BRAKE FAILURE. BRAKES GOT HOT AND I HAD NO BRAKES. I HAVE A W 22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS ON MY RV . IT IS A 2004 CHASSIS ON A 2005 NATIONAL RV DOLPHIN .I WAS ABLE TO GET STOPPED WITH OUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. WORKHORSE HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON THERE 2000,2001,2003 W22 CHASSIS. *TR
2005 National RV Dolphin
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Dolphin years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 5 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Equipment. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
5 reports2005 DOLPHIN ON A CHEVY W 22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS..FRONT BRAKES FAILED AFTER 7500 MILES..FRONT ROTORS WERE HEAT CRACKED I WAS TOLD FROM THE DEALER..CALLED WH AND TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED...NEVER HEARD OF ROTORS GOING BAD AT 7500 MILES..HAVE HAD OTHER MOTOR HOMES, AND HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY BRAKES WITH GOING DOWN H…
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2005 DOLPHIN ON A CHEVY W 22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS..FRONT BRAKES FAILED AFTER 7500 MILES..FRONT ROTORS WERE HEAT CRACKED I WAS TOLD FROM THE DEALER..CALLED WH AND TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED...NEVER HEARD OF ROTORS GOING BAD AT 7500 MILES..HAVE HAD OTHER MOTOR HOMES, AND HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY BRAKES WITH GOING DOWN HILLS, ETC..FEEL THERE IS DEFINITELY A FLAW IN THE BREAKING SYSTEM ON THESE VEHICLES..VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING LIKE THE FRONT END WAS FALLING APART COMING BACK FROM A TRIP..LIMPED IT BACK TO SHOP FOR EVALUATION..OVER $1000.00 REPAIR BILL...VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE WITH THESE BRAKES !!!! *TR
FAILURE OF FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND SUBSEQUENT CRACKING OF BRAKE ROTORS. CAUSING PREMATURE BRAKE PAD WEAR AND DECREASED BRAKE PERFORMANCE. PARTS REPLACED AT OWNERS' EXPENSE. PARTS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *JB
2005 RV WITH LESS THAN 10K MILES. WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY UNDER NO STRESS, THE OUTSIDE PASSENGER REAR TIRE BEGAN BALLOONING ON THE SIDEWAY FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THEN BLEW OUT A HOLE APPROXIMATELY 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE IN THE SEAM OF THE SIDEWALL. THE LAST TIME THE RV WAS DRIVEN WAS ON SUNDAY, OCT…
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2005 RV WITH LESS THAN 10K MILES. WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY UNDER NO STRESS, THE OUTSIDE PASSENGER REAR TIRE BEGAN BALLOONING ON THE SIDEWAY FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THEN BLEW OUT A HOLE APPROXIMATELY 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE IN THE SEAM OF THE SIDEWALL. THE LAST TIME THE RV WAS DRIVEN WAS ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2006 (5 DAYS PREVIOUS). THIS INCIDENT WAS WITNESSED BY TIM ANDERSON WHO HAD BEEN WORKING IN THE DRIVEWAY AT THE TIME AND HEARD THE HISSING SOUND PRIOR TO THE BLOWOUT. HE WAS ALMOST INJURED IN THE INCIDENT AND HAD THANKFULLY MOVED AWAY SECONDS BEFORE THE BLOWOUT OCCURRED. I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE RV ON SUNDAY THE 15TH. HAD THIS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGH TRAFFIC, RAIN-SLICKED HIGHWAY RETURNING FROM BATON ROUGE TO FRIENDSWOOD ON THE 20TH, POSSIBLY 4 PEOPLE (IN OUR RV) PLUS OTHERS MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED (GOODYEAR TIRE). *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO WARNING SOUNDS WHILE OPERATING THE POWER GEAR LIFT ALARM. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE THE WIRING TO THE CHIMES WAS NOTICED CUT. THE DEALER WAS CONSULTED AND DETERMINED THE CHIMES WARNING DEVICE WAS NOT NECESSARY. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE IS A 2005 NATIONAL…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO WARNING SOUNDS WHILE OPERATING THE POWER GEAR LIFT ALARM. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE THE WIRING TO THE CHIMES WAS NOTICED CUT. THE DEALER WAS CONSULTED AND DETERMINED THE CHIMES WARNING DEVICE WAS NOT NECESSARY. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE IS A 2005 NATIONAL RV DOLPHIN LX. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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