2003 Kawasaki 1100 STX DI (2-stroke) — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $1,500–$3,800. There are 3 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
Kestrel Take
A direct-injection two-stroke Kawasaki runabout — quick and cheap now, with the DI fuel system as the make-or-break. When the direct-injection system is healthy it's great; when it's neglected it's a frustrating project. Compression, the DI system, and corrosion are the inspection.
What we checked
Not checked against public records
Personal watercraft fall to the Consumer Product Safety Commission rather than NHTSA. Its recall feed rarely names a specific model year, so we have not wired it in — matching on the brand alone would attach other people’s machines to this page. What follows is our own write-up, and it has not been reconciled against an official record. Treat it as a starting point, not a verdict.
Known Issues for the 2003 Kawasaki 1100 STX DI (2-stroke)
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.
The Ficht/DI-style system is powerful but complex and expensive to sort when neglected; verify it runs cleanly with no fault codes.
Repair cost (estimate): $400-$1,800 — around 68% of what this car is typically worth
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Verify compression and rebuild history.
Repair cost (estimate): $400-$1,500 — around 57% of what this car is typically worth
Source: not yet checked against public records.
A 20-year-old ski can be heavily corroded; inspect closely.
Repair cost (estimate): $300-$2,000 — around 75% of what this car is typically worth
Source: not yet checked against public records.
DI-specific and older Kawasaki parts are getting scarce.
Repair cost: Not yet priced
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗DI fault codes or rough running
- ✗Low compression
- ✗Heavy corrosion
- ✗No service history
Good Signs
- ✓Clean-running DI system
- ✓Good compression
- ✓Freshwater use with records
More from Kawasaki
Similar jet skis & pwcs
2000 Sea-Doo GTX (947 2-stroke)
$1,500–$4,000
2003 Polaris Virage TXi (2-stroke)
$800–$2,500
2019 Sea-Doo Spark 3up
$5,000–$7,500
2019 Yamaha SuperJet 701 (2-stroke)
$5,000–$8,500
2020 Sea-Doo Spark 2up
$5,500–$8,000
2022 Sea-Doo Spark
$5,500–$8,500
2019 Yamaha WaveRunner VX Deluxe
$6,000–$9,000
2021 Sea-Doo Spark Trixx
$6,000–$9,000
Found a specific Kawasaki 1100 STX DI (2-stroke)?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2003 Kawasaki 1100 STX DI (2-stroke) in general. A free read looks at the one you're considering— it checks that seller's asking price against the market and names the issues that matter most for this exact year.
Get a free read on it →Instant, on the page, no card and no account. The year, make and model come with you — you add the asking price and the mileage.
The free read stops short of a verdict, because that needs the photos. The full report — $7.99 takes your photos and the seller's description, does the fair-offer math, and ends in BUY, NEGOTIATE or WALK AWAY with a negotiation script. Delivered to your inbox, usually within minutes.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
No bullshit, no upsells, no affiliate links. One report, one price — we'll never charge you rent for your own thinking.
Think we got something wrong? Tell us — a real person reads every message.