AI Damage2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 filed 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 42
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 88% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 29% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 5% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 2% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 2% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 2% of all complaints
- Engine: 37 complaints (88% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 14 complaints (33% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 12 complaints (29% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (7% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 42 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 37 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted and began to lunge violently. As the contact tried to regain control of the vehicle, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle. The contact sustained a fractured shoulder.
Every area of the entire tire tread is severely dry-rotted a second time and yet I've only had the tire 5 months.
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.
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.
If you lift your hands off the bars about 1 centimetre the bike slows down & bars shake very badly, has major potential to cause crash.the cure is to replace the stock bearings with tapered roller bearings.has affected every kawasaki ninja 250 since 1996 & the same in the 2012 & above ninja 300 due to poor bearing…
The contact stated that when the clutch was applied, the vehicle stalled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 50. Kmj
It stalls when I pull in the clutch. I have had it back to the dealer, but, like other people they cannot seem to fix it. This is a real safety issue, as if this happens at a bad time it could easily cause an accident. Kawasaki needs to get a fix for this now.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 5,819 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Ninja 300 has 15 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 42, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, powertrain, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 42. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (71%), knocking, grinding or other noise (5%), jerking, harsh shifts (2%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2013 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.