fuel tank leak recall for nina 250

[Saki.Girl]

not sure if anyone has posted this

ok guys wanted to give you a heads up if you know anyone who has a ninja 250 year 2004 to 2007 there is a recall notice got mine today there is a chance that the fuel tank may have been punctured during assembly which fuels will leak from and could cause a fire or explosion .


so if you know anyone with a 250 pass it along.

mine is going down to the shop tonight and they will check it out tomorrow

[bennice]

Oh joy! I haven't received this in the mail yet, but looked at the warranty status page on the kawi website and downloaded the notice.

There was another thread about this a few days back
http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/fo...50-recall.html

For those who haven't received their letter yet, here's what it says:


Dear Kawasaki Motorcycle Owner:
This notice has been sent to you in accordance with requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
The reason for this notice:
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2004 ~ 2007 NINJA® 250R motorcycle models. On eligible units, the fuel tank could have been punctured during the assembly process allowing fuel to leak from the tank. Fuel leakage in the presence of spark or flame could cause a fire or explosion possibly resulting in injury or death. Our records indicate that you have bought one of these units.
What Kawasaki and your dealer will do:
Your Kawasaki dealer will correct this problem for you at no charge. The correction will consist of inspecting the fuel tank and replacing the tank if necessary. The actual repair will take up to one hour but may take longer due to scheduling at the dealership and the time needed to obtain required parts.
What you must do to ensure your safety:
Please call your authorized Kawasaki motorcycle dealer to schedule an appointment and take this letter with you at the time of your appointment.
DO NOT OPERATE YOUR MOTORCYCLE UNTIL THE INSPECTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
If you need help:
If you have questions or concerns that your dealer is not able to resolve, or you experienced the failure described above prior to receiving this letter and paid to have it corrected, please Contact Kawasaki’s Consumer Services Department:
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
ATTN: Consumer Services Department
P.O. Box 25252
Santa Ana, California 92799-5252
(866) 802-9381 (toll-free) between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
If your dealer fails or is unable to remedy this defect without charge within a reasonable amount of time (60 days after you first attempt to obtain remedy), you may submit a written complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C. 20590, or call the toll free Auto Safety Hotline at (88 327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http:\\www.safercar.gov.
If you received this notice in error:
Our records indicate you are the current owner of the NINJA® 250R described in this letter. If you no longer have the vehicle described in this letter, or if it has been repaired, please help us to update our records by calling Kawasaki toll free at (866) 802-9381.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and your continued satisfaction with your Kawasaki motorcycle. Please contact your dealer if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. P . O . B o x 2 5 2 5 2 9 4 9 / 7 7 0 - 0 4 0 0 9 9 5 0 J e r o n i m o R o a d
S a n t a A n a , C a l i f o r n i a F a x 9 4 9 / 4 6 0 - 5 6 0 0 I r v i n e , C a l i f o r n i a
9 2 7 9 9 - 5 2 5 2 w w w . k a w a s a k i . c o m 9 2 6 1 8 – 2 0 8 4

[Saki.Girl]

sorry for the repost on it

[bennice]

No apologies! This is pretty important, and the subject needed a bump up to the top

[Svetlana]

Wow thx.... this just sucks

edit- BTW- if we aren't supposed to operate our bikes until its been inspected, should I assume the nearest dealer will tow it to their shop ??? O.o

[Neverdun]

Yea My dealer called me to tell me about it. He did say that if it hasn't leaked by now it probably wouldn't but that he wanted us to bring it in anyway. I'm getting some AVON AM51/52's put on it for my wife anyway so I'll get it checked out probably this weekend. Those tires should lower it about a half inch which will help her out a little. That with the 1.5 inch lowering links thats on there now and she should be fine.

[ervins]

Wow that is a good heads up for the 250 riders here.

[windrider18]

I got one of those in the mail too...too bad I sold my 05 about a year and a half ago. I was going to post this too, but you beat me to it

[clausiam]

It would be great if my wife's bike has that problem, because our daughter knocked her bicycle over when the 250 was about 2 weeks old and it made a nice dent in the tank and chipped the paint off all the way to the metal. My repair job is not really a pro job so a new tank on Kawasaki would be nice

Haven't had any problems so most likely it won't happen.

[bennice]

Finally got my notice in the mail today. Looks like it's time to set up my appointment for this and the spring service. Too bad we haven't yet had any spring-like weather around here.

[Saki.Girl]

took my bike down today and got it back my bike was a ok

[windrider18]

Cool!

[Ninjeff]

uhg. its gonna be awhile till i can get mine to the shop. Snowsnow everywhere.

[Saki.Girl]

uhg. its gonna be awhile till i can get mine to the shop. Snowsnow everywhere.

ya i am lucky the shope is like 1/2 a mile away and are snow melted

[xeon]

Got mine too, I'll be driving it to the dealership when weather gets a little better.

It would be interesting to know how many people are truly affected by this and what the "defect" truly is.

Edit: found a bit more detailed info over at ninja250.org (http://forums.ninja250.org/viewtopic...=527761#527761)

I just called my local Kawi dealer, who read me the specifics on the recall. This is paraphrased.

Quote:
If the upper right and/or left fairing bolts, which secure the fairing to the fuel tank, are 20mm long or over (measured from the base of the head to the tip), replace the tank and the two bolts. If the bolts are 18mm or shorter, inspect the tank, and reuse the bolts.


Note that according to federal regulations, there will be a recall pending on your vehicle, if it's affected, until you take it to a factory authorized mechanic. Your mechanic must update your vehicle's record before that recall notice will be removed from the bike's record.

To look up your VIN and see if it's subject to the recall, go to this URL:

http://www.kawasaki.com/SITE/VIVEHIC...OSEVEHICLE.ASP

Feel free to do the inspection yourself (in fact, I encourage it). Pull each of the upper gas tank bolts (they're straight down from the handlebars, facing outward), and measure from the bottom of the head (the part that presses on the washer) to the tip of the threaded shaft. If it's 18mm (or close to it), you're good to go. If it's 20mm or over, grab your flashlight, turn it on away from the tank and shine it in those bolt holes. If you see any metal, or anything but paint (I think there should be paint in there), your bike is unsafe to ride. Note that if your bolts are 20mm or longer, you get a new tank!

Legally speaking, until you've had your dealership's mechanic perform this inspection, your bike is subject to the recall, and may be considered unsafe to ride. I don't know this for sure, but it occurrs to me that this may also have insurance ramifications, such as your insurer refusing coverage in the event of a fire.

I'll be taking my 06 in as soon as the roads are safe to ride (it's been a snowy week in Seattle).

Looks like it is really an issue with bolts that are too long.

[Saki.Girl]

Got mine too, I'll be driving it to the dealership when weather gets a little better.

It would be interesting to know how many people are truly affected by this and what the "defect" truly is.

ya i wounder how many they have fround

[bennice]

Got mine taken care of and picked up today. Apparently mine didn't have the screws that caused all the ruckus.

Finally got a break in the weather so I was able to ride to/from work today!

[jeremykrall]

Got mine too, I'll be driving it to the dealership when weather gets a little better.

It would be interesting to know how many people are truly affected by this and what the "defect" truly is.

Edit: found a bit more detailed info over at ninja250.org (http://forums.ninja250.org/viewtopic...=527761#527761)


Looks like it is really an issue with bolts that are too long.

I just bought a 2006 250 yesterday. I left the dealer about 10 minutes before they closed. When I got home and entered my VIN on Kawasaki's website to check the warranty status this recall was listed as being open. I was worried that I just bought a bike that I wouldn't even be able to ride! It was too late to call the dealer back so I was just planning on driving the cage tomorrow until i could talk to the dealer. With this information on what to inspect I was able to take a look myself. Both bolts are 18mm! Happy day, I can ride and not worry to much. Now to find out if the dealer sold a vehicle with an open recall, which I think might be illegal.

[zedx11]

it may have been checked and not entered yet so give them a chance before you start with illegal sale talk.

[jeremykrall]

it may have been checked and not entered yet so give them a chance before you start with illegal sale talk.

I realize that they might have done the inspection. In fact the paint inside the bolt holes looks like a different yellow so more may have been done. That is why I said:

Now to find out if the dealer sold a vehicle with an open recall, which I think might be illegal.

I want to find out if they did the recall or not. As I said, I don't even know if it is illegal to sell a vehicle with an open recall.

Please forgive me for the way that I worded my original post, this dealer has really gotten on my nerves. It would be a kick in the pants to be able to point out a major thing like this to them.