AI DamageKawasaki Z Series: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Kawasaki Z Series across 2 model years: 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 33% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
Rear chain separated/wound itself around the rear fork/sprocket, causing the rear wheel to lock/loss of control.
Passenger on motorcylce received burns on leg from hot mufflers. (attorney for client)
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- 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 2026-11-05.