2001 Sterling Acterra: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2001 Sterling Acterra
No owner has filed a defect report with NHTSA about the 2001 Sterling Acterra. That is not a clean bill of health — it usually means few were sold, or the year is too new for problems to have surfaced.
Recalls on the 2001 model year
NHTSA has issued 11 recall campaigns covering the 2001 Sterling Acterra, affecting an estimated 8,817 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover power train:axle assembly, engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan, suspension:front:wheel bearing and suspension:front:hub. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
28,764 vehicles 2008-03-25- Defect
- 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 front axles utilizing a four piece spindle-nut set. These axle assemblies may have been produced with a thin spindle nut which may lead to incorrect end play, cone spin, excessive heat, degradation of lubrication, wear of the spindle nut and…
- Consequence
- Continued operation may lead to wheel separation and possibly a vehicle crash.
- 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.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
3,568 vehicles 2005-03-30- Defect
- On certain trucks and fire trucks equipped with kys 4735-43782-02 engine cooling fans and built on caterpillar 3126, c7, mbe906, mbe926, or cummins isc engines, the steel fan insert on the cooling fans can crack.
- Consequence
- This can result in fan breakage, resulting in vehicle damage or personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engine cooling fan free of charge. The recall began on june 8, 2005. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
9,602 vehicles 2004-06-07- Defect
- On certain trucks built with 8,000 or 6,000 pound front axles and four-piece spindle nut sets, premature front ,wheel bearing wear may be caused by inconsistent bearing endplay adjustment.
- Consequence
- If allowed to progress, the front wheel assembly may separate from the vehicle, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- The dealers will replace the front axle oil seals and hub cap gaskets on both sides. The recall began september 7, 2004. Owners should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB
5,716 vehicles 2003-03-21- Defect
- On certain trucks equipped with truck hub units manufactured by skf exclusively for use on arvinmeritor's ff98x series non-drive steer axles, the hub unit bearings can wear prematurely.
- Consequence
- Seizure of the bearings can cause wheel separation or wheel end fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace both front hubs. Owner notification is expected to begin on or before september 20, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
145 vehicles 2002-12-13- Defect
- On certain heavy trucks, the cast output yoke on the mercedes-benz transmissions could fracture on vehicle with 1610 or 16t series drivelines.
- Consequence
- If pieces of the yoke separate, the debris can represent a potential hzard to people outside the vheicle and to other passing vehicles.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the cast transmission output yoke with a forged part. Owner notification began on january 30, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL:MECHANICAL:LINKAGE AND CABLE
548 vehicles 2002-04-10- Defect
- On certain trucks equipped with meritor brand 12" x 4" dcm drum parking brake, the bolts used to attach the parking brake assembly to the flange yoke are too large and can interfere with the proper engagement of the braking system and possibly disengage.
- Consequence
- Improper engagement of the parking brake could result in the vehicle rolling away without prior warning possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the attaching bolts with the correct size bolts free of charge. Owner notification is expected to begin during october 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
30,000 vehicles 2002-03-20- Defect
- On certain trucks, a capacitor in the power line control (plc) filter could overheat and/or ignite when subjected to reverse polarity electrical spikes.
- Consequence
- This could cause an electrical fire in the area of the plc filter without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will disconnect and secure the plc filter ground wire. Owner notification began september 20, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE
5,176 vehicles 2002-01-22- Defect
- On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with meritor wabco pneumatic anitlock brake system (ABS) valve packages, the assembly bolts on these valve packages were not tightened correctly.
- Consequence
- Bolts torqued below specification will not reliably prevent air leakage at the affected ABS valve package interface joints once the component begins normal vehicle operation. If air leaks develop at any of the ABS valve package interface joints, brake system pressure reductions could occur during braking or normal operation with units equipped with the traction control option, potentially extending stopping distances, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will tighten the fasteners to the proper specification. Owner notification began april 4, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
SUSPENSION:REAR
219 vehicles 2001-11-29- Defect
- On certain trucks, the welds that attach the rear suspension control rod brackets to the axle housing may not meet specifications.
- Consequence
- A weld could fracture, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear suspension bracket welds to determine if they meet specifications and re-weld if necessary. Owner notification began july 31, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:CONTROLS, PEDALS AND LINKAGES
4,400 vehicles 2001-06-14- Defect
- Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with certain haldex brake system two and four port relay valves. The valve may stick open when a high-pressure application is released.
- Consequence
- When the valve sticks open, it can result in a total loss of air from either the service or the park brake system. The driver may lose braking ability under a service application, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace these valves. Owner notification began october 17, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
1,350 vehicles 2001-03-12- Defect
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with hydraulic brakes and a durapark park brake system manufactured by arvinmeritor. Air is entering the hydraulic rear brake cylinders through an unknown path and the rear self-adjusting brakes may not be operating properly.
- Consequence
- This results in spongy or soft feel to the brake pedal and a loss of rear braking capability.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove and replace the ABS ecu and inspect the brake pedal for proper travel. If excessive travel is detected, the brake system will be bled and rear brakes adjusted. As an interim measure, freightliner will notify all owners to have their vehicles inspected to assure proper function of the brake system. This will include adjusting and bleeding the brakes. Also, owners will be instructed that on a regular basis they should do several hard brake applications while stopped. This will exercise the self-adjusting system and if they observe a low or spongy brake…
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the Sterling Acterra
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed