Reliability & cost of ownership
Western Star 4900 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Western Star 4900? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Western Star 4900 problems by model year
109 recall entries and 17 owner complaints on file across 12 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 4900 | 7 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2019 4900 | 15 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 4900 | 14 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 4900 | 11 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 4900 | 8 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2011 4900 | 14 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2009 4900 | 16 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 4900 | 10 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 4900 | 7 | 2 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 2002 4900 | 2 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 4900 | 3 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1998 4900 | 2 | 2 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Western Star 4900, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- tires5 complaints
- structure4 complaints
- suspension2 complaints
- visibility2 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system2 complaints
- wheels2 complaints
- air bags1 complaint
- power train1 complaint