2002 Sterling L Line: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2002 Sterling L Line
No owner has filed a defect report with NHTSA about the 2002 Sterling L Line. 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 2002 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2002 Sterling L Line, affecting an estimated 369 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 engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan and trailer hitches:fifth wheel assembly. 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.
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.
TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY
733 vehicles 2002-12-17- Defect
- On certain truck-tractor model vehicles equipped with conmet simplex stationary or sliding fifth-wheel, the clinch pins that retain the fifth-wheel pivot pins may not be fully installed.
- Consequence
- The fifth wheel could separate from the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the fifth wheel to verify the correct installation of the clinch pin and pivot pin. Missing pins will be replaced. Owner notification began november 15, 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.
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 L Line
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