2004 Workhorse W22 Problems

What owners report

Complaints for this chassis year are almost entirely about the brakes: owners describe calipers that stick and overheat, leading to drag, burning smells, smoke, and occasionally a pedal that goes to the floor. Reports cluster at low mileage, often on the first longer trip after the motorhome has sat unused, and many owners say the problem returned after repairs or after the recall work.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Sticking brake calipers overheat and drag

   • 63 complaints (68%)
   • median 23,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (45 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2023

   Owners describe the brakes dragging on one wheel, a hot or burning smell, smoke from a wheel well, and reduced braking that sometimes ends with the pedal going to the floor. Complaints frequently mention an ABS warning light coming on at the same time, and damaged rotors, pads, sensors and seals found afterward. Several owners report the same problem on a different wheel later, and say dealers replaced calipers, then told them the failure was out of warranty or not severe enough for recall coverage. Most reports come in between roughly 6,000 and 35,000 miles, often after a long drive or after the vehicle sat unused.

   Recall 09V110000

   What to check: Ask whether the caliper recall (09V110000) was completed and on which wheels, and request paperwork. After a test drive, check each wheel for unusual heat and smell around the brakes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving along interstate 4 and stopped at a rest area after noticing diminished braking on my motorhome. I immediately detected the smell of overheated brakes. I then proceeded cautiously and pumped the brakes, noting that the ABS system failure light was luminated on the dash. The problem with the brakes seemed to diminish, but noted that the efficiency of the brake system was significantly less than prior to the overheating. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10262192, filed 2009-03, 23,800 miles

   “On sep. 12 of 2007, we left on a trip from our home to las vegas, nv. On the first leg of our trip our we noticed we were getting very poor gas mileage and it seemed like our brakes were dragging. We pulled over at the welcome center in louisiana on I-59. We noticed the rear brakes smelled hot. When we went back into the motorhome and started it back up the ABS warning light was on. We then called a Workhorse service center, ross downing chevrolet. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10237904, filed 2008-08, 24,050 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brakes need replacement at low mileage

   • 23 complaints (25%)
   • median 21,400 mi at 5.5 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2018

   Some owners report brakes wearing out far earlier than expected, with pads, rotors and seals replaced well before the mileage they considered normal for a motorhome. Others describe rotors with heat cracks or melted sensors found during inspection. In several cases owners paid for the work themselves and later questioned whether it should have been covered by the recall. Reported from under 10,000 miles up to about 35,000 miles, typically after the first few years of ownership.

   Recall 09V110000

   What to check: Have a mechanic measure pad and rotor thickness and look for heat cracking before purchase, since early wear is hard to see from outside.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased an allegro motor home with a Workhorse chassis on january 26, 2007 with 11, 619 miles. I carried the motorhome to menton's auto & truck center, inc for service and was advised the vehicle needed the brakes replaced due to excessive wear. The motorhome had 16, 205 miles at this time. I discussed this with several friends owning motorhomes and was advised this seemed excessive and the brakes should have lasted for a much grater time. This repair consisted of front and rear brake pads, seals, and turning rotors.”

   NHTSA complaint #10270036, filed 2009-05, 16,205 miles

   “Brake drag, ABS lite on, brake smell inside motor home,shimmy, brake fade, oil seals leaking front wheels, grease dripping from king pin fitting, unable to get above 40 MPH. This occurs within 25 miles of travel. Garage certified by Workhorse to repair said it would not be covered in safety recall because it was not bad enough.”

   NHTSA complaint #10323615, filed 2010-04, 20,251 miles

Buying note. Brake condition dominates the record for this chassis year, so budget for a full brake inspection and confirm the caliper recall work with paperwork before buying. A pre-purchase check of wheel temperatures after a drive and a look at service history will tell you more than the odometer alone.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.