Tank Spread Class Action Law Suit - Ducati.ms

BellaCorse · Nov 15th, 2011, 4:46 pm

Forgive me if this has been covered in another thread, but I received a mailing today from a law firm regarding a class action law suit against Ducati for faulty plastic fuel tanks.

Geez... I hope they don't ask for mine back seeing that I custom painted it. A new tank or some $$$ would be very welcomed however. $100 off coupon towards a new bike or some nonsense like that would be less than welcomed.

Here's the URL listed in the mailing: www.girardgibbs.com/ducati.asp

/Mike

TiltTheHorizon · Nov 15th, 2011, 4:50 pm

I don't see Ducati handing out $1,800 vouchers for new tanks.

People really need to let this shit go. You either want to keep the bike, or move on to something else. We all know there's a problem. Ducati won't recall because it'll cost too much, but they're replacing at will, as long as you're withing the 5 year emission warranty.

Not satisfied? Buy a Yamaha.

ducSculptor · Nov 15th, 2011, 5:18 pm

It's just amazing that people are just now hearing about the spreading tank issue and the lawsuit. The magazines did a great job keeping this problem hush hush for Ducati. The big Ducati ads in all the magazines paid off I guess.

Mike - If your tank has spread or had developed some waves or other defects then the odds are they'll replace it and they'll keep your tank. Others here have had to give up their custom painted tank... with no reimbursement from Ducati. A few people have reported that Ducati allowed them to keep the tank as long as the dealership drilled a big hole in the bottom of it.

Tilt - yeah.. that was my take on it this past Spring when I had my tank replaced and had it coated. I was done with this issue. Now that tank has big waves on the top of it and I'm left wondering what happens when I get the third tank on it and go out from under the warranty. At some point I guess I'll have to take the time and put my metal sculpting skills to use and make my own damn tank.

StraDuc · Nov 15th, 2011, 6:39 pm

"It's just amazing that people are just now hearing about the spreading tank issue and the lawsuit."

Every time I come across a Sport Classic on the street I look under the tank to see if it has spread. Most are spread and in the vast majority of cases if I get a chance to talk to the owner they say "there's no problem with my tank!" yet there it is hanging off the pucks by 1/2 an inch. So even when it is pointed out to them they deny any problem with the tank. And I bet that less than 10% of those of you who have gotten a new tank have bothered to file a NTSB report. Between the denial and the laziness it's no wonder we got an ineffectual settlement.

BlackKat · Nov 15th, 2011, 8:49 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiltTheHorizon

I don't see Ducati handing out $1,800 vouchers for new tanks.

People really need to let this shit go. You either want to keep the bike, or move on to something else. We all know there's a problem. Ducati won't recall because it'll cost too much, but they're replacing at will, as long as you're withing the 5 year emission warranty.

Not satisfied? Buy a Yamaha.

THANK (insert religious icon here) SOMEONE ELSE SAID IT!!!! If you got a custom paint job, better put in a Caswell kit or any number of the chemicals out there said to combat the ethanol problems (should Ducati admit that IS in fact the problem)...other than that, another brand of bike might be more reliable, cost less to maintain, have no pickadillows...But it will never be a Ducati.

slowerthan · Nov 15th, 2011, 11:19 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducSculptor

......when I had my tank replaced and had it coated. I was done with this issue. Now that tank has big waves on the top of it and I'm left wondering what happens when I get the third tank on it.....

So you had your tank coated, and now the tank still has problems?

CRAP. did you use the Caswell or something else?

DGT · Nov 15th, 2011, 11:41 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowerthan

So you had your tank coated, and now the tank still has problems?

CRAP. did you use the Caswell or something else?

I'd like to know that as well!

My tank is being sent out as we speak, I sure hope I have better luck, and that somehow his tank was improperly coated. Someone on the board theorized that a faulty pressure relief for the tank could cause the problem. I really love my bike, but the tank issues are a PITA to deal with.

FunJimmy · Nov 15th, 2011, 11:45 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiltTheHorizon

People really need to let this shit go. You either want to keep the bike, or move on to something else. We all know there's a problem. Ducati won't recall because it'll cost too much, but they're replacing at will, as long as you're withing the 5 year emission warranty.

Not satisfied? Buy a Yamaha.

What a load Tilt! Stop making excuses for Ducati.

Ducati has an obligation to their customers and also to the rest of the motoring public, that the products manufactured and sold are built safe. If a plastic fuel tank supplied by Ducati has stability issues caused by government approved fuel than this is a safety concern. Warping and bloating today could lead to leaking and fire tomorrow.

There should be a complete fuel tank recall. Ducati will pass the costs on to the supplier of the tanks anyway.

BlackKat · Nov 15th, 2011, 11:59 pm

The problem is with all European brands that use plastic tanks...I hear the stories from my Guzzi customers as well. One common denominator..The SHITTY gas we have in North America...

I get the impression that even though North America is a huge part of the sales for ALL European brands, they are willing to address it in a case by case basis until OUR respective governments change their mind about the crap put into our gas....

With the margin Ducati makes on the tanks, its easier to just put things on a back burner...

WHY are you guys sending your tanks out to have Caswell installed...JUST BUY A KIT AND DO IT YOURSELF!!!! If you can mix a proper Martini, you can install a Caswell kit...JEEESH!

LondonDutch · Nov 16th, 2011, 4:12 am

These kinda problems aren't just with Ducati, or just with motorbike manufacturers...

...and the reason Ducati haven't done a full recall is simple...

They just work out the cost of recalling ALL bikes that might have a problem now or in the future, and then weigh that massive number against the cost of replacing tanks on a case by case basis, with some measure of consideration for any legal costs for any group lawsuits - which in this case is unlikley to come from death or personal injury claims, as it's not really a safety issue.

KTM had serious problems with main bearings failing and heads cracking on all thier LC4s around 2002 when they upped manufacturing volumes and started outsourcing parts on the cheap.

I heard from insiders at the time that the costs of fixing each problem on a case by case basis was a fraction of the cost of a full recall. The maths made the decision for them. If KTM had done a recall perhaps it may have sunk thier growing business?

It's annoying, it doesn't benefit us consumers, and we should fight for compensation when our expensive equipment is faulty, ...but the whole business is just part of the risk vs rewards of being a manufacturer - and the risk vs reward of being a consumer - especailly in a niche, low-volume, high-cost business.

The alternative is that Ducati build even more margin into each sale to cover better consumer care when things go wrong on a big scale...

I find other cost-cutting measures equally annoying; - crap reg/rectifiers, crap OEM tyres, cheap chromed-plastic lighting parts, etc... All put in place by the marketing departments, who have a very clear idea of what consumers will pay for a product in a competitive market, and demand it is built down to a fixed price, instead of up to an ideal spec.

Welcome to the consumer-driven, capitalist, shareholder-pleasing western economy.

(Which is fine by me, if it means people keep building motorbikes)