NHTSA vehicle safety data

2009 Kawasaki KL650E Recalls & Complaints

The 2009 Kawasaki KL650E has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 6 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Kawasaki dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2009 Kawasaki KL650E. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2009 Kawasaki KL650E owner complaints

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Kawasaki KL650E, describing incidents dated October 11, 2009 to August 29, 2012.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 4 complaints
Engine 2 complaints

Newest complaints

ODI #10472954 · Filed August 29, 2012
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI KL650E MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V062000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING) HOWEVER, WAS…
ODI #10430091 · Filed October 13, 2011
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI KL650E. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AND IT FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THE METAL BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE GENERATOR WAS EXTREMELY SHARP AND WAS…
ODI #10414021 · Filed July 21, 2011
2009 KLR 650 WITH ONLY 7K MILES, ENGINE CUT OFF SUDDENLY AT HIGHWAY SPEED. MECHANICS REPORTING THE ENTIRE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE OIL USAGE CAUSING DAMAGE IN ALL PARTS OF ENGINE. *KB

Read all 6 complaints

WIRES IN THE MAIN HARNESS

NHTSA #09V062000 · Electrical System — Wiring · NHTSA notice

Reported February 20, 2009 · KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP., U.S.A.

Potentially affected: 16,167 vehicles

Owners notified February 24, 2009 · Vehicles built February 14, 2007 – January 23, 2009 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

KAWASAKI IS RECALLING 16,167 MY 2008-2009 KLR 650 (KL650E8F/L, KL650E9F/L) MOTORCYCLES. WIRES IN THE WIRING HARNESS MIGHT BE DAMAGED DUE TO RUBBING CONTACT WITH A PORTION OF THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME.

Safety consequence

THIS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE ENGINE CREATING A RISK OF A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KAWASAKI AT 866-802-9381.

Notes

CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

MUFFLER MOUNT BOLT

NHTSA #09V059000 · Engine and Engine Cooling — Exhaust System — Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe · NHTSA notice

Reported February 19, 2009 · KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP., U.S.A.

Potentially affected: 16,167 vehicles

Owners notified February 23, 2009 · Vehicles built February 14, 2007 – January 23, 2009 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

KAWASAKI IS RECALLING 16,167 MY 2008-2009 KLR 650 (KL650E8F/L, KL650E9F/L) MOTORCYCLES. THE MUFFLER ASSEMBLY IS SECURED TO THE FRAME OF THE MOTORCYCLE BY TWO BOLTS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HEAT EXPANSION CYCLES OF THE MUFFLER, COMBINED WITH VIBRATION FROM VEHICLE OPERATION MAY CAUSE LOOSENING OF THE MUFFLER MOUNTING BOLTS.

Safety consequence

IF THE BOLTS LOOSEN COMPLETELY, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE MUFFLER TO SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE, CREATING A RISK OF A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE PAINT FROM THE MUFFLER MOUNT TABS AND REPLACE THE MOUNT BOLTS, NUT, AND WASHER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KAWASAKI AT 866-802-9381.

Notes

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2009 Kawasaki KL650E. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

6 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Kawasaki KL650E.

Electrical System

ODI #10472954

Incident: August 29, 2012 · Filed: August 29, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI KL650E MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V062000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING) HOWEVER, WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,600.

Electrical System

ODI #10430091

Incident: October 10, 2011 · Filed: October 13, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI KL650E. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AND IT FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED THE METAL BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE GENERATOR WAS EXTREMELY SHARP AND WAS CUTTING INTO THE WIRING HARNESS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE PREVIOUS OWNER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS DUE TO SIMILAR FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,350.

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10414021

Incident: July 17, 2011 · Filed: July 21, 2011

2009 KLR 650 WITH ONLY 7K MILES, ENGINE CUT OFF SUDDENLY AT HIGHWAY SPEED. MECHANICS REPORTING THE ENTIRE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE OIL USAGE CAUSING DAMAGE IN ALL PARTS OF ENGINE. *KB

Electrical System

ODI #10353770

Incident: September 1, 2010 · Filed: September 3, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI KL650E MOTORCYCLE. WHILE TRAVELING AT NIGHT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STALLED WITH THE LOSS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THERE WAS RECALL RELATED TO THE DEFECT UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V062000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: WIRING). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DEFECT AND THE REPAIR WOULD BE AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,500.

Electrical System

ODI #10294486

Incident: November 27, 2009 · Filed: December 4, 2009

THE WIRING HARNESS RUBBED IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE MOTORCYCLE THAT LEAD TO A NEUTRAL LIGHT STAYING ON AND THE TURN SIGNAL TO NOT ACTIVATE. THE BIKE WIRING HARNESS HAD A PREVIOUS RECALL THAT WAS COMPLETED BY KAWASAKI ON MARCH OF 2009. KAWASAKI FACTORY REP. CAME IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO INVESTIGATE AND TOOK PHOTOS AND SAMPLES OF THE FAILED COMPONENTS TO SEND BACK TO THE ENGINEERS. THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AND USED A NEW TYPE (UNKNOWN) OF PROTECTIVE COVERING ON IT. KAWASAKI WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN NOTICING A SHARP INCREASE OF THIS ISSUE. THERE IS A MOTORCYCLE AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME MILES/MODEL/YEAR THAT HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND HAD KILLED THE ENGINE WHILE AT SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10289668

Incident: October 11, 2009 · Filed: October 24, 2009

NEW 09 KAWASAKI KLR650 BOUGHT FROM RIDERSVILLE CYCLE IN BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV. ON INITIAL RIDE OIL DRAIN PLUG CAME OUT, DRAINING OIL, LEADING TO ENGINE SEIZING WHILE TRAVELING AT 55MPH, BUT FOR THE QUICK REACTIONS OF THE RIDER, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE PURSUED. DEALER/MANUFACTURER ERROR FOR NOT CHECKING BOLT TIGHTNESS, AS 2 QUARTS OF OIL HAD TO BE ADDED TO BIKE UPON PICKUP, INDICATING THE BOLT WAS ALREADY LOOSE AND OIL HAD LEAKED OUT, AS THE BIKES ARE DELIVERED FULL ACCORDING TO KAWASAKI. OIL CAPACITY OF BIKE IS 2.6 QTS. OR MANUFACTURE DEFECT IN DESIGN OF BIKE, BY NOT BUILDING IT WITH A SKID PLATE THAT PROTECTS THE BOLT AND BOTTOM OF CRANKCASE FROM IMPACT. SOMETHING THEY READILY ADMIT BY SELLING AN ACCESSORY SKID PLATE THAT COVERS THE BOLT, BUT WITH NO MENTION OR WARNING THAT IT SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE BIKE. *TR

Other Kawasaki KL650E model years

Check your 2009 Kawasaki KL650E VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Kawasaki KL650E at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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