The damage to the spark plugs in question can lead to unstable idling, hesitation when accelerating and, in the worst case, even an unexpected engine stall.
Such behavior significantly increases the risk of an accident. Around 1,579 motorcycles are affected by this problem, which corresponds to around one percent of the units produced. The production of the affected vehicles took place between January 11, 2023 and November 14, 2023. The model variants affected include:
- 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition
- 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R ABS
- 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR 40th Anniversary Edition ABS
- 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR ABS
- 2024 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition ABS
The affected vehicle identification numbers (VINs) are in the following ranges, but not sequentially:
- ML5ZXCP15RDA09931 to ML5ZXCP16RDA14989
- ML5ZXCS10RDA09911 to ML5ZXCS10RDA14669
- ML5ZXCS11PDA00082 to ML5ZXCS10PDA01482
- ML5ZXCS11RDA09951 to ML5ZXCS13RDA13869
- ML5ZXCS17RDA09971 to ML5ZXCS1XRDA14209
Cause and measures:
In December 2023, Kawasaki received reports of rough idling on several motorcycles. An investigation revealed that a spark plug tightening tool was tilted during operation, exerting excessive lateral force on the spark plugs, thereby damaging some spark plugs during the manufacturing process. In response, Kawasaki will replace all four spark plugs on the affected motorcycles free of charge through authorized dealers. Repair time should take less than an hour, but may vary depending on scheduling and parts availability at the dealer.
Owners who have already incurred costs to correct this problem prior to the recall may be entitled to a full or partial refund if they can provide appropriate receipts.
What should owners do now?
Affected owners should contact their authorized Kawasaki dealer as soon as possible to schedule a recall service appointment. For more information, customers may contact Kawasaki Customer Service, recall number MC27-04. Additionally, customers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline.
It is important to note that the recall is coming from the American region and the contact options are also intended for this region. It is currently not entirely clear whether there are problems in other regions, but since motorcycles are usually manufactured in one factory for worldwide sale, this is possible.