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: 2 of 2 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.
Power Train. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. 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.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
2 reports
3 miles · Jun 4, 2018
EnginePower Train
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…
Read full complaint
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
NHTSA ODI #11099460
4 miles · May 16, 2018
Power Train
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
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, high engine RPM can cause the output gears of 4th or 5th to fracture when the gears re-engage.
Consequence & remedy
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 at 1-866-802-9381. KMC's number for this recall is MC20-10.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:software
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, high engine RPM can cause the output gears of 4th or 5th to fracture when the gears re-engage.
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 at 1-866-802-9381. KMC's number for this recall is MC20-10.
Power Train:manual Transmission
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, high engine RPM can cause the output gears of 4th or 5th to fracture when the gears re-engage.
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 at 1-866-802-9381. KMC's number for this recall is MC20-10.
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 & remedy
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.
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.
2018 Kawasaki Ninja Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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