Ducati 999S: problems, complaints, bulletins

Summary for the Ducati 999S across 1 model years: 3 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.

Model years

Year	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)	YouTube repair videos
2004	3	0	0	0

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 67% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 33% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 2 complaints (67% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (33% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 3 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

vibration1 · 33%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 33%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Service brakes	2	0	0
Electrical system	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.

Hi I am not complaining about anything, just asking a question about a serious problem I have had with my ducati 999s 2004 model. My front brake seized up on me recently without me pulling the lever. This resulted in me nearly killing myself.
Service brakes · 2004 · 2010-10-22 · NHTSA complaint #10361748
The bike exhibits a strong shuddering behavior when making medium-strength stops starting from 15-20 mph. The whole front end of the bike shakes violently. Although this has not caused an accident yet I fear that an accident could be caused, especially if I need to make any steering input while this shaking occurs.
Service brakes · 2004 · 2004-05-22 · NHTSA complaint #10072997
After parking the motorcycle the consumer turned the ignition off, but the starter would continue to run. Consumer had to restart the ignition, and remove the ground wire from the battery. Consumer found frayed wires in the examination of the starter. The wires were repaired, and motorcycle was working properly.
Electrical system · 2004 · 2004-03-30 · NHTSA complaint #10065274

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20042
20101

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

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.