We don’t normally highlight isolated recall efforts, but the Ducati 1199 Panigale continues to be brought to our attention by the NHTSA. Beginning in June with a single recall relating to swingarm linkage, the Panigale experienced five additional recalls in August. Below is a summary of each recall directly quoted from the NHTSA web site. If you would like to further research these recalls, here are the campaign id numbers, corresponding to the descriptions below: (1) 12V270000; (2) 12V392000; (3) 12V399000; (4) 12V400000; (5) 12V401000; and (6) 12V402000. If you own an 1199 Panigale, contact your authorized Ducati dealer immediately.
| #1 – Summary: DUCATI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 PANIGALE MOTORCYCLES BECAUSE OF AN INCORRECT SCREW USED TO RETAIN THE SWINGARM TO THE REAR SUSPENSION LINKAGE. |
| Consequence: IF THE LINKAGE DETACHES FROM THE SWINGARM, CATASTROPHIC SUSPENSION COLLAPSE WOULD OCCUR AND ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ABILITY TO SAFELY HANDLE THE MOTORCYCLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. |
| #2 – Summary: Ducati is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 1199 Panigale motorcycles manufactured from March 16, 2012, through July 12, 2012. The exhaust butterfly valve bowden cable cover could melt or burn due to excess heat of the catalytic converter. |
| Consequence: Melting and burning of the bowden cable cover could lead to smoke and/or fire. |
| #3 – Summary: Ducati is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 1199 Panigale motorcycles manufactured from March 16, 2012, through July 12, 2012 . Due to an incorrect assembly tolerance, the Uniball bearing on the damper rod eyelet could slip out of its seat on the Ohlins steering damper. |
| Consequence: The steering damper can detach from its mounting point which can lead to loss of control of the motorcycle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| #4 – Summary: Ducati is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 1199 Panigale motorcycles manufactured from March 16, 2012, through July 12, 2012. Screws that secure the steering damper to the steering head could fall out due to an insufficient amount of Loctite applied to the threads. |
| Consequence: The steering damper can detach from the steering head which can lead to loss of control of the motorcycle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| #5 – Summary: Ducati is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 1199 Panigale motorcycles manufactured from March 16, 2012, through July 12, 2012. The right and left swingarm shaft pivots can loosen. |
| Consequence: The swingarm shaft pivots can loosen from the swingarm which can lead to loss of control of the motorcycle, increasing the risk of personal injury. |
| #6 – Summary: Ducati is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 1199 Panigale motorcycles manufactured from March 16, 2012, through July 12, 2012. The front brake master cylinder reservoir hose might interfere with the threading end of the reservoir retaining screw. |
| Consequence: The front brake master cylinder reservoir hose might interfere with the threading end of the reservoir of the retaining screw causing damage to the hose, which could lead to a front brake system failure, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Very curious to see what effect, if any, Audi will have on product quality…
Ducati needs to recall the cheesy plastic fuel tanks that swell up and eventually leak.
So far they will give you a “new tank” made from the same cheesy plastic. Some fix!!
I also remember when the HD Twin Cam 88’s had bad cam bearings and Harley’s move was to tell costumers to wait until the bearings exploded before they would do anything about it. And people still buy them:)
I have owned 7 Hondas a triumph and most recently a Harley dyna with 85k so far. The Harley is the best bike overall I have owned. It is not perfect but neither were any of my Hondas. And parts for them were more expensive and they were harder to work on. And lest you think I am just a cruiser guy my last Honda was a 750 interceptor. I liked the bike very much but I also like the many of the qualitys of the Harley as well. Our sport is based on individuality and we should celebrate riders of all types and quit trying to run down the other guy just because he rides something different from.
Gee whiz. It is virtually certain that Ducati is reporting all this to the NHTSA. There just isn’t any way that the NHTSA would find all of this, and probably none of it. But it boggles my mind that any motorcycle would find its way to production with so many things that could cause a catastrophic crash. The front brake hose evidently can rub against the exposed, threaded end of a screw that holds the master cylinder in place. This should be obvious to anyone casually inspecting the bike, so how does something like this pass any sort of quality control? There are evidently two ways that the swingarm can come loose, and evidently two ways that the steering damper can come loose. Ducati is evidently finding and reporting things that they should have found long before a single one of these bikes was ever delivered to a dealer.
My have 850 miles and smoke on startup more than my Yamaha RD400. And the dealer’s response “we don’t know why”…
The Panigale will smoke on start up and while riding. It will do this for a couple of thousand miles. All dealers were told about this before any bikes were ever delivered to dealers. It is normal, nothing is wrong and it will stop after a while. It’s OK.
The reason you don’t see that many Harley recalls is that they sorted all the bugs out about 60 years ago.
HAHAHHA!!!! I don’t care you who you are, that’s funny right there!!
We seriously take it for granted that a motorcycle won’t fall apart as we’re riding it, leading to our swift doom.
It’s amazing it doesn’t happen more often.
“insufficient amount of Loctite applied to the threads” WTF??
I’m sorry this kinda stuff just shouldn’t happen on a production motorcycle in 2012 not when it could cost someone their life…
Didn’t anyone’s father ever tell them, never buy the first model year of anything !!!
JB from the 3-point line…swish!
Spent several years in the industry and many hours in HD’s assembly plant, likewise with Honda. HD is no Honda.
A comparison between that 1199 and a Harley is laughable. That 1199 has more failure modes than a collective 20 Harley’s.
One thing about it, Ducati really seemed to push their own envelope with this bike and now they are having to reel it back in a bit. Hopefully they wont see anymore problems with this bike and are able to progress forward with it to better refine and improve on their design.
Hi;
Harley braggers must realize most of their recalls don’t happen, because Harley knows their production machines, don’t really run fast enough to hurt anyone, when they break. Ducatti doesn’t trip my trigger but have to give them credit for getting with it and fixing the problems.
2000 996 Biposto. Transmission failure @ 10k miles. $1500 for an engine removal and split the cases. All for a failed circlip. What’s much worse was the service. Total ripoff for a 10k “service” which was a total fraud. Never did 90% of what they detailed and screwed up the remainder. A red status symbol that people rationalize the flaws as “character”. But what a sweet ride when it ran. I heard they got better thereafter. Ex got it anyway:-(.
re: “Transmission failure @ 10k miles. $1500 for an engine removal and split the cases.”
wait, if that’s all you paid you should be smiling… not complaining. 🙂 i’ve paid DOUBLE for less.
re: “What’s much worse was the service. Total ripoff for a 10k “service” which was a total fraud.
btw, no such thing as a “ripoff” in bike world in ANY context. you have the freedom of choice. you could’ve always chosen to consume a lesser brand of motorcycle, like say something from the japanese…? or better still you could’ve chosen to solely rely on your automobile for transportation and NOT be a motorcyclist at all…? both valid options, but no… you made the CHOICE (same as i) to own a fancy italian motorcycle. live with your decision.
re: “Consequence:
IF THE LINKAGE DETACHES FROM THE SWINGARM, CATASTROPHIC SUSPENSION COLLAPSE WOULD OCCUR AND ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ABILITY TO SAFELY HANDLE THE MOTORCYCLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.”
correction, this is not a ducati recall, but a YAMAHA GRAND PRIX recall…!!!
My Harley with nearly 60,000 miles hasn’t had a single recall…go figure. Maybe Ducati should pay a visit to Milwaukee to see how it’s done.
Why visit Milwaukee, Harleys can be found broken down on the side of the road in any state. 😉
That’s a common misconception. Harley’s quality is on par with offerings from Japan and perhaps even better in some cases. I guess you’ve never owned a Harley, have you?
It’s not a common misconception. I see them all the time. Why they’re pulled over I have no idea. All their buddies have to pull over then too. While I solo by with a grin on my face.
I go by what I see and what I see are Harleys on the side of the road that won’t run (I’ve given rides to their owners before). I’ve never owned one but have a few thousand miles on them (rentals). The 3 Japanese bikes I have owned were and are superior in every way that matters. They’re a stuck company, in much the same position that Cadillac and Buick were when they realized that their customer base was dying off and not replenishing. Problem is, they don’t know how to change.
Why would you put a “few thousand miles” of Harley rentals if they’re bound to leave you on the side of the road? Either you trust them or you don’t. More reliable than a Ducati and cheaper to boot!
It was a better option than walking and I’m a AAA member.
Its not a common misconception, I recentley went on a ride with 96 Harleys. 93 of them being touring models. I was able to rent a harley softail (I have been curious as to what is so apealing to many cruiser riders). The ride round trip was 760 miles. 8 Harleys broke down spread out between 3 states. I was actually excited to ride the softail and experience the “thrill” of riding a harley. Im not even a cruiser rider myself but have ridden a few kawasaki cruisers, yamaha cruisers, and even some big dog choppers. I can honestly say the harley was my least favorite out of any bike I have been on no matter the class. I would still like to really try a 09′ or newer Street Glide and some Dyna models but for now I am sorely dissapointed.
One thing I did have fun with though, and have to give credit to harley was the overall atitude and sound of the motor. When you are on a harley and you pull up next to a honda cruiser, you know that the bike you’re on has that extra cool factor. (Thought I would never feel that way but I fell victim to it knowingly)
it’s the pick of the pie. you got lucky and got one that doesn’t brake down. harley, if you check their reliability record, has some of the worst for major manufacturers. but i always say, don’t let that bother you. get what you love and cross your finger that the bike you buy is built like a rock!
I guess I know a lot of Harley owners that got lucky! Seriously, just because you don’t care for a certain brand of bike doesn’t mean they’re all junk. I’m currently in the market for a 900SS-SP (surprise!) and realize that it may not be as reliable as a Honda, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to own one. I willing to deal with mechanical issues as they arise. I also realize that this site is very much comprised of Harley bashers with a distorted view of modern Harleys. I’m very non-denominational when it comes to motorcycles and believe that the only way to really know a brand is to own one and experience it for yourself. Everything else is just hearsay.
ironically, i was talking with an associate yesterday who’s into harleys. says he recently sold one of his bikes. it had 48,000 miles on it…!!! parked it out in front of his house and it sold the same day. in contrast, i’ve seen very few bikes of ANY brand with that kind of mileage on ’em (certainly a few beemers). not to say they don’t exist, just in my travels i rarely see bikes with more than 15k.
MORALE… logic dictates a vehicle, no matter if it’s a motorcycle…? automobile…? or class 8 diesel…? doesn’t achieve high mileage figures if it spends all it’s time in the shop being serviced. it just doesn’t happen. it racks up those miles by key-on RUNNING. it’s why all 3 of my vehicles have over 100k miles. 2 of ’em with over 200k…!!!
Google “XR1200 Fuel Tank Swelling”. Its not a “recall” but it darn well ought to be, and Harley wont even acknowledge its a problem. I guess their solution was to discontinue this model……
Jees mate, have you ever heard of a tractor recall?! You can’t be comparing a cutting edge/state of the art/piece of racing bred engineering with a tractor!! Oh and I’m refering to the harley here
This looks to me like Ducati is trying to actually prevent customers from having a problem on the road. That is a major change from the old days.
Let’s also remember nobody is perfect. A few years ago I made the mistake of saying something about how reliable Honda Goldwings are. The guy was talking to had a first generation 1800. It sounds like he had every problem you’ve ever head about in a Honda. Both heads were bad, the frame had to be re-welded, it still over heated at 25 MPH, etc. The lesson seems to be don’t buy a first year bike from anybody, even Honda. If you do buy a first year model be ready for some shop time.
Goose
No, the fact that the NHTSA is involved and ordering the recall means that problem incidents have already occurred and investigated by the NHTSA. Ducati is merely complying with the recall order issued to them.
Or it means Duc reported the issues to the NHTSA themselves as they met specific safety and volume thresholds triggering required reports. Without seeing the paper trail we don’t know if the NHTSA or Duc instigated things. Given the timing, I’m thinking it was Ducati as normally NHTSA instigated items take reports to the NHTSA, then investigations, etc. The Pan hasn’t been out long enough for those bureaucratic gears to grind that quickly.
Let’s be fair to the style machine that is Ducati. My 2006 R1 also has troubles. In fact, I’ve had to replace the tires at least 6 times, and the front brakes pads once. And the mirror broke when I hit a turkey vulture a few years ago.
Ducati has also invested in their new killer cologne, I don’t think Yamaha has even begun that R&D effort yet.
Does your gas tank also leak? I fill mine up and within days it’ll be empty again. There must be something wrong with it.
Japanese bikes… Just can’t live with ’em.
Those are called “soul” duh~
No idea what all the fuss is about. It’s Italian!!
An owner should be grateful it doesn’t burst into flames without warning at the stoplights.
Ducati = Italian Harley
Making mechanics out of riders since 1946
Sorry, Moto Guzzi is the Italian Harley. Ducatis are much too easy to live with. I’ve owned and loved both Hogs and Gooses* (see my screen name). I’ve owned a few Ducati’s but didn’t bond with them, not enough time in the shop making fixes. Six recalls, big deal. My V11Sport had parts FALL OFF on the way home from the dealership.
Goose
Haste makes waste
You can say that again! SIX recalls for such a short time since it came out is totally ridiculous!
Ha! This is nothing compared to owning a Buell. Well except the fact it costs three times as much.
once again, the European motorcycles need to get their attention to detail sorted out! my friends who own Triumphs, Ducati, and BMWs are always at the mechanics and dealers. my Honda and Suzuki has NEVER had any recalls OR mechanical problems. i expected better for the Panigale.
If it can happen to Toyota (major QC issues circa 2010) it can surely happen to Ducati.
Toyota did not have quality issues, but rather media hyped feeding frenzy over an alleged sticky throttle forced them to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to recall and “fix” such a problem. What is happening to Ducati is a problem of their own making.
Bill,
Thank you for sharing Toyota shareholder’s smoke screen.
Now for a slightly more independent view of Toyota’s 2009-1010 problems, resulting from Toyota’s epic (failed) goal to surpass GM in global vehicle production.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009%E2%80%932011_Toyota_vehicle_recalls
Throughout most of the 80s Yamaha experienced humiliation worse than Toyota’s. Yamahaa stated their goal to surpass Honda in worldwide motorcycle production. Toward that goal Yamaha went full throttle on production line speed, followed almost immediately by the start of a massive worldwide recession. Those old enough might remember deals like the two I got in the mid 80s: one NOS ’81 XV920R sport touring twin for about $1200, later an ’83 Vision with full fairing and adjustable heater vents for a pittance. Yamaha had NOS stacked to the rafters, often not selling in dealers for about 1/2 original msrp. The old XJ650 Turbo with really cool full fairing was 1/2 off msrp or possible less.
Financially, Yamaha was in death throes. Story goes, later confirmed IIRC, Yamaha’s CEO approached the throne of Suichiro Honda himself, bowed to the ground, begged for forgiveness, and Honda thereafter loaned Yamaha funds to continue to thrive.
Yamaha’s experience in this era is largely responsible for the lack of NOS on dealer floors any more. The Japanese learned, when the world is in economic de-leveraging cycle (no pun intended), virtually nothing can be done to induce a sale, which to the consumer is only more leveraging, what started they’re trouble in the first place (borrower is slave to the lender).
Along these lines: for each dollar of USA growth in 2011, the USA increased its debt by $20. That’s a negative growth rate of 19%, in case it wasn’t obvious. And yet, Keynsians still cry out for more debt!
It can happen to any manufacturer. One thing I notice is that people come to think that Toyota, or Honda for that matter, should produce nothing but totally reliable vehicles and products that will never show any faults. Won’t happen. Those two, as examples, have many owners who bought them mostly based on their reputations for reliability and durability. When that does come to be, admittedly fewer than some brands, people then squawk and act like they’ve been betrayed! They’re all man-made and less than perfect. If the Italians have a less stellar history but offer a big jolt of character in exchange I think that’s a trade a number of (wealthy) owners would make. That Ducati is taking care of this before there are catastrophic results is commendable.
Toyota’s attempt at covering up and hiding their problems just shows how powerful their image of building reliable cars is with the buying public.
No Duc’s were like that in the old days too. My 88 ate its trans
before the first 150 miles. Tras was on B/O from Italy and it
was some month off party in Italy.
Purchased a 2012 Monster 1100EVO, Dec/2011. 2) recalls,and dealer still hasn’t recieved the parts from Ducati to rectify either problem. 1,rear wheel cracking/breakage. 2, fuel line leakage,possible fire hazard. Has Ducati grown it’s business beyond it’s capabilities ? Is outsourcing engineering / technical or parts manufacturing and not checking the QA/QC of these systems ?
They were getting better there for a while and now it seems back downhill. My 2004 ST3 was recalled for weak exhaust closer springs, though I just paid the $4 or whatever it was and replaced them myself at the next service interval. Mine luckily hasn’t spent any time at a shop (because I do my own work), but I did spend a fair amount of time tracking down a problem that I eventually proved was from a defective gauge cluster. I didn’t really want that to be the problem due to the cost. However, I haven’t had any problems in the 33K since, so I think I finally worked the bugs out by some 35K miles. Hopefully she’ll see 200K before I’m done with her (or at least this engine.)