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2008 Sterling BulletProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 2008 Sterling Bullet, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-880 the manufacturer reports only 35% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 35%Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Air bags

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 16, 2017. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Sterling Bullet has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2008 Sterling Bullet recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

35%repaired · 2018 Q2

Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator

Recall 16V-880 · Dec 7, 2016 · 235 vehicles · 82 repaired

Risk. If the alternator develops a short circuit, there is an increased risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

36%repaired · 2017 Q2

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 15V-361 · Jun 10, 2015 · 2,601 vehicles · 935 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

35%repaired · 2016 Q4

Linkages: tie rod assembly

Recall 13V-605 · Nov 29, 2013 · 2,564 vehicles · 907 repaired

Risk. A failure of the tie rod assembly may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Linkages: tie rod assembly

Recall 11V-193 · Mar 23, 2011 · 2,564 vehicles

Risk. A FRACTURED TIE ROD END COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL STEERING STABILITY INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Sterling.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other Bullet year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Bullet median. How we score

'08'09
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Bullet owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 STERLING BULLET. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V418000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE…
Complaint 10985914 · May 16, 2017

Own a 2008 Bullet?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.