Kawasaki DRIFTER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
5 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
1 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1999 to 2000 model years. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 5 complaints (60.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 3 |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Flasher Unit | 1 |
| Structure | 1 |
Unknown Or Other: 3; Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Flasher Unit: 1; Structure: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 4 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
2000: 3; 2003: 1; 2006: 1
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 0 |
1999: 1; 2000: 0
Year-by-year records
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
5 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 375.0%ODI 735796WHEN MOTORCYCLE IS PARKED IDLING, THE BIKE WILL FALL OVER DUE TO NO LOCKING POSTION ON THE SIDESTAND. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN INJURY OF THE RIDER OR OTHERS STANDING NEAR THE MOTORCYCLE. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Flasher Unit | 125.0%ODI 10151125 · 1 miI OWN A 1999 KAWASAKI 1500 DRIFTER MOTORCYCLE THAT I BOUGHT NEW FROM G&G CYCLES, 142 LAFAYETTE ROAD, SALISBURY, MA, 01952. SINCE IT WAS NEW THE TURN SIGNAL WOULD COME ON WHEN I STARTED THE MOTORCYCLE. THE DEALER HAD NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT IT CREATED A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE, IF I FAILED TO TURN IT OFF BEFORE DRIVING, IT WOULD SIGNAL OTHER DRIVERS THAT I WAS TURNING WHEN I WAS NOT IN FACT GOING TO DO SO, MAKING THEM TAKE DANGEROUS ACTION. IN THE LAST SEASON OF USING THE MOTORCYCLE THE PROBLEM WORSENED. NOW THE TURN … | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0% |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Flasher Unit | Too few reports for a range | 1 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10151125 · 1 miI OWN A 1999 KAWASAKI 1500 DRIFTER MOTORCYCLE THAT I BOUGHT NEW FROM G&G CYCLES, 142 LAFAYETTE ROAD, SALISBURY, MA, 01952. SINCE IT WAS NEW THE TURN SIGNAL WOULD COME ON WHEN I STARTED THE MOTORCYCLE. THE DEALER HAD NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT IT CREATED A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE, IF I FAILED TO TURN IT OFF BEFORE DRIVING, IT WOULD SIGNAL OTHER DRIVERS THAT I WAS TURNING WHEN I WAS NOT IN FACT GOING TO DO SO, MAKING THEM TAKE DANGEROUS ACTION. IN THE LAST SEASON OF USING THE MOTORCYCLE THE PROBLEM WORSENED. NOW THE TURN … |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1999: 4 complaints · 2000: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Unknown Or Other | Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Flasher Unit | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | — | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Flasher Unit | 0 | — | 0 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.