2005 Workhorse W22 problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Workhorse W22, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2005 Workhorse W22 vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 18 | 86% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The instrument led started to malfunction .can't read what gear the motorhome is in or any of the other functions that are displayed,oil pressure, low oil. It started gradually now its to the point that you can't read the display especially what gear (reverse .neutral,drive). Someone can get seriously injured because…”
Electrical System · filed Feb 18, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 workhorse w22 rv. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, he smelled burning from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who stated that they needed to replace the brake caliper assemblies. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that…”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 16, 2012
“2005 workhorse w22 motorhome. Consumer writes in regards to recall concerning sticking brake calipers *tgw while replacing the calipers, the mechanic discovered that three of the brake rotors were cracked. The consumer felt it was a premature failure of the brake rotors and constituted a safety hazard.”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Mar 14, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- OVERHEATING DISC BRAKE CALIPER
Engineering Analysis EA07016 · opened Nov 16, 2007 · closed Aug 19, 2009 · led to recall 09V217000
Safety recalls
The 2005 Workhorse W22 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2005 Workhorse W22?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.