AI DamageKawasaki Ninja 500: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Kawasaki Ninja 500 across 2 model years: 2 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
| Year | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) | YouTube repair videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- 2 Wheels 50% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 1 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The vehicle has not been inspected, yet I have an appointment on 11/4/20226 to have the motorcycle seen by the dealer; there were no warning lights.
There was no warning light illuminated. The contact applied the rear brakes, which engaged, but the vehicle failed to complete the turn. The vehicle drove straightforward over dirt, drove on a cliff, over the edge of an embankment, and crashed onto the ground. No police report was filed.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other models of this make
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 2026-11-06.