Reliability & cost of ownership
Workhorse W20 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Workhorse W20? 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.
Workhorse W20 problems by model year
13 recall entries and 33 owner complaints on file across 7 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 W20 | 2 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 W20 | 2 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 W20 | 2 | 7 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 W20 | 1 | 11 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2002 W20 | 2 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 W20 | 3 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 W20 | 1 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Workhorse W20, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- service brakes28 complaints
- hydraulic27 complaints
- parking brake2 complaints
- electrical system2 complaints
- air1 complaint
- visibility1 complaint
- wheels1 complaint
- steering1 complaint