2008 Sterling Acterra Recalls, Complaints & Specs
13 safety recalls list the 2008 Sterling Acterra, and owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
13 safety recalls for the 2008 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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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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Engine and engine cooling
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2009 freightliner business class m2 and sterling acterra emergency vehicles manufactured from august 18, 2006, through july 7, 2010, equipped with EPA 2007 mbe 900 detroit diesel engines. Engine software may not react properly to certain aftermarket treatment device fault codes.…
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and repairs will be performed by detroit diesel free of charge. The safety recall began on march 25, 2011. Owners may contact daimler trucks at 1-800-547-0712. This safety recall…
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Engine and engine cooling
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2010 freightliner business class m2, custom chassis mt45, s2 chassis, and stering acterra vehicles manufactured from october 5, 2006, through may 24, 2010, equipped with EPA 2007 mbe 900 detroit diesel engines. Engine software may not react properly to certain aftermarket…
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and repairs will be performed by detroit diesel free of charge. The safety recall began on december 30, 2010. Owners may contact daimler trucks at 1-800-547-0712.
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Engine and engine cooling
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2011 freightliner, fccc, sterling, and western star heavy trucks manufactured from september 5, 2006, through june 30, 2010, equipped with specific mbe900 epa04 and epa07 model engines. The intake air grid heater may short circuit and fail due to excessive internal temperatures.
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and dealers will repair the buses free of charge. Repairs will be performed by detroit diesel corporation authorized repair facilities. The safety recall is expected to begin on or…
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Engine and engine cooling
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2010 freightliner m2, custom chassis mt55, and sterling acterra vehicles manufactured between april 4, 2007 and july 15, 2009, equipped with cummins isc cm2150 and isl cm2150 model diesel engines. The vehicles may be designed with a hard wired, dash-mounted switch that enables…
Remedy: Daimler trucks is working with cummins to repair the engines free of charge. Please see cummins' defect report 09e-046. The safety recall is expected to begin during november 2009. Owners may contact cummins at…
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Air conditioner (equipment)
Cues, inc. Is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 service vehicles built on various chassis equipped with carrier airv ceiling units, model nos. 68rv0010ba, 68rv0012ca, and 68rv0010ea. The heater element in these assemblies may be defective which could cause the unit to create smoke or sparks.
Remedy: Cues is working with carrier to remedy the affected vehicles. Repairs will be made by carrier free of charge. Please see carrier's defect report 09e-053. The safety recall began on january 5, 2010. Owners may contact…
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Air (parking brake)
Daimler trucks is recalling 900 my 2008 freightliner argosy, argosy rhd, cascadia, columbia, century st, coronado, sterling acterra, l-line and western star 4900 trucks equipped with bendix mv-3 dash control valves. The molded valve body has an incorrect core pin in the injection mold causing the valve body to be oversized in the double…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the mv-3 dash valve for the production date code. Valves in the affected production lots will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on october 9, 2008. Owners may contact daimler trucks at…
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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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Fifth wheel assembly (trailer hitches)
On certain truck-tractors equipped with holland simplex se or se ii fifth wheels, the latch lever pivot bolt assembly may have been over-tightened which could distort the pivot bolt spacer sleeve. Corrosion or contaminates in the pivot may cause it to bind and prevent the fifth wheel jaw from latching securely around the trailer king pin.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the pivot bolt and sleeve with a hex head shoulder bolt and washer. The recall began on january 3, 2008. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
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Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs (wheels)
On certain trucks built with axilok rear wheel spindle nuts, the nuts may have been improperly installed, with one or both locking clip tabs not properly engaged or damaged.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the axilok nuts for locking clip engagement or damage. They will be adjusted or replaced free of charge. The recall began on august 10, 2007. Owners may contact freightliner at 800-547-0712.
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Suspension: rear
On certain trucks equipped with tuftrac rear suspensions, the center casting brackets may be out of specification. An out of square casting may have unacceptable stress in the bracket when it is installed and may cause it to crack in service.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and castings that are out of specification will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on december 12, 2007. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
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Steering
Freightliner is recalling certain school bus chassis, heavy trucks, van chassis, rv motorhome chassis manufactured from january 5 to may 17, 2007, equipped with axle alliance company (aac) front axles. During the front axle assembly, the fasteners that attach the steering arm or tie rod arms to the spindle may be over or under tightened.
Remedy: Thomas built will notify owners, inspect the fasteners, and replace the steering arm if necessary. The recall began on december 21, 2007. Owners can contact freightliner 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,…
1 owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2008 Sterling Acterra have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 3,500 miles. Complaints peaked in 2008 with 1 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Air dryer on 2008 acterra trucks. The new system on the engine allows exhaust soot into the intake manifold and the air compressor receives its air from the bottom side on the intake. The problem is t”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 16, 2008 · Engine and engine cooling
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 2008 Sterling Acterra
How do I know if my 2008 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. 13 campaigns currently list the 2008 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 07V302000).
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.