Kawasaki Zx1400a7f
Model Zx1400a7f made by Kawasaki got 7 consumer complains as well as 1 investigation. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to engine and engine cooling and power train. The car had one investigation (structure).
Model 2007
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | ||||||
| PE08021 | KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP., U.S.A. | 03/24/2008 | 07/02/2008 | FRAME FRACTURE/SUSPENSION COLLAPSE | 08V222000 | |
| This pe was opened based on owner complaints, ewr field reports, and web forum discussions alleging that some my 2006-2007 kawasaki zx14 high performance motorcycles' rear suspension collapsed due to crossmember failure.in its recall filing, kawasaki wrote, the lower rear engine mount has a threaded collar designed to eliminate clearance between the frame and the engine cases before the engine mounting bolt is tightened.on some of the affected units, the collar was tightened excessively, which created stress across the lower crossmember.kawasaki dealers are instructed to inspect the affected units and install a new frame on those zx14's with suspect crossmembers.in its owner notification letter, kawasaki cautions that a frame replacement may require a few weeks due to the time required to prepare and ship the new frame and labels with the correct vehicle identification number. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 07/01/2008 | |||
| The purpose of this message is to bring to your attention a defect in the kawasaki zx-14 which may present a potential danger to owners of this model. shortly after purchasing my bike i was informed of a recall concerning an issue with the engine mounting bolts. while mechanics certified my bike to be within proper guidelines, they also noticed a knocking sound in the motor. after an auditory inspection, the mechanics deemed my bike safe to ride. however, there was no explaination provided for the unusual sound from inside the engine. since that time i have put over 6,000 miles on the bike, and the loud knocking sound persists. earlier this week i was searching for information on an after market cooling fan for my bike, and discovered a host of zx14 forums which addressed the issue of the loud knocking or clunking sound from the engine. i learned that both mechanics and factory reps claimed the engine noise was normal, but it seems none could adequately explain what is causing this to occur. at least one customer indicated his engine ultimately failed while he was riding. i have heard theories such as clutch noise, the balancer, and the cam chain. i am concerned this problem could lead to more engine failures or possible accidents. unfortunately, most of us have expired warranties, while the service departments and kawasaki's factory reps are aware of the knocking noise. i am asking you to investigate this problem in order to discover a possible problem and a fair solution, or deem these bikes safe for us to ride. if there is a problem, kawasaki should rectify this situation immediately. thank you so very much for your attention to this matter. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 06/06/2008 | 4216 | ||
| 07 zx-14 says its in neutral and comes up 1st gear even with neutral light on. while at stop light letting off clutch bike's suppose to be in 1st gear and it's actually in neutral. latest incident happened this morning, while riding been to dealerships back and no one has done anything, to correct it, contacted tech support and they haven't done anything to correct it either... *tr | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||
| 08/11/2007 | 4550 | 1 | 05/22/2007 |
| I purchased a new 2007 kawasaki zx-14 motorcycle in may of this year, 2007. i have maintained the motorcycle in accordance to the manufacture's guidelines. during normal operation of the motorcycle, on smooth flat pavement, at no more than 50 mph, the rear end dropped about three inches without warning. at first i thought the rear tire had gone flat. after i safely brought the bike to a stop, i looked down at the rear tire, it was not flat. upon further inspection i realized that the frame of the bike had failed. the frame was indeed broken. the bike has never crashed into anything or hit any potholes. there isn't a scratch on the bike and it has never had any stunts performed on it. the bike is at an authorized kawasaki dealer now and they have found no signs of any abuse. the service department technicians have concurred that the frame just cracked without rhyme or reason. if this had happened only 5 seconds earlier while the bike was leaned over in a turn things could have been very different. kawasaki has offered to replace the frame under warranty but has offered no explanation as to why this happened. nor have they guaranteed that this won't happen again. several dealers have expressed concern over rebuilding this bike on a new frame. the information obtained from these dealerships in regards to their reservation and disagreeable position with kawasaki on rebuilding their flagship bike on a new frame has not been encouraging to me as a rider. *tr | |||