On July 26, 2023, Kawasaki Motors Corporation USA issued a safety recall for all 2023 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition bikes due to the possibility of an alternator malfunction that could, in turn, cause the engine to stall. If an engine stall occurs unexpectedly, this could increase a rider’s risk of a crash.
The issue was caused by improper installation of the alternator rotor during manufacturing at the Kawasaki factory. An estimated 991 units in the US market are believed to be affected, which represents one percent of the population. Kawasaki USA is recalling all 2023 Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition bikes produced between the dates of January 11, 2023 and March 29, 2023. Affected VINs range from ML5ZXCS11PDA00082 to ML5ZXCS10PDA01482.
For some issues that come up in safety recall notices, there may be warning signs that can inform a rider that a problem is in the process of occurring. However, Kawasaki advises that in this case, there is no known warning sign that has been reported so far. If the connection between the alternator rotor and the crankshaft loosens, the alternator can malfunction, which could potentially cause the engine to stall unexpectedly.
Kawasaki Motors Corp USA has also issued a Stop Sale notice to its national dealer network on July 26, 2023 for all 2023 Ninja ZX-4RR KRT Edition bikes. In the Stop Sale notice, the company says that it “expects to issue repair information to dealers in mid-to-late August of 2023.” As of August 1, 2023, Kawasaki has not yet established a timeline for notification of affected owners, nor a description of its remedy program for this issue.
The company does say in its Stop Sale notice that “owners of eligible units will be notified to contact an authorized Kawasaki motorcycle dealership to schedule an appointment to complete the repairs.” The company goes on to apologize for the inconvenience and stress that it is working to quickly and completely remedy the problem.
In the meantime, owners may contact KMC customer service at 1-866-802-9381. Additionally, owners may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov. NHTSA’s campaign number for this recall is 23V-515.
