AI DamageDucati 848: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Ducati 848 across 5 model years: 23 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 48% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 30% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 4% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 11 complaints (48% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 7 complaints (30% of all).
- Engine: 4 complaints (17% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (13% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 23 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Radiator leak caused by weakened mounting bracket. This design flaw is due to extra weight placed on the left side mounting bracket from the battery mounted on the same bracket.
1st issue is when coming to a stop or at a stop like with bike in neutral, is will randomly shut off with out warning, and without an engine code. It happens 3-4 times a day. Second issue is my bike leaks fuel randomly depending on the temp of the day I notice it alot in my garage.
Fuel is leaking out of the bottom of the motorcycle near the exhaust manifold. I took it to the shop and they said that it is a known problem with deformation of the gas tank and ducati settled a class action law suit about it.
This situation introduces a safety issue on many levels, including fuel leakage and subsequent fire hazard, steering limitation where the tank will come into contact with the handlebar, and sudden shifting of the weight of a full fuel tank.
After coming home from a ride, I noticed the radiator was leaking coolant from a pinsized hole. Many other owners have reported similar findings with their radiators.
The contact stated that the plastic fuel tank became fractured, which resulted in an excessive fuel leak. The vehicle was previously repaired by the dealer and the fuel tank was replaced. Most recently, the failure recurred and the vehicle was not repaired for the recurring failure.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.