSHIFTED FROM 6TH GEAR TO 5TH GEAR TO SLOW DOWN, MY MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE STALLED OUT. I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE NEW FROM THE DEALER WITH ONLY 5 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. SINCE I'VE OWNED THE BIKE (PURCHASED ON 07/17/2013) THE ENGINE HAS STALLED WHEN ENGINE BREAKING OR DOWNSHIFTING SEVERAL TIMES NOW, WITH THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE'S HAPPENING ON 07/25/2013. *TR
THE BIKE SHUTS OFF AS SOON AS YOU PULL IN THE CLUTCH TO START BRAKING. IT HAS DONE THIS NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. I HAVE OWNED MY BIKE FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND HAVE JUST DONE THE FIRST MAINTANANCE AT KAWASAKI DEALER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE THE BIKE WAS COLD BUT EVEN AFTER A 10 MINUTE WARM …
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THE BIKE SHUTS OFF AS SOON AS YOU PULL IN THE CLUTCH TO START BRAKING. IT HAS DONE THIS NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW WITH 0 MILES. I HAVE OWNED MY BIKE FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND HAVE JUST DONE THE FIRST MAINTANANCE AT KAWASAKI DEALER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE THE BIKE WAS COLD BUT EVEN AFTER A 10 MINUTE WARM UP THE BIKE WILL SHUT OFF ALMOST AT EVERY STOPLIGHT/STOP SIGN WHEN I PULL IN THE CLUTCH UNLESS I CONSTANTLY REV IT TO A COMPLETE STOP. *TR
Official recalls
113V328000 · Electrical System
Jul 29, 2013
Kawasaki Motors Corp. is recalling certain model year 2013 Ninja 300 and 300 ABS motorcycles manufactured July 16, 2012, through April 27, 2013. Due to an improper setting in the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), the motorcycle may stall under deceleration.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A stall under deceleration increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kawasaki will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECU. The recall began on August 5, 2013. Owners may contact Kawasaki at 1-866-802-9381.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE13023 · Motorcycle Stalling
Opened Jun 20, 2013 · Closed Sep 20, 2013
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Other:fuel Injection System
ODI opened this PE with eighteen (18) allegations of stalling while riding a subject motorcycle.During the course of gathering information about this subject, Kawasaki decided to address the stalling issue.Kawasaki has informed ODI they intend to remedy approximately 11,097 2013 Model Year Ninja 300 and 300 ABS motorcycles by replacing the Engine Control Unit.Kawasaki's recall (13V-328) resolves the issue raised by this investigation and therefore this investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following 56 complaint identification numbers:10498192,10498532,10503493,10503834,10505012,10505031,10505117, 10505548,10505580,10509113,10509756,10510493,10510706,10512296, 10512579,10513051,10513978,10515717,10519423,10521588,10521827, 10521883,10521889,10521959,10521981,10522157,10522286,10522328, 10522426,10522861,10522984,10522991,10523178,10523506,10524022, 10524290,10525055,10525055,10525289,10525289,10525910,10525910, 10531686,10531686,10532034,10532034,10532226,10532226,10532373, 10532373,10532447,10532447,10532590,10532590,10534559,10536049
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