Total Complaints
7 filings
STERLING BULLET 5500 · model year
2008 STERLING BULLET 5500
7 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2008STERLINGBULLET 5500 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2008 BULLET 5500 is air bags with 5 filings, followed by steering (1) and wheels (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2008 BULLET 5500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 5 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
Recalls (1)
16V41800009/06/2016
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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
Recent Complaints
20230628AIR BAGS
They donât want to cover my recalls
20230628WHEELS
They donât want to cover my recalls
20230209AIR BAGS
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.
20230209STEERING
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.
20170405AIR BAGS
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.
20160906AIR BAGS
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
20160614AIR BAGS
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
Compare 2008STERLINGBULLET 5500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500 have?▼
The 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500?▼
Yes, the 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500?▼
The most-complained component for the 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500 is AIR BAGS with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and WHEELS.
Is the 2008 STERLING BULLET 5500 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.