2009 DUCATI 848 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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. *TR

THE RADIATOR HAS A LEAK UNDER THE LEFT MOUNTING BRACKET ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE RADIATOR. THIS HAS CAUSED EXTREMELY HOT COOLANT TO SPRAY OUT THE LEFT VENT ONTO THE RIDERS LEG. ALSO COOLANT HAS COVERED THE FRONT WHEEL AND BRAKES, LEFT FORK AND FOGGED OUT THE LEFT HEAD LIGHT. THIS IS A KNOWN COMPLICATION WITH THIS MODEL BIKE, WITH HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTED CASES. MY BIKE HAS LESS THEN 6000 MILES, WITH NO ACCIDENTS, AND NO DAMAGE TO THE RADIATOR. THIS LEAK AT THE LEFT MOUNTING BRACKET IS KNOWN TO DUCATI, BUT THEY ARE UNWILLING TO HELP WITH THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DUCATI 848 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH AND ABOVE, THE FUEL TANK WOULD SHAKE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THAT THE TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE PLASTIC MATERIAL USED DURING MANUFACTURING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,200. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

ONE DAY RIDING HOME FROM WORK I STARTED TO FEEL LIKE MY KNEE WAS BURNING. I LOOKED DOWN TO MY LEFT KNEE AND SAW THAT IT WAS GETTING WET AND WAS BURNING FROM SOMETHING HOT. PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT I WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THE COOLANT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS COMING OUT OF THE COOLANT HOSE. I HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED TO THE DEALER SHIP THAT I WORK AT. I REMOVED THE FAIRING TO CHECK WHERE IT WAS LEAKING FROM. SAW THAT IT WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE RADIATOR. TRIED TO GET SOME HELP FROM THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY JUST KEPT TRYING TO SAY THAT IT WAS MY FAULT. THE FIRST THING THEY TOLD ME IS THAT IT WAS A STONE THAT HIT THE RADIATOR. WHEN THEY TOLD ME ABOUT THE STONE I WANTED THEM TO SHOW ME WHERE THE STONE HIT BUT THEY COULDN'T SHOW IT TO ME AND BEFORE TAKING THE BIKE DOWN TO THE DEALER I HAD THE RADIATOR PRESSURE TESTED AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE LEFT UPPER HANGER SPOT WELD. AFTER THEY COULDN'T SHOW ME I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD IT PRESSURE TESTED AND IT SEEMED TO MAKE THEM MAD AND THEN THEY STARTED TO SAY THAT I DROPPED THE BIKE AND I ASKED THEM THE SAME THING AS BEFORE AND THEY COULDN'T SHOW ME WHERE IT HAD SIGNS THAT IT HAD FALLEN. THEN THEY SEEMED TO GET EVEN MORE MAD. I CALLED DUCATI OF NORTH AMERICA AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPEN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE SORRY FOR WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT THEY WOULD HELP ME OUT BUT THAT I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THAT DEALER SO THEY COULD CHECK IT OUT AGAIN. BUT I WASN'T GOING TO HAVE IT TOWED DOWN THERE AGAIN AT THAT POINT I COULD'VE BOUGHT A NEW RADIATOR. WHEN THIS HAPPENED IN MARCH I LOOKED UP THE PRICE FOR A NEW ONE AND IT WAS $548 AND NOW ITS GONE UP TO $948 AND THE PART NUMBER HAS CHANGED TO 54840742B FROM 54840741B. EVEN WHEN I TALKED TO THE PERSON AT DUCATI HE TOLD ME THAT THEY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE RADIATORS THAT ARE IN THE 1098 AND THE 848. AND AS FOR MY KNEE I HAD TO BUY A BURN CREAM SO IT WOULDN'T HURT FROM THE BURN AND THE GLYCOL IN THE COOLANT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DUCATI 848 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DISPLAYED A READING OF 205 DEGREES AS HE NOTICED COOLANT FLUID LEAKING FROM THE RADIATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT COOLANT FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM A SPOT WELD ON THE LEFT SIDE HANGER. THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.