2008 Ducati 848: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
12 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
4,380 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: . 11 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 12 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 33.3% |
| Braking behavior | 2 | 16.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 16.7% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 8.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 6 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 |
| Engine | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 |
| Steering | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 6; Fuel/Propulsion System: 3; Engine: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline: 1; Steering: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 11 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 11; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (11). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
2009: 1; 2010: 2; 2011: 4; 2012: 2; 2013: 2; 2017: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 4 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10278288 · 2009-07-25 (July 25, 2009)
I OWN A 2008 DUCATI 848 MOTORCYCLE. IT HAS ONLY 4000 MILES ON IT AND THE RADIATOR STARTED LEAKING. THE LEAK ON THE RADIATOR IS LOCATED ON TOP OF THE RADIATOR WHERE RADIATOR MOUNTING BRACKET IS LOCATED. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS DEFECT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE RADIATOR IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE FRONT WHEEL OF THE MOTORCYCLE WHERE 80 PERCENT OF BRAKING IS MOSTLY DONE AND ALSO STEERING. I INFORMED DEALERSHIP ABOUT LEAK AND THEY SAID IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MOTORCYCLE. THE DEALERSHIP ORDERED RADIATOR FROM ITALY AND WAIT TIMES VARY FROM A WEEK T…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,380 miles reported. Look up ODI 10278288 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10328877 · 2010-05-04 (May 4, 2010)
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND 170F-215F DEGREE HOT COOLANT/ANTIFREEZE BEGAN BLOWING ONTO MY LEG. THE RADIATOR ON MY 2008 DUCATI 848 WITH ONLY 4,000 MILES, WHICH IS A KNOWN DUCATI 848 PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO RECALL, BEGAN TO LEAK FROM THE UPPER LEFT BRACKET AREA. CALLED DUCATI NORTH AMERICA AND THEY WERE NOT VERY FRIENDLY AND LESS THAN WILLING TO OFFER A SOLUTION. WILL EVENTUALLY BE A INJURY OR CRASH DUE TO THIS COOLANT/RADIATOR LEAK. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 4,318 miles reported. Look up ODI 10328877 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10350464 · 2010-08-18 (August 18, 2010)
1. MY 2008 DUCATI 848 MOTORCYCLE DEVELOPED A RADIATOR LEAK. THERE ARE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OTHER THAN NORMAL RIDING. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. 2. THE FAILURE IS A LEAKING RADIATOR. CONSEQUENCES ARE HIGHER RISK OF CRASH (DUE TO SLICK FLUID EMANATING FROM THE MACHINE), AND MASSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO OVERHEATING. 3. NO REPAIR HAS BEEN MADE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF SERVICE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 4,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10350464 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10402068 · 2011-05-19 (May 19, 2011)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DUCATI 848 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING ABNORMALLY FROM THE REAR. THERE WAS NO ROAD HAZARD THAT CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO FAIL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER WITHIN THE NEXT TWO DAYS FOR INSPECTION AND POSSIBLE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,600.
Owner-reported narrative. 3,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10402068 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10418638 · 2011-08-12 (August 12, 2011)
MY 2008 DUCATI 848 (WHICH ONLY HAS 4100 MILES ON IT) DEVELOPED A RADIATOR LEAK ON THE REAR-LEFT UPPER SIDE OF THE RADIATOR. THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP THE LEAK. MY BIKE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR TWO WEEKS AND WAS NOT TOUCHED BY ANYONE. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS ISSUE, RIDERS MAY BE IN DANGER AS RADIATOR FLUID MAY LEAK ONTO THE FRONT TIRE AND/OR FRONT BRAKES. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 4,103 miles reported. Look up ODI 10418638 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10419529 · 2011-08-15 (August 15, 2011)
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. THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD AS IT CAUSED EXTREMELY HOT COOLANT TO SPRAY OUT OF THE LEFT FAIRING ON TO THE RIDER'S LEG, IN ADDITION TO CAUSING A CRASH DUE TO LUBRICATED FLUID BEING EXPELLED UNDER THE BIKE WHICH COMPROMISED THE INTEGRITY OF THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE REAR TIRE AND THE ROAD. THIS ITEM NEEDS A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE! *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 6,180 miles reported. Look up ODI 10419529 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10441141 · 2011-12-24 (December 24, 2011)
MANY OWNERS ARE REPORTING THAT THEIR DEFECTIVE TANK WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE TANK, SO THEY ARE ON THEIR SECOND OR THIRD FUEL TANK. IT SEEMS TO BE PRIMARILY AN ISSUE WITH FUEL IN THE US, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM IS SHOWING UP IN EUROPE. THE CONSENSUS ON THE WEB IS THAT THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE ADDITION OF ETHANOL IN THE GASOLINE, BUT THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF MOTORCYCLES THAT HAVE USED ETHANOL TAINTED GAS FOR YEARS AND HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEMS WITH DEFORMATION. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IN MANY CASES THE DEFORMATION CAN CAUSE…
Owner-reported narrative. 13,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10441141 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10455821 · 2012-04-19 (April 19, 2012)
ON THE TOP LEFT SIDE OF RADIATOR MOUNT CRACKED AND STARTS TO LEAK. I HEARD FROM MY FRIENDS, DEALER AND RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND DUCATI.ORG FORUM. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 2008 DUCATI 848 AND MANY OTHERS WERE SAYING THIS IS THE FACTORY FAILURE AND KNOWN DEFECT. 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. THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD AS IT CAUSED EXTREMELY HOT COOLANT TO SPRAY OUT OF THE LEFT FAIRIN…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10455821 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
08V638000 · Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Reported: 2008-12-03 (December 3, 2008)
DUCATI IS RECALLING 7,130 MY 2007-2008 1098, 1098S, 1098 TRICOLORE, 1098R, AND MY 2008-2009 848 MOTORCYCLES. THE MOTORCYCLE CHARGING SYSTEM MAY BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY ENGINE HEAT AND STOP OPERATING. THIS RESULTS IN DAMAGE TO THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND ENSUING BATTERY DISCHARGE.
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE MOTORCYCLE AND A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE RIDER, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR, INSTALL A HEAT GUARD BETWEEN THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND THE ENGINE EXHAUST SYSTEM, AND INSTALL A MODIFIED BATTERY SUPPORT. THE RECALL WILL BEGIN ON DECEMBER 24, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DUCATI AT 1-800-231-6696.
NHTSA campaign record ↗