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2023 Ducati Desert X

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 3 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Engine complaints

2 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 11, 2025
EngineFire

A few blocks before arriving home after work last night, my bike started smoking and when I got home the plastic heat shield on the rear header pipe was on fire. The rear header pipe seems to be broken and dropped causing a major exhaust leak. This is the second time it has happened to me. First time was october 2023, around 10…

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A few blocks before arriving home after work last night, my bike started smoking and when I got home the plastic heat shield on the rear header pipe was on fire. The rear header pipe seems to be broken and dropped causing a major exhaust leak. This is the second time it has happened to me. First time was october 2023, around 10k miles. That time it melted the rear brake reservoir and the fire was more difficult to put out. Both instances were different riding conditions and ambient temperatures. I know of another person this has happened to twice as well, but she lives in Denmark (exact same bike though). And I have a coworker with the same bike that has recently started sounding louder than it was and may have a similar exhaust leak developing. In my attached photo you can see the oxygen sensor is not at the center of the hole in the heat shield, but it used to be, and there is a hole just up from that where the fire was.

NHTSA ODI #11647628

Mileage unknown · Aug 8, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

2023 Ducati Desert X dies repeatedly and won't re-start. VIN [XXX] Dates: 30 July to 03 August 2023 Trip to Yosemite. Motorcycle left me stranded 3 Days in a Row. Entire display screen flashes RED Traction Control Error. Motorcycle dies if running. Motorcycle will not re-start. After about 20 seconds the flashing messag…

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2023 Ducati Desert X dies repeatedly and won't re-start. VIN [XXX] Dates: 30 July to 03 August 2023 Trip to Yosemite. Motorcycle left me stranded 3 Days in a Row. Entire display screen flashes RED Traction Control Error. Motorcycle dies if running. Motorcycle will not re-start. After about 20 seconds the flashing message changes to a RED, rectangular text box at bottom of display. Text reads Traction Control Error. Motorcycle also will not re-start after stopping and turning off the engine. The indicator that the bike is not going to re-start is that the Fan kicks on immediately at an extremely high speed after turning the key on. 1st Incident: Could have been Killed by oncoming traffic. After filling at gas station, making left turn onto Hwy 395 the motorcycle died in front of oncoming traffic. Oncoming cars were only able to avoid me because at that exact spot the highway went from 2 lanes to 4. Motorcycle would not re-start. Carson City, NV. Topography, Flat. Full Daylight. Late afternoon. Forced to stay in Hotel. 2nd Incident: Motorcycle wouldn't re-start after lunch stop. 3rd Incident: Forgot phone at restaurant. Bike would not re-start. 4th Incident: Could have Died due to exposure. Motorcycle died while riding and would not re-start. Riding uphill in the back-country on Hwy 120 at Night into Yosemite NP elevation 8,500 ft. Fortunately I had my camping gear. Forced to camp beside the road. 5th Incident: Motorcycle would not re-start. Yosemite Valley. Cool, clear morning. 6th Incident: Motorcycle would not re-start. Oakhurst, CA, cool evening. Forced to stay in Hotel. 7th Incident: Motorcycle would not re-start. Restaurant beside Keawah River after long, slow alpine descent from Sequioa NP. Evening. Motorcycle temperature never dropped below 207 degrees despite long, slow descent in cool weather. 8th Incident: Motorcycle would not re-start. Visalia CA. Night. Flat topography. Forced to stay in Hotel. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI

NHTSA ODI #11537157

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.