Model year report

2000 Sterling LT: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2000 Sterling LT

Only 4 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2000 Sterling LT, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported parking brake failure.

When each failure gets reported

Median

Parking brake failure

318k
Other electrical problem

318k
Other suspension problem
no odometer readings given
—

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 3 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Parking brake failure	brakes	1	1	—	318k	—	9.0	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Other electrical problem	electrical	1	1	—	318k	—	9.0	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other suspension problem	suspension	1	0	—	—	—	9.0	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Unclassified problem	other	1	1	—	318k	—	9.0	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Parking brake failure

Dashboard is breaking apart. Most critical area at this time is where the fuse box is located. Most of the plastic has cracked broken and the fuse panel fell out and was hanging by the electrical wires. Another area of importance is where the air brake set/release valve is located. The plastic gave way and the valve pushes freely back into the dash without support to set or release. Deterioration has occurred over time and the deterioration is continuing. Fuse panel has been secured to floor. Air brake valve has been reinforced.jb

318,357 miles NHTSA complaint 570040 filed 2006-01-22

Recalls on the 2000 model year

NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2000 Sterling LT, affecting an estimated 111 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 exterior lighting:turn signal:switch. 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.

00V397000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

671 vehicles 2000-11-29

Defect: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. A loss of the turn signal function can occur due to a turn signal flasher that is not compatible with the turn signal switches that allow the brake lights to override the hazard warning lights. If the hazard warning lights are on and the brake lights are activated, the turn signal flasher senses an overload condition and becomes disabled until all electric loads are removed.
Consequence: Following drivers may not be aware of the truck's turning intentions increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will install a turn signal flasher that is compatible with turn signal switches that allow the brake lights to override the hazard warning lights.

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 LT

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.

What the reports on file say

The complaints recorded against the 2000 Sterling LT are parking brake failure (1 report, around 318k miles), other electrical problem (1 report, around 318k miles) and other suspension problem (1 report). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.

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 20 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed