NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE10-044: Motorcycle coolant leak...radiator
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-044 on November 4, 2010 and closed it on February 7, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2008–2009 Ducati 848 for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE10-044 (also written PE10044)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed February 7, 2011
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ducati North America
- Component
- Engine and Engine Cooling — Cooling System — Radiator Assembly
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2008–2009 Ducati 848
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-044.
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, using a complaint radiator installed in a MY 2010 Ducati 848, we observed the subject leakage noting its consistency with what we were told by various dealers and owners.
Over the course of 15 minutes, after reaching operating temperature, we noted the volume of leaked coolant to be de minimis.
In the absence of alleged lower extremity burns and/or loss of rear tire traction (let alone, crashes), this supports a finding that no defect trend currently exists involving alleged coolant leakage from the subject radiator(s).
Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.
The Agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action if warranted in the future.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-044. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Ducati
All Ducati recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE10-044
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.