Workhorse W20 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 24 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the Workhorse W20 (2002–2004) that have at least 5 complaints. 2003 has the most, with 11. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (23 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All W20 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 7 | 18,850 | 2 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2003 | 11 | 18,940 | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 6 | 19,316 | 2 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes23 88%
- Wheels1 3.8%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)1 3.8%
- Electrical system1 3.8%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2004: “The brakes were fading so I had them inspected by les schwab tires. They informed me that all 4 rotors had cracks in them and they were a safety issue. I have about 30,000 miles on the 2004 southwind motorhome Workhorse chasis. I am responding to NHTSA action number: ea07016.”
NHTSA complaint #10217086, filed 2008-02, 30,000 miles2003: “We have a 2003 motorhome with a W20 Workhorse frame. I have lost the hydraulic brakes due to the fluid boiling twice during normal driving on level roads (no hills or mountains) both times the heat destroyed the ABS wheel sensors.”
NHTSA complaint #10225639, filed 2008-04, 27,684 miles2002: “We had a brake recall done on our 2002 itasca suncruiser motorhome (W20 chassis in jan 2005, mileage 9141. While on vacation in july 2005, the brakes overheated and repairs were authorized by Workhorse at no charge at mileage 9,687. Experienced overheating again in september 2007 at mileage 28819. Repairs done at our expense - replace rear rotor, wheel seal and brake pads, ABS ring, rear ABS sensor. After 249 miles, rear brake overheated at mileage 29,068, checked for damage due to overheating but there was none. Had to pay for labor to make this determination.”
NHTSA complaint #10233082, filed 2008-07, 28,819 milesOther Workhorse models
316 complaintsWorkhorse Chassis
56 complaintsWorkhorse P320032
29 complaintsWorkhorse P30
5 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology