Kawasaki Australia has issued a second safety recall notice for the Kawasaki STX160 Jet Ski range – for the same fault – and owners have been advised to ‘stop riding immediately’ until their watercraft has been fixed.
A faulty hood cover latch on 2020, 2021 and 2022 examples of the Kawasaki STX160 Jet Ski can cause the hood cover to flip open, detach, and impact the rider while the Jet Ski is being operated at speed.
“If the front hatch cover detaches from the watercraft, it may propel towards the rider, this may cause an accident, leading to serious injury or death,” says the latest recall notice issued by Product Safety Australia, the Federal Government recall watchdog.
“High pressure water impact to the front hatch cover can result in the front hatch cover detaching from the watercraft,” the recall notice continued.
“Consumers should stop operating their watercraft immediately. Kawasaki Motors will notify all affected owners by direct letter or email and advise them to make an appointment for repair.”
The recall applies to all 170 examples of the 2020 Kawasaki STX160 Jet Ski, all 227 examples of the 2021 Kawasaki STX160 Jet Ski, and six examples of the 2022 Kawasaki STX160 Jet Ski delivered to customers in Australia so far.
New 2022 Kawasaki STX160 Jet Skis yet to be delivered to customers will have the recall work completed before the watercraft is handed over.
Watercraft Zone has been told the original fix – issued during the first recall in October 2020 – was not sufficient and the fault continued to occur.
The first recall affected 230 examples of the Kawasaki STX160 Jet Ski manufactured from October 2019 to September 2020.
The second recall notice – for the same fault – was today formally issued by Product Safety Australia for a total of 403 examples manufactured from October 2019 to January 2022 because the original remedy did not work.
A complete list of affected Kawasaki STX160 Jet Ski HINs (hull identification numbers) can be found here; each HIN is located on the rear deck of the craft.
Watercraft Zone has been told the latest safety recall for the 2020 to 2022 Kawasaki STX160 includes “a reinforced bracket on the hinge, a much heavier duty T-piece bracing inside the hood, and a stainless tether to hold onto the hood and prevent it from hitting the rider in the head.”
The latest fix means the hood cover now has a “super-tight fit when closed and sits further back.”
Kawasaki dealers canvassed by Watercraft Zone said they believe this second recall ought to rectify the problem, and encouraged customers to come forward for the repair which, as per all safety recalls, is free of charge.
“Customers should book in their Kawasaki STX160 for a free safety check and get the latest recall work done,” one Kawasaki dealer told Watercraft Zone.
Kawasaki dealers receive a modest fee from Kawasaki Australia to fit the updated parts, which should take no longer than half an hour to complete.
“We may need the customer’s Jet Ski for longer than that because our workshops are so busy with everyone on the water at the moment, but most dealers are doing their best to get this important recall done as soon as possible.”
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