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2025 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 24 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine complaints

20 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 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 auth…

Read full complaint

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.

NHTSA ODI #11669555

Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2025
Engine

Unknown

NHTSA ODI #11669355

Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2025
Engine

Recall due to crankshaft bearing.

NHTSA ODI #11669353

Mileage unknown · Jun 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, kis…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11669333

Mileage unknown · Jun 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, y…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11669308

Mileage unknown · Jun 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 au…

Read full complaint

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.

NHTSA ODI #11668770

Mileage unknown · Jun 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 Offic…

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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

NHTSA ODI #11668245

Mileage unknown · Jun 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 cra…

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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)

NHTSA ODI #11667869

Mileage unknown · Jun 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…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11666677

Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2025
Engine

I have a 2025 kawasaki zx6r and I went into get my first service yesterday and they told me they just got a stop sales order from the manufacturer and that I will soon get a stop ride order in the mail and they didnt wanna service it since a recall is next. The issue is for a #5 crankshaft bushing failure.

NHTSA ODI #11666180

Official recalls

2

25V798000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical

Nov 18, 2025

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (Kawasaki) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Ninja ZX-6R, ZX-6R KRT Edition, ZX-6R KRT 40th Anniversary Edition ABS, ZX-6R ABS, and ZX-6R KRT Edition ABS motorcycles. The motorcycles may lose engine power during operation due to seizure of a metal crankshaft bushing.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to ride their motorcycles until the repair has been completed. Dealers will re-tighten the metal crankshaft bushing, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2025. Motorcycles in this recall that were previously repaired under recall 25V376 will need to have the new remedy performed, once available. Owners may contact Kawasaki customer service at (855) 878-4217.

25V376000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical

Jul 7, 2025

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (Kawasaki) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Ninja ZX-6R motorcycles. The motorcycles may lose engine power during operation due to seizure of a metal crankshaft bushing.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to ride their motorcycles until the repair has been completed. The #5 metal crankshaft bushing must be inspected on all eligible units already in operation. If there is no abnormality with or damage to the bushing, the bolts holding the crankshaft together in the crank case must be re-tightened with proper torque. If there is any abnormality with or damage to the bushing, the parts must be replaced and the crankshaft properly tightened, or the engine must be otherwise repaired or replaced. The manufacturer has not yet provided a schedule for recall notification. Owners may contact KMC customer service at 1-866-802-9381. This recall was replaced by 25V798.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.