AI Damage2008 Sterling Bullet 5500: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500 filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 100% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 20% of all complaints
- Air bags: 5 complaints (100% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Wheels: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Components owners complain about
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
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.
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
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Bullet 5500 has 3 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 5, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, steering, wheels. Total complaints: 5.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Sterling Bullet 5500 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.