NHTSA vehicle safety data

2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 Recalls & Complaints

The 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 42 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 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 owner complaints

Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300, describing incidents dated November 14, 2012 to November 14, 2020.

Most-cited components

Engine 37 complaints
Power Train 14 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 12 complaints
Electrical System 3 complaints
Steering 2 complaints
Service Brakes 1 complaint

Of the 42 complaints on file, 2 report a crash; across all 42 complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11384841 · Filed December 24, 2020
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
ODI #10560034 · Filed January 15, 2014
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…
ODI #10547180 · Filed October 8, 2013
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…

Read all 42 complaints

Owner-reported

2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 mileage at failure

39 of the 42 complaints on file for the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Engine	Median 200 miles	Middle half up to 1,000 miles	Based on 34 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Preliminary Evaluation PE13-023: Motorcycle stalling
Closed September 20, 2013
- Recall 13V-328

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Motorcycle May Stall

NHTSA #13V328000 · Electrical System · NHTSA notice

Reported July 29, 2013 · Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

Potentially affected: 11,097 vehicles

Owners notified August 5, 2013 · Vehicles built July 16, 2012 – April 27, 2013 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

A stall under deceleration increases the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

42 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300.

Engine

ODI #11384841

Incident: November 14, 2020 · Filed: December 24, 2020

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

Tires

ODI #10560034

Incident: January 13, 2014 · Filed: January 15, 2014

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

Service Brakes

ODI #10547180

Crash

Incident: October 3, 2013 · Filed: October 8, 2013

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

Engine

ODI #10536049

Incident: August 16, 2013 · Filed: August 19, 2013

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

Engine

ODI #10534559

Incident: July 18, 2013 · Filed: August 9, 2013

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.

Power Train; Engine

ODI #10532590

Incident: July 26, 2013 · Filed: July 30, 2013

THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES IN TRAFFIC, WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS ENGAGED. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE BUT THE ENGINE ALWAYS RESTARTS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #10532447

Incident: July 13, 2013 · Filed: July 29, 2013

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

Steering; Power Train; Engine

ODI #10532373

Incident: April 10, 2013 · Filed: July 29, 2013

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

Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #10532226

Incident: July 19, 2013 · Filed: July 28, 2013

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

Engine

ODI #10532034

Incident: July 17, 2013 · Filed: July 26, 2013

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

Check your 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Kawasaki Ninja 300 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Kawasaki VIN