2005 Sterling Acterra Recalls, Complaints & Specs
6 safety recalls list the 2005 Sterling Acterra, and owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
6 safety recalls for the 2005 Sterling Acterra
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Reservoir/tank (service brakes)
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2004-2019 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, 122SD, Cascadia, Columbia, Classic, FL80, FLD 120SD, Business Class M2, Western Star 4700, 4900, 6900, Sterling Acterra, L7500, LT7500, L8500, LT8500, L9500, and LT9500 vehicles. The vehicles may have an insufficient service brake air…
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will add air reservoir capacity to the affected vehicles. Owner letters were mailed on November 29, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number…
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Engine (engine and engine cooling)
Daimler trucks north america is recalling certain model year 2005 through 2012 freightliner m2, sterling acterra, 7500 & 8500, and thomas built hdx vehicles manufactured from june 23, 2004, through march 15, 2011, equipped with specific mbe900 epa04 and epa07 model engines. The intake air grid heater may short circuit and fail due to…
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. Repairs will be performed by detroit diesel corporation authorized repair facilities. The safety recall began on september 12,…
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)
Daimler trucks north america (dtna) is recalling 24,650 school and non-school buses, motor home chassis, and trucks manufactured from march 9, 2004 through august 18, 2006, equipped with epa04 certified mbe900 engines, manufactured by detroit diesel between march 1, 2004, and july 31, 2006. The high pressure fuel lines and transfer…
Remedy: Detroit diesel will notify owners and the vehicles will be repaired with more robust lines and vibration dampers free of charge. Repairs will be performed by authorized detroit diesel distributorships. The recall began…
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Axle assembly (power train)
Daimler trucks is recalling 28,764 my 2001 through 2008 fccc b2 and fs65 school bus chassis, fccc fb65 conventional buses, and sterling acterra, freightliner fln, and business class m2 heavy trucks, built from january 26, 2000, through march 24, 2008, manufactured with arvinmeritor or axle alliance company 6,000 through 8,000 pound…
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and will repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on january 8, 2009. Owners may contact daimler trucks at 1-800-547-0712.
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Check valve (service brakes)
Certain freightliner school bus chassis, heavy trucks, and thomas built school buses manufactured between july 2002 and july 3, 2007, equipped with bendix sr-7 spring brake control valves. The parker scv brass 90 degree single check valves (scv) which attach to the supply port of a bendix sr-7 spring brake modulating valve can break…
Remedy: Freightliner will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on january 11, 2008 to freightliner, sterling, and freightliner custom chassis owners; to thomas built bus owners on february 1,…
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Spindle (suspension)
On certain trucks the rear hub bearings may have been incorrectly adjusted.
Remedy: Dealers will check the rear wheel end installation to verity bearing adjustment and repair trucks with damaged bearings. The recall began on april 7, 2005 owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
1 owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2005 Sterling Acterra have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 87,384 miles. Complaints peaked in 2016 with 1 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Rod connecting clutch pedal to clutch master cylinder broke, resulting in inability to shift gears or safely stop vehicle. This is the third time this has happened in vehicle's life. First time happen”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 28, 2016 · Power train
Compare Sterling Acterra model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Sterling Acterra model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 Sterling Acterra | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 Sterling Acterra | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 Sterling Acterra | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 Sterling Acterra | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 Sterling Acterra | 4 | 0 |
| 1999 Sterling Acterra | 7 | 0 |
| 2000 Sterling Acterra | 17 | 0 |
| 2001 Sterling Acterra | 11 | 0 |
| 2002 Sterling Acterra | 6 | 1 |
| 2003 Sterling Acterra | 4 | 2 |
| 2004 Sterling Acterra | 5 | 0 |
| 2005 Sterling Acterra | 6 | 1 |
| 2006 Sterling Acterra | 7 | 2 |
| 2007 Sterling Acterra | 11 | 0 |
| 2008 Sterling Acterra | 13 | 1 |
| 2009 Sterling Acterra | 6 | 0 |
| 2010 Sterling Acterra | 5 | 0 |
| 2011 Sterling Acterra | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 Sterling Acterra | 1 | 0 |
Checking a specific 2005 Sterling Acterra
How do I know if my 2005 Sterling Acterra has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 6 campaigns currently list the 2005 Sterling Acterra; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Sterling dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 05V125000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Sterling models
- 8277 complaints
- L-Line7 complaints
- Bullet 55006 complaints
- Sterling4 complaints
- 3603 complaints
- 8253 complaints
- A-Line3 complaints
- LT3 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.