NHTSA vehicle safety data

2008 Sterling Bullet 5500 Recalls & Complaints

The 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 5 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Sterling dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2008 Sterling Bullet 5500 owner complaints

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500, describing incidents dated June 14, 2016 to June 1, 2023.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 5 complaints
Steering 1 complaint
Wheels 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #11529266 · Filed June 28, 2023
They don’t want to cover my recalls
ODI #11506461 · Filed February 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 13V605000 (Steering), 15V361000 (Air Bags) and 16V418000 (Air Bags), however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that…
ODI #10970643 · Filed April 5, 2017
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V418000 (AIR BAGS) IN JULY OF 2016. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE AND TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE…

Read all 5 complaints

Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture

NHTSA #16V418000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported June 9, 2016 · Daimler Trucks North America LLC

Potentially affected: 2,601 vehicles

Repair completion: 47.64% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign FL-714 · Owners notified May 12, 2017 · Vehicles built October 15, 2007 – November 10, 2008 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

Defect description

Daimler Trucks of North America (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Sterling Bullet 4500 and 5500 chassis cab vehicles manufactured October 15, 2007, through November 10, 2008. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity, high temperatures, and temperature cycling.

Safety consequence

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

Sterling will notify the owners and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on July 22, 2016. The remedy is now available. Notification was mailed to owners on May 12, 2017. Owners may contact Sterling customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-714.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

5 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500.

Air Bags; Wheels

ODI #11529266

Incident: June 1, 2023 · Filed: June 28, 2023

They don’t want to cover my recalls

Steering; Air Bags

ODI #11506461

Incident: February 9, 2023 · Filed: February 9, 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 13V605000 (Steering), 15V361000 (Air Bags) and 16V418000 (Air Bags), however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Air Bags

ODI #10970643

Incident: July 26, 2016 · Filed: April 5, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V418000 (AIR BAGS) IN JULY OF 2016. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE AND TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL FREIGHTLINER. WHEN THE CONTACT MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL FREIGHTLINER, THEY CALLED HER TO STATE THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER TOOLS TO MAKE THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD SEND THEM THE TOOLING COLUMN TOOL. THE DAIMLER REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER FREIGHTLINER STERLING LOCATED IN CLEVELAND, WHICH WAS OVER TWO HOURS AWAY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

Air Bags

ODI #10903826

Incident: June 26, 2016 · Filed: September 6, 2016

TAKATA RECALL, MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER REFUSES TO DO THIS RECALL AND MY LOCAL FREIGHTLINER DEALER HAS HAD NO SUCCESS IN GETTING THE AIRBAG. IT SEEMS LIKE NOBODY CARES THAT PEOPLES LIVES ARE AT RISK

Air Bags

ODI #10874160

Incident: June 14, 2016 · Filed: June 14, 2016

TAKATA RECALL WE HAVE VIN [XXX] THAT HAS CURRENT RECALL FL684A-D OUTSTANDING. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES IN THE PAST WITH SEVERAL RECALLS NOT BEING ADDRESSED AND/OR STRETCHED OUT OVER TIME BY SEVERAL DEALERS DUE TO REDIRECTION OF RESPONSIBILITY BY DODGE AND STERLING. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE IS STUCK AT LONESTAR TRUCK GROUP ? WICHITA FALLS FREIGHTLINER. THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON THE REPAIRS HOWEVER THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE NOR THE SOFTWARE UPDATES. THEY HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH PATTERSON DODGE WICHITA FALLS WHICH REFUSES TO HONOR THE RECALL AS IT IS A STERLING BULLET. DO WE HAVE ANY SOLUTION TO THIS? ANOTHER LOCAL SERVICE FACILITY OR WILL DTNA OFFER SOME OTHER MEANS OF CORRECTING THIS? DUE TO IT BEING A FLEET VEHICLE DRIVEN BY PERSONNEL WE HAVE NO SOLUTION CURRENTLY BUT TO GROUND THE TRUCK DUE TO LIABILITY CONCERNS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Other Sterling Bullet 5500 model years

Check your 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Sterling Bullet 5500 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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