New refrigerator

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MDfan
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New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

We have a 7-year old LG French door refrigerator that has stopped making ice and has stopped freezing food. Repair guy said that there is likely a "sealed system" issue or leaking evaporator (he said there's only 12% frost coverage on evaporator but I don't quite know what that means). Anyway, he said that the repair would likely be over $1000 and we only paid about $2000 for it 7 years ago. So we are in the market for a new fridge. A number of appliance repair guys I've talked said stay away from Samsung and LG and go with Whirlpool, GE, Maytag, etc. Any suggestions for something good in the $2500 range with in-door ice/water and good storage capacity?
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KSOC
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by KSOC »

Bought a Whirlpool in 2007 & 2009. Still using both. Nothing fancy, both have cooled flawlessly, and one makes ice. Spent $700 on one, $600 on the other. We are moving long distance and both are going with. We have a Whirlpool dryer from 1991, and just replaced a Whirlpool washer (1991) with a new Whirlpool washer. Just saying, YMMV.
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MDfan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

Thanks. The one at the top of our list is a Whirlpool.
meebers
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by meebers »

I have a GE french door fridge. Had some problems, but was covered by the warranty. Mostly ice maker, weird buzzing noises and loss of the "chime feature" Chime feature dings when the door is left open more than 30 sec and other such things. First time the tech had to replace the motherboard ($850) and that fixed it. Now the warranty is over and the "chime feature" is inop again. Every time the tech showed up, he would plug his computer cable into the fridge and say, Oh! there is a new update etc.

One thing I will look at very close next purchase is the $cost of the filters. This GE filter costs $50 a shot and depending on use/time if not replaced when the alarm replacement notice shows up on the front door, will shut off the water and the ice maker. Sometimes I have replace it 3 times in a single year. The filter has a built in RFID chip on it that signals the mother board that 1. it is genuine GE filter and 2. this filter with this id has been used and will not allow it to be used again, forcing another $50. Cheap dishonest scheme here. (I have found a method to get around it, but will not discuss it here.) I am sure you know, but GE is now owned by Haier Electronics.
lem
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by lem »

Just purchased a new Bosch refrigerator last week. We like it. You may want to check your area to see what is available. We found there is a shortage of refrigerators now. Depending how soon you want it you may be limited to what is available. Agree with it getting an LG or SAmsung. We went with Bosch because it is quiet and available.
bstewie
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by bstewie »

I too would recommend a Bosch. Depending on sales / pricing it may be slightly more than $2500 but the build quality is better than most competitors in that price range.
rotorhead
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by rotorhead »

We've had good luck with our GE appliances, and not sure we'll buy them in future; but our current side-by-side GE fridge/freezer is still going strong after 25 years. Model TFX22ZRS. Bit noisy now, but bearable; and I did replace the water module about 10 years ago. Been working fine since.

Also have a smaller Roper as our "garage" fridge; and it's doing fine after 24 years. Working very hard in the summer heat this year, but still soldiering on.

I do like Whirlpool very much; and when the time comes, we'll look at those.
Kristen
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by Kristen »

My first GE refrigerator purchased a few years ago failed after 3 years and was "unable to be repaired." They came out the first time, the fix only lasted a couple of weeks, and at the 2nd visit, no joke, they (GE repairman) told me it could not be fixed. For the 3 years that it cooled, it was absurdly noisy. After lots of time on the phone with GE, they sold me a new replacement for ~$700. While my preference would be to never purchase a GE appliance again, a comparable new refrigerator was >$2000. I am hoping there is a kitchen remodel in my near future and didn't want to have even more money invested in a refrigerator that I might want to change out. I feel confident that this new one will fail in some capacity within the first few years of ownership. If it lasts>3 years, I will have a really nice garage fridge. FWIW, I had a kitchen contractor also tell me that GE appliances are terrible.

Agree with post about the water filter racket they run. You are forced to buy a GE brand filter and there are no after market alternatives. More business I do not want to be doing with GE...

Oh, and also, as part of this"program" i was not allowed to keep the broken unit. The freezer still worked so I wanted to keep it in the garage but they required that it be thrown away, which seemed unnecessarily wasteful. (I verified they were discarding it.)

I do not recommend GE appliances.
Maverick3320
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by Maverick3320 »

Our four year old LG just stopped working as well; apparently the condenser just failed. Our repairman told us that LG, for whatever reason, basically has the worst reputation of all the refrigerator producers. (We didn't choose the fridge as it came with the house we bought in October.)

It apparently takes 2+ weeks to get a new condenser, so we had to buy a smaller temporary refrigerator and take the loss on some of the food. Not knowing enough about LG or refrigerator mechanics, next time we will simply vote with our wallet and purchase something else.
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MDfan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

Thanks for the responses. I think we're going to go with Whirlpool.
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BogleFanGal
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by BogleFanGal »

MDfan wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:51 am Thanks for the responses. I think we're going to go with Whirlpool.
Same here - 3 year LG died last week - failed compressor - part covered, but $700 just for labor. :shock: Bought a whirlpool. Hope you have better luck with model choices. I wanted to buy from costco or sam's for extended warranty, but both were out of stock on all models that fit my space and Depot wasn't avail till late Aug/Sept. Grabbed one of the few in-stock at Lowes: smaller in capacity than I wanted and a diff color than rest of kitchen appliances. :annoyed But 1st world problems: grateful I could buy and get the free installation within 4 days: not ideal traipsing into stores daily for ice during covid times.)
Last edited by BogleFanGal on Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Topic Author
MDfan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

BogleFanGal wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:32 pm
MDfan wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:51 am Thanks for the responses. I think we're going to go with Whirlpool.
Same here - 3 year LG died - failed compressor - part was covered, but it was $700 just for labor. :shock: Just bought a whirlpool. Hope you have better luck with choice - I wanted to go thru costco or sam's for extended warranty, but both were out of stock on all models that fit my space - so grabbed one at Lowes in the only color avail - which is diff than rest of kitchen appliances. :annoyed But 1st world problems all in all: was very grateful I could get it bought and installed within 4 days during covid - definitely no fun going into stores daily for ice.)
Best Buy has the model we want in the color we want (stainless) . Can get it by next week which is fine because our refrigerator still works fine (just not the freezer). I guess we'll just have them haul the old one away because I'm thinking nobody will want to buy a refrigerator that needs $1500 worth of work to be functional.
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BogleFanGal
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by BogleFanGal »

MDfan wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:35 pm
BogleFanGal wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:32 pm
MDfan wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:51 am Thanks for the responses. I think we're going to go with Whirlpool.
Same here - 3 year LG died - failed compressor - part was covered, but it was $700 just for labor. :shock: Just bought a whirlpool. Hope you have better luck with choice - I wanted to go thru costco or sam's for extended warranty, but both were out of stock on all models that fit my space - so grabbed one at Lowes in the only color avail - which is diff than rest of kitchen appliances. :annoyed But 1st world problems all in all: was very grateful I could get it bought and installed within 4 days during covid - definitely no fun going into stores daily for ice.)
Best Buy has the model we want in the color we want (stainless) . Can get it by next week which is fine because our refrigerator still works fine (just not the freezer). I guess we'll just have them haul the old one away because I'm thinking nobody will want to buy a refrigerator that needs $1500 worth of work to be functional.
Congrats - glad it worked out for you. I ended up with stainless too, but wanted regular black - everyone stocks the former, but had a tough time finding the latter. Oh well. :beer
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Watty
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by Watty »

It would be good to look at buying one at Costco using a Costco Credit card.

That automatically gives you a four year extended warranty. At Costco many appliances also include free delivery, haul off, and connection kits which may be extra at other stores.

When you are shopping also look at which refrigerators are actually in stock. I bought a new washing machine about a month ago and many of the models were out of stock even when I looked at multiple stores. I was able to find the model I wanted after looking at several stores but when I looked back a week later it was out of stock there too.

I suspect that the pandemic is disrupting the supply chain which was causing shortages of some things like washing machines.

I was at Costco this week and while they were out of a few things like disinfectant wipes they had everything else I was looking for. What was surprising was that about a quarter to a third of the higher level storage racks were empty and I have never seen that at a Costco before.
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MDfan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

Good suggestions, but we're not Costco members and don't really have one that close to us. The one we are buying is in stock. Also 10% back in Best Buy rewards for opening up a credit card so that's a nice bonus.
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FrugalInvestor
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by FrugalInvestor »

meebers wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:14 pmOne thing I will look at very close next purchase is the $cost of the filters. This GE filter costs $50 a shot and depending on use/time if not replaced when the alarm replacement notice shows up on the front door, will shut off the water and the ice maker. Sometimes I have replace it 3 times in a single year. The filter has a built in RFID chip on it that signals the mother board that 1. it is genuine GE filter and 2. this filter with this id has been used and will not allow it to be used again, forcing another $50. Cheap dishonest scheme here. (I have found a method to get around it, but will not discuss it here.) I am sure you know, but GE is now owned by Haier Electronics.
We have a GE french door fridge that we purchased in 2017. Our filter can just be left out with no problem (don't even need a plug like some brands). I do this because the water for our refrigerator comes our reverse osmosis system (so needs no additional filtering).
Have a plan, stay the course and simplify. Then ignore the noise!
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TexasPE
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by TexasPE »

Maverick3320 wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 9:12 am
It apparently takes 2+ weeks to get a new condenser, so we had to buy a smaller temporary refrigerator and take the loss on some of the food.
Consider renting a refrigerator, For example

https://www.aarons.com/appliances/refri ... gKG6PD_BwE

2-3 day free delivery in my area, $110-150 per month rent.

Estate sales and used appliance stores can also fill the temporary need. Used appliance stores will usually have a 30-90 day replacement warranty.
At 20: I cared what everyone thought about me | At 40: I didn't give a damn what anyone thought of me | Now that I'm 60: I realize that no one was really thinking about me at all | Winston Churchill (?)
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AllMostThere
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by AllMostThere »

I respectfully disagree with several posters saying that Bosch is good appliance product. I could NOT disagree more. For a kitchen remodel, we purchased all Bosch appliances 7 years ago. In first 18 months the frig failed compressor, major coil coolant leak, and ice maker. Thank god, I purchased an extended warranty on three of the most expensive appliances, frig included. The repairs were over $3K, more than the cost of the frig! I was always pushing the extended warranty to scrap the piece of junk out and just refund me for cost of frig, but they always wanted to fix it. I have had to fix the dishwasher with new front fascia, vent hood with new motor, and microwave so many times I have lost count. I just had to fix it again couple of weeks ago. Luckily, I am pretty handy, so my cost is only that of over priced Bosch replacement parts. Next time frig or microwave fail, they go to the recycle heap and I look for non-Bosch replacements. I thought I was buying good high end quality products, but not the case. :oops: :oops: :oops:
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harrychan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by harrychan »

We use plenty of Bosch products and they work fine especially their washer / dryer. I WOULD NOT get LG brand refrigerator. Went to several big box stores and by far had the most open box returns were LG.
This is not legal or certified financial advice but you know that already.
stlheld
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by stlheld »

With regards to getting rid of your old fridge, sometimes you can post in Craigslist for the scrappers to pick up. We've done that with some apartments we own...one time a pretty sketchy guy came by himself to move a full size fridge from a second floor apartment but it makes for some fun stories! :)
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tennisplyr
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by tennisplyr »

We have Samsung unit with French doors that was here when we bought our home in 2017. So far, so good with one minor issue of a frozen drain pipe. I know many don't like Samsung but I'd say take a look at one.
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LSLover
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by LSLover »

FWIW, here Is the latest rankings of appliance manufacturers...
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press- ... on-studies
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BogleFanGal
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by BogleFanGal »

LSLover wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 6:16 am FWIW, here Is the latest rankings of appliance manufacturers...
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press- ... on-studies
The problem is these rankings are very misleading to consumers and hide huge reliability issues - the surveys are conducted within the first 12 months of ownership. LG and Samsung are often sleeker and fancier than the whirlpools, and have more cool features. But they fail much more frequently on average - sooner after the warranty ends. Ask all those "satisfied" Samsung and LG owners about their fridge in year 3 or year 4 and I suspect these rankings will look markedly different.
ndlex
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by ndlex »

Anything but Samsung. Both my brother and I had Samsung refrigerators and had exact same issue with them freezing up and needing to be manually defrosted. Do a search...it’s a rampant problem that can’t be fixed. Both had to be replaced after less than 4 years.

We both got Whirlpool replacements and have been flawless so far.
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FrugalInvestor
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by FrugalInvestor »

ndlex wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 8:02 am Anything but Samsung. Both my brother and I had Samsung refrigerators and had exact same issue with them freezing up and needing to be manually defrosted. Do a search...it’s a rampant problem that can’t be fixed. Both had to be replaced after less than 4 years.

We both got Whirlpool replacements and have been flawless so far.
A Samsung we purchased in 2014 started freezing up, making noise and having icemaker problems in 2017. Fortunately we had purchased an extended warranty through Lowe's and they gave us a full refund after 2-months of not being able to get replacement parts. We replaced it with a GE and although not our favorite refrigerator it hasn't required any repairs in the last 3 years.
Have a plan, stay the course and simplify. Then ignore the noise!
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MDfan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

stlheld wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 8:10 pm With regards to getting rid of your old fridge, sometimes you can post in Craigslist for the scrappers to pick up. We've done that with some apartments we own...one time a pretty sketchy guy came by himself to move a full size fridge from a second floor apartment but it makes for some fun stories! :)
Best Buy will take it away for $25. Worth it to me. I don't want to deal with Craigslist. Especially now.
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MDfan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

AllMostThere wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:48 pm I respectfully disagree with several posters saying that Bosch is good appliance product. I could NOT disagree more. For a kitchen remodel, we purchased all Bosch appliances 7 years ago. In first 18 months the frig failed compressor, major coil coolant leak, and ice maker. Thank god, I purchased an extended warranty on three of the most expensive appliances, frig included. The repairs were over $3K, more than the cost of the frig! I was always pushing the extended warranty to scrap the piece of junk out and just refund me for cost of frig, but they always wanted to fix it. I have had to fix the dishwasher with new front fascia, vent hood with new motor, and microwave so many times I have lost count. I just had to fix it again couple of weeks ago. Luckily, I am pretty handy, so my cost is only that of over priced Bosch replacement parts. Next time frig or microwave fail, they go to the recycle heap and I look for non-Bosch replacements. I thought I was buying good high end quality products, but not the case. :oops: :oops: :oops:
We have a Bosch dishwasher and its been great. I think all manufacturers make some lemons. But we've had three different appliance repair guys tell us to stay away from Samsung and LG. Mainly because of difficulty in getting parts.
canderson
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by canderson »

I’d never buy another Whirlpool fridge for as long as I live. Bought one, four mi this later the compressor died. Replacement a year and half later had the same thing.
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Socrates
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by Socrates »

Love my Samsung....it has 4 door...2 on freezer which can become fridge if needed


check out Costco best price....just bought fridge there for garage was $200 cheaper than anywhere else and 5 year extended warranty with my costco VISA
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Luckywon
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by Luckywon »

canderson wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 7:59 pm I’d never buy another Whirlpool fridge for as long as I live. Bought one, four mi this later the compressor died. Replacement a year and half later had the same thing.
I also had trouble with my Whirlpool refrigerator, purchased from Costco 2012. It required 3 service calls in the first four yours, fortunately on warranty. Still running now but not great temperature control and intermittent problems with frost build up-i think the seals are not functioning properly.
greengrass222
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by greengrass222 »

Make sure you get an energy star certified refrigerator. It will save you a lot in the long run.
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MDfan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

canderson wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 7:59 pm I’d never buy another Whirlpool fridge for as long as I live. Bought one, four mi this later the compressor died. Replacement a year and half later had the same thing.
That kind of makes my point from above about every manufacturer making some lemons. I've heard the same stories about LGs.Samsungs and GEs. We're just going to roll the dice with a Whirlpool after doing some pretty extensive research. Whirlpool has the highest reliability ratings, but there's not a huge difference. We just have to keep our fingers crossed that we don't get a bad one.

I guess we now have to decide if we get the Best Buy extended warranty. Haven't done that before.
Cactuscoug
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by Cactuscoug »

I suggest you go to the library and look at Consumer Reports 2020 Buying Guide. L.G. and Kenmore seem to dominate the "reliability" category, but it depends upon specific model. Whirlpool is middle of the pack. Zero in on model and features that are important to you, and go from there.
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MDfan
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by MDfan »

Cactuscoug wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 7:11 am I suggest you go to the library and look at Consumer Reports 2020 Buying Guide. L.G. and Kenmore seem to dominate the "reliability" category, but it depends upon specific model. Whirlpool is middle of the pack. Zero in on model and features that are important to you, and go from there.
Already purchased Whirlpool. I've read numerous things on-line which say that Whirlpool is the most reliable but there's not a huge difference. Won't buy LG again based on our experience and advice from guys who fix refrigerators. Not sure about Kenmore given Sears' tenuous situation. Kenmore refrigerators are made by a host of other manufacturers (including Whirlpool at one point).

Only decision left is whether to get the BB extended warranty for 5 years. I've never purchased an extended warranty before, but given the issues with pretty much all brands of refrigerators it seems, I'm thinking of it this time.
Dougiefresh
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by Dougiefresh »

I've had a GE side by side with external ice and water for about 5 years now. It's been OK. My biggest complaint is with the shelving in the freezer compartment. The racks and shelves keep caving in. Some cold spots in the refrig side as well. My sister in law purchased a Whirlpool Gold at about the same time and she hasn't had any problems. Stay far away from Samsung.
bstewie
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by bstewie »

AllMostThere wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:48 pm I respectfully disagree with several posters saying that Bosch is good appliance product. I could NOT disagree more. For a kitchen remodel, we purchased all Bosch appliances 7 years ago. In first 18 months the frig failed compressor, major coil coolant leak, and ice maker. Thank god, I purchased an extended warranty on three of the most expensive appliances, frig included. The repairs were over $3K, more than the cost of the frig! I was always pushing the extended warranty to scrap the piece of junk out and just refund me for cost of frig, but they always wanted to fix it. I have had to fix the dishwasher with new front fascia, vent hood with new motor, and microwave so many times I have lost count. I just had to fix it again couple of weeks ago. Luckily, I am pretty handy, so my cost is only that of over priced Bosch replacement parts. Next time frig or microwave fail, they go to the recycle heap and I look for non-Bosch replacements. I thought I was buying good high end quality products, but not the case. :oops: :oops: :oops:
can’t speak to their entire lineup but they didn’t actually make their fridges years ago, it was just their badge iirc
Old Sage(brush)
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Re: New refrigerator

Post by Old Sage(brush) »

Avoid Samsung, we had one in the past 5 years and it had the freeze up problem. We’ve purchased two GE French door counter depth units in the past two years and they’ve been good so far. Only problem has been one unit the freezer door handle came off which I’ve been able to fix, I think. I am amazed at how bad fridges are and the number of problems people have. You would think it’d be easy to buy a reliable fridge that is good for at least 10-15 years no problem but seems that’s not the case.
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