The 2008 Ducati 848 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 7,130 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
6
1crashes
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
3
ENGINE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1
STEERING
1
Total complaints14
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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. However, I was never notified and did not qualify for the repairs…”
“Ducati fuel tanks are leaking. Dealers are replacing some fuel tanks for original owners. I am not an original owner. My fuel tank is not leaking, yet. If you log on to ducati.org you may read some of the forum postings. You can search forum postings for fuel tank leaks. It is happening on…”
“The radiator developed a leak. *tr”
“Failure of gas tank. Gas tank seems to undergo changes over time a use. The changes are, swelling, leaking, internal failure, damage to fuel system. Swelling causes inability to turn handle bars to move to full turn. Leaking causes harmful gas fumes to be consumed by rider which can lead to cancer…”
“Failure of gas tank. Gas tank seems to undergo changes over time a use. The changes are, swelling, leaking, internal failure, damage to fuel system. Swelling causes inability to turn handle bars to move to full turn. Leaking causes harmful gas fumes to be consumed by rider which can lead to cancer…”
“Failure of gas tank. Gas tank seems to undergo changes over time a use. The changes are, swelling, leaking, internal failure, damage to fuel system. Swelling causes inability to turn handle bars to move to full turn. Leaking causes harmful gas fumes to be consumed by rider which can lead to cancer…”
“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…”
“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…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE10044 Opened 2010-11-04 · closed 2011-02-07
Motorcycle coolant leak...radiator
After opening this PE, ODI gathered information from involved owners, Ducati dealers, and Ducati North America personnel.We were particularly interested in ascertaining how much hot coolant was leaking and whether it had the potential to burn the rider and/or wash the rear tire contact patch.On November 23, 2010,…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2008 Ducati 848 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.