Well our new KitchenAid dw has broken down in just 11 months

[petek]

Repair guy shows up about an hour ago. Ran it through it's diagnostics and didn't really seem to know what the F was wrong with it and I got the feeling he was guessing. Anyways he left saying he would order a new control board so I'll probably be waiting till next week sometime if I'm lucky.

 

[mixfinder]

Repair

We called the Whirlpool 800 service number and had three unsuccessful attempts by a company called the Appliance Hospital at a repair. In each case the tech, unfamiliar with the machine, used a computer and a tech advisor over the phone to try to diagnose and repair the machine. Using the advice of Combo52 and Dadoes I contacted the store where we purchased the machine. a high end appliance retailer. The store manager called Whirlpool and told them who to send and what part to bring. We have been completely pleased since then. I'm hoping for the best for you and know the frustration of being betrayed by anything mechanical while it is still new.

 

[pierreandreply4]

me i would perhaps consider asking the store where the dishwasher was purchuse to exchange your dishwasher and maybe ask for a bosch unit rather than a kitchenaid like this model

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www.bosch-home.com

 

[washmeup]

Kitchen Aid

Whirlpool has ruined this brand. It is all crap and we never recommend their products when we spec appliances for kitchens anymore. Very sad. Miele is the only dishwasher we recommend.

 

[petek]

Service guy and the new control board arrived at the house just past noon today and was out the door about 10 minutes later. I've just ran a "one hour" wash successfully so with fingers crossed and all your prayers you won't be hearing about any more problems with it for hopefully another 6 or 7 years.

 

[combo52]

Current KA Dishwashers

Kitchenaid is STILL one of the most reliable high end DWs built today and we sell a lot of them with very few problems. Customers like the great performance, large capacity and quite operation. And I have seen nothing to convince me that KA is not far more reliable than Miele DWs, and we do know with certainty that Mieles cost a small fortune to repair, IF YOU CAN FIND ANYONE that will repair them.

 

I was working for a customer of ours the other week in NW DC in their a million $+ condo, they also have a home in the Outer Banks of N Carolina and they split their time between the two homes. I was there to fix the Samsung built MT Neptune washer [ for the third time in as many years ]. The customer was going on about the cheap flimsy Bosch DW, the crappy Miele 5 burner gas cook-top and the 30" double Wolf electric wall oven that has been repaired three times and never seems to work correctly.  He said that in the SC home that we did a year eariler we had all KA appliances put in and have had no problems what soever. So he and I walked down stairs where his wife was busy cooking dinner and I looked at the kitchen appliances I said this DW isn't a Bosch it is a Miele and he proceeded to show me the flimsy tiny top rack, he said you can get almost twice as much in the KA and it just feels better built. Then he was showing me the Miele Gas Cook-Top and how the large power burner never lights correctly even after two visits from Miele Service and showed me how the cheap painted markings had already worn off the cook-top, another customer that will not be fooled again.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Kitchenaid is STILL one of the most reliable high end DWs bu

 I am so glad to hear you say that.  My new KA Dishwasher, and GE stove are bring delivered 3-16.  The stove had trouble getting here from KY due to the big snow storms we had.  The 16th is the only day they could deliver that I was free.  

 

[mark_wpduet]

Ha!

Sorry to hear. Yes - being BETRAYED by anything mechanical is never good..

 

[frigilux]

For what it's worth: Some KitchenAid models are the first US brand to show up on Consumer Reports's dishwasher ratings after a slew of models from Bosch, which are at the top of the list. Most KA models--even those at the top-of-the-line are rated only "Good" for noise. It would come at no surprise that most models from Maytag and Whirlpool also receive "Good" ratings for noise.

Reliability: CR readers report the fewest problems with machines from Bosch and Whirlpool (both at 8% of machines purchased between 2008-12 needing service); 9% for Miele; 12% for GE and KitchenAid; 15% for Frigidaire; 16% for Maytag; 20% for LG (yikes!). CR states that differences of less than 4 points are not statistically meaningful.

My LG, purchased in early 2008, needed its first repair last month. The door gasket was disintegrating and had to be replaced. Cost for part and labor: $108. Dishwashers get extremely hard use in my house, and despite LG's horrible track record for dishwasher reliability, it has given me fewer problems than my two prior machines (TOL models from Frigidaire and Maytag).[this post was last edited: 3/8/2013-10:44]

 

[DADoES]

 
My dishwasher of a notorious brand that shall not be named, and which gets abysmal reliability ratings from CR, has not yet had any repairs.  It'll be 10 years in August.  CR doesn't consider that as valid data being as it's more than 4 or 5 years old.

 

[frigilux]

Glenn-- The brand you're referencing (rhymes with Tisher and Shaykel) has actually improved its reliability scores the past year or two. And you have to remember that if 15% of CR readers' machines needed repair, 85% didn't.

By the time my Frigidaire and Maytag machines were four years old, I'd replaced seals, control boards, a pump, a sump seal....fairly major stuff. The LG, on the other hand, has only had a door seal replaced---despite the fact it is by far the least reliable brand.

A CR rep once told me they limit reliability data to a four-year window so old models that are no longer available don't skew the reliability ratings (for better or worse) of the current crop.[this post was last edited: 3/8/2013-13:48]

 

[DADoES]

 
Looking at it another way ... of the four T&S appliances I have, one has needed repair.  Bad pump, at 12 years 2 months.  I suppose CR would see that as a 25% failure rate, which does qualify as b-a-d. 

 

[jerrod6]

I never understood why they limited the reporting years. Every time I took their reliability surveys I had nothing I could report because everything was lasting over their rating period and needed no repairs. What difference does it make if the older model is no longer available? If you have a Dw brand that has lasted 10 years that SAYS SOMETHING!

I bought my first Miele DW in 1996. In that year they tested it and remarked that it was very quiet and used very little water but then said that you would end up using more water than most other DW in the end because you had to rinse the filter. Of course this wasn't true but they were so flip about the statement.

And now, no in depth reporting about their testing methods or reasons for their ratings, just cotton candy details is all you get. CR just seems to have such a limited scope.

 

[petek]

You have to sign up for the online magazine verion of CR to get more details unfortunately.

What I don't get is the apparent reliability differences between some Kenmore, KA, and Whirpools being all made by Whirpool . The machines look identical to me pretty much other than the branding and maybe the shape of the pushbutton controls which are in the same order on the panel.

 

[fisherpaykel]

My no need to name dishwasher install instructions stated to plug unit into a switched undercabinet electrical outlet, we only switch on when running DW, same makers GWL 11 clothes washer manual advises unplugging after use, I presume to save electronics from power surges, spikes, and our dirty power variances, (terminology from salesperson touting benefits of Monster clean power surge suppressors.) I haven't bought one yet but following those FandP instructions no problem yet about 8 years DW and 10 years washer. Maybe those of us without panel box whole home surge suppressors should do this, but what about electric dryer, stove and wall oven, you can't easily switch off or unplug at the unit, and I don't switch off at the breaker box, MAYBE I MIGHT after paying repair bill for whichever of those burns out first. YEAH, MAYBE!

 

[mark_wpduet]

I'm was so PISSED at Kitchenaid

I know this is a dishwasher topic but it's the same brand so I'm going to add this....I use a blender daily. I've had this really nice Kitchenaid blender and it has always had a slight leaking problem. If you don't get it on the base just right (even a fraction off) it's a MESS! At first I thought it was the rubber seal piece but it's coming from under the blade itself. It was manageable at first but it just kept getting worse and worse. I noticed a lot of reviews had the same problem.

I called Kitchenaid ONLY because I had read in some comments that they had redesigned the collar assembly and people were calling and getting a replacement that had been corrected and the first thing the CR asked was how old it was...I said not 100 percent sure but possibly a year and a half. The CR said there was nothing they could do but directed me to the blade/collar assembly part for which I had NO problem buying. I asked if it had been redesigned because of the leaking and she said she wasn't aware of a redesign, but that it's possible. So I didn't want to buy the same problem.

A few days passed and I called back trying again (but I was very nice) and this time the rep said she would send a new blade/collar assembly FREE and I could try it. I was shocked but I think they did the right thing. It seems almost impossible to find a decent blender unless you pay 500 dollars for a Blendtec or Vitamix.

The Kitchenaid is a nice sturdy heavy powerful base and a nice glass jar. Everything about it feels premium EXCEPT for the collar/blade assembly which is not very thick plastic (other than the blade) and that's a pretty critical part.

I'm sure they purposely cheapen some parts in their dishwashers even though it's considered a high end brand.

For the LIFE of me I can't understand why even high end brands have cheapness to them? Is Kitchenaid no longer considered a high end brand? I know they are Whirlpool but still

 

[combo52]

Kitchenaid Blenders

Yes Mark that is diffidently off topic, but you do bring up an interesting problem for manufactures like KA and the danger of trying to sell too many different products. Customers will often get pissed off over a hundred blender and not buy the best refrigerator built because of problems with something like a faulty steam iron.

 

This was one of the reasons cited when GE sold their small appliance division to Black & Decker 20+ years ago. Interestingly GE had some of the best small appliances and yet they had many customers that had a problem with a toaster oven and would not buy one of their major appliances where they actually made money.

 

I do think that KA should get out of the small appliance business and as I said the other day in a different thread they should also stop selling $59 disposers.

 

[mark_wpduet]

I was , Not I'm was (LOL)

Yes sorry.... Since it was the same brand I just wanted to throw that in there.

I know Kitchenaid is Whirlpool and perhaps you're right; if they focused on less items for sale perhaps the quality would be better for what they do sell.

But they sell a million things!

 

[electronicontrl]

KitchenAid and dishwashers and reliability ratings

What about those 400+ complaints regarding the KitchenAid dishwasher fires? I wish WPL would have not closed the Maytag dishwasher factory as I thought Maytag made a fine dishwasher but then again they were being notorious for recalls near the end.
That said. I plan on KitchenAid appliances if I ever have a kitchen re-do. I'm a fan of the show "Love it or List it" on HGTV. I love Hilliary's kitchens and she picks KitchenAid. Years ago I worked at WPL and now live 80 miles from their headquarters. I think if I were to ever have a disappointing experience with one of their appliances, I'd deliver it to their front door with a nasty note. For now I'm sticking to vintage machines.