Freightliner Sterling
Across 7 model years (1997–2004), the Freightliner Sterling has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns and 2 complaints on file.
The component named most often in complaints is engine and engine cooling (500 per 1,000 component mentions), followed by steering (500).
The 1999 model year has the most complaints (1). Recall campaigns peaked in 2001 with 2; complaints were received in the largest number in 2001 (1). Within Freightliner, this line ranks 31 of 77 by total complaints.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | vs line average | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Freightliner Sterling NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 35,405 |
| 1998 Freightliner Sterling NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 35,405 |
| 1999 Freightliner Sterling NHTSA record | 1 | 1 | 350% | 35,405 |
| 2000 Freightliner Sterling | 4 | 0 | 0% | 42,027 |
| 2001 Freightliner Sterling NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 4,400 |
| 2002 Freightliner Sterling NHTSA record | 0 | 1 | 350% | — |
| 2004 Freightliner Sterling NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 634 |
"vs line average" is the model year's complaints as a share of the line's average per model year (100% = average). A campaign covering several model years counts once per year. Model years with one campaign and fewer than 25 complaints are listed but have no page of their own; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record.
Components most reported
Per 1,000 component mentions across all Freightliner Sterling complaints (2 mentions).
Campaigns by year reported
Complaints by year received
Other Freightliner model lines
- Freightliner 162 recalls · 135 complaints
- Cascadia 364 recalls · 109 complaints
- Columbia 203 recalls · 96 complaints
- Conventional 39 recalls · 74 complaints
- Century 104 recalls · 52 complaints
- FL-70 29 recalls · 37 complaints
- Business Class M2 284 recalls · 36 complaints
- FS-65 31 recalls · 33 complaints
- FLD120 15 recalls · 27 complaints
- Sprinter 2500 148 recalls · 26 complaints
- MT 17 recalls · 22 complaints
- Sprinter 2 recalls · 15 complaints
- M2 139 recalls · 14 complaints
- Classic 22 recalls · 14 complaints
- Business Class 55 recalls · 13 complaints
- Century Class 40 recalls · 13 complaints
- Sprinter 3500 149 recalls · 12 complaints
- FLD 108 recalls · 10 complaints
- XC 28 recalls · 8 complaints
- FL-60 18 recalls · 7 complaints
- MT-45 19 recalls · 5 complaints
- FL60 13 recalls · 5 complaints
- MB-70 14 recalls · 4 complaints
- XC Motorhome Chassis 4 recalls · 4 complaints
- Business Class M2 106V 7 recalls · 3 complaints
- Cargo 6 recalls · 3 complaints
- Coronado 173 recalls · 2 complaints
- 114SD 167 recalls · 2 complaints
- Century ST 33 recalls · 2 complaints
- FLD112 13 recalls · 2 complaints
- Sterling 9 recalls · 2 complaints
- FL80 8 recalls · 2 complaints
- FLD-120 3 recalls · 2 complaints
- Argosy 57 recalls · 1 complaints
- FLN 52 recalls · 1 complaints
- 122SD 49 recalls · 1 complaints
- MT45 22 recalls · 1 complaints
- FLA 19 recalls · 1 complaints
- FLC 9 recalls · 1 complaints
- MT-55 8 recalls · 1 complaints
- FS-65 School Bus Chassis 2 recalls · 1 complaints
- 108SD 115 recalls · 0 complaints
- Sprinter 1500 73 recalls · 0 complaints
- Sprinter 4500 72 recalls · 0 complaints
- COE 56 recalls · 0 complaints
- Classic XL 38 recalls · 0 complaints
- MT55 24 recalls · 0 complaints
- XB 20 recalls · 0 complaints
- FLB 17 recalls · 0 complaints
- MB-55 14 recalls · 0 complaints
- MB-60 14 recalls · 0 complaints
- FLD120SD 13 recalls · 0 complaints
- VCL 13 recalls · 0 complaints
- American Lafrance 12 recalls · 0 complaints
- E-Cascadia 11 recalls · 0 complaints
- MB-45 10 recalls · 0 complaints
- EM2 9 recalls · 0 complaints
- MC 9 recalls · 0 complaints
- FL80 Business Class 8 recalls · 0 complaints
- Sprinter (VS30) 8 recalls · 0 complaints
All 77 Freightliner model lines
Questions and answers
Which Freightliner Sterling model years have the most recalls?
2000 (4), 1997 (1), 1998 (1). Across model years 1997–2004 there are 5 distinct campaigns.
Which Freightliner Sterling model year has the most complaints?
1999, with 1 of the line's 2 complaints. Newer model years have had less time to accumulate reports.
What do owners of the Freightliner Sterling complain about?
engine and engine cooling (500 per 1,000 mentions), steering (500 per 1,000 mentions). Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint flat files, public domain, dated 24 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, dated 24 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019. Model names are as NHTSA records them; variants such as "Accord" and "Accord Hybrid" are separate lines. See the methodology.