Sterling BULLET 5500 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
6 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2008 to 2009 model years. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 6 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 1 | 16.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 6 |
| Steering | 1 |
| Wheels | 1 |
Air Bags: 6; Steering: 1; Wheels: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 6 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2023: 2
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11506461 · 2023-02-09 (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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11506461 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
2008: 1; 2009: 1
Year-by-year records
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
6 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 5100.0%ODI 10874160TAKATA 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 R… | 1100.0%ODI 11010709TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 STERLING BULLET 5500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V418000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE UNKNOWN LOCAL DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE VEHICLE IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER; THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SPEAK TO A LIVE REPRESENTATIVE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. |
| Steering | 120.0%ODI 11506461The 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. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Wheels | 120.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2008: 0 complaints · 2009: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Air Bags | Steering | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | — | 1ODI 11506461The 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. | 1 |
| Steering | 1ODI 11506461The 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. | — | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.