Are today's dishwashers supposed to be this bad?

[MarcP]

In 2003, we bought a Maytag Quiet Series II. It worked for 8 months and then it was a constant flood of repair tickets. From broken door handle to burnt out pump motor. Warranty took care of it at first and then it became a costly POS. When we moved into a new house in december 2007, we spent good $$ for a Whirlpool QuietPartner III. Now, June 2009, the pump motor is dead. Just the part costs $250. Add labor to that.

So now we're facing the choice of fixing it or replacing it, but it's not even two years old!! The cost of fixing it will be more than half what we paid for it. This is so disappointing.

Are we just unlucky? All other appliances (i.e. washer, dryer, fridge, etc) all worked just fine without any issues in both houses. We've been quite unlucky with dishwashers. Is Bosch considered a good brand? They're offering a $200 rebate coupon right now on top of retailer sale prices. Samsung is offering a rebate coupon too. However, we've been so disappointed in dishwashers that we'd like to hear from positive experiences. Otherwise, we don't really know what to get that will last more than 2-3 years without falling apart.

And yes, I do clean the DW regularly (i.e open it and remove anything solid).

[runnin']

maytag has really gone downhill and the latest Consumers Reports data indicates their dishwashers need repairs more than other brands, and at a rate almost 2x as much as Whirlpool.

I think you got unlucky with the Whirlpool, but maybe someone else has some insight.

[Camera.Ken]

Hi MarcP:

We have a Whirlpool 980 Series dishwasher that has done a load roughly every other day for well over 10 years.

No maintenance required.

Sounds like rotten luck to me -- or else we're riding a wave of good luck. ;>}

[Tanta]

I have the 'three button' (low end) Bosch, and it cleans impeccably and has run silently for 4 years. There have been some problems with higher end models that have more features and electronics in the door, than my model.
Bosch dishwashers are also 'food dissolving units', since the dishwasher heats the water to close to 150 F and the wash cycles are long, hence the dissolution. They have no internal dish drying system, other than passive convection; practically this means that plastic dishes never dry. Asko's are also great, but have a myriad of moving parts.

[Merritt64]

We have a Miele dishwasher. I wouldn't purchase a different brand ever again. It is so quiet, we have opened it up without realizing it was running. The dishes are spotless. It has it's own water softening system. While it is more expensive than other models, I firmly believe that you get what you pay for. I don't anticipate replacing it for years.

[peano]

Most appliance parts are made in China now. That is the problem. I had a Frigidaire dishwasher making a whining noise from day one. The repair guy said the new pump would probably make more noise and not to bother. I sent it back.

And I had a Frigidaire fridge that popped on start up. Again, I was told it was normal and that purging and refilling the refrigerant would probably make the popping worse. I sent it back.

Most new appliances are junk.

[hi-def]

We purchased the Whirlpool Quiet PartnerIII also in dec.2007.
It has worked flawlessly so far. We don't use the high temp wash or sani rinse
features. If you do use those regularly, maybe the extra heat is shortening the life of the motor? just a thought. Good luck

[bigscreenbob]

Ours is an Inglis which we got second hand in 1985 from my better halfs Grandparents. They got it new in the late 70's. Thing still works like a hot damn.
I have replaced the door micro-switch and the motor but thats it. The door seal leaks a wee bit sometimes but we just put a folded up dish towel on the floor just in case.
I doubt today's dishwashers will last as long as this old thing.

[BCScott]

We're on our 4th DW in 16 years and it's hooped. Mostly Kenmore or Whirlpool. A month or so ago we saw on a deals site that Sears was selling a Bosch Evolution 800, reg $1600(inflated price) for $999. We used a $50 off $750 coupon and got an instant $200 rebate(they listed it as an Integra), so it came to $750 before tax. It arrives on June 8th. Hopefully it's better!

[McRat]

In Feb. 2006, we replaced a working 17 year old dishwasher for cosmetic reasons only.

A couple of weeks ago our $1000 SS LG dishwasher gave an error code, then stopped working altogether. Taking off the front door panel, we found the wiring harness was enbedded, in a least 5 different places, into a black tarry substance. Some of the wires had no insulation left, and what was left was brittle. One wire was broken.

To us, this is a safety issue and should be recalled. Searching the internet, I found this is a common problem. I have phoned LG several times asking for a head supervisor.....I get "In a meeting, will call back in 48 hrs.", "on the phone, will call back as soon as they get off" NOTHING!

I will never again purchase any LG product.

[JohnnyCanuck]

I'm definitely a Bosch convert. I replaced my previous DW in about 2006 with a Bosch. Exceptional job of cleaning and very quiet. No issues or problems (albeit it's only been about three years).

[asd]

We have the top of the line Bosch and it is very quiet and cleans great. It looks pretty too since the controls are hidden on top of the door. One key feature of Bosch should be of interest to those with hardwood and laminate floors: All models of Bosch have a fail safe sensor and a float besides an internal pan to protect floors from water damage. A few months ago a mouse chewed the float and the sensor worked; it shut down the dishwasher in the middle of the night. The Bosch replaced a much cheaper Whirlpool Gold model that was noisy, only lasted 5 years, and left scum on dishes. Bosch is worth the extra money.

[farr38]

I paid just under 1000 about 10 years ago. We had to replace both motors for about 600$. Just after the warrenty finish. The bearings on the upper tray were replaced and I think they are gone again. I replaced lower tray 150$ as the wheels were shot.

It was very quiet until we had the first motor replaced then it got noisy.

Don't know what I would buy next?

You really don't want a dishwasher that is more than 10 - 15 years old any way. It is the one appliance when you move into a house you would want to replace.

Farr

[Nuje]

We have the top-of-the-line Kenmore Elite (SS interior and exterior with "turbo-zone" at the back for "pot-scrubbing". Super quiet. Cleans very well. Not a problem at all.
Of course, it's only been six months, so it's behaving as I would expect.
I think the Kenmore, though, is made by some division of Whirlpool/Kitchenaid - who seems to own just about every other brand outside of LG and Electrolux.

Too bad to hear about previous poster's bad experience with LG. I love their stuff. Both our fridge and front-load Washer-dryer set are absolutely awesome. Never had the slightest hint of a problem with any LG product.

[Tanta]

Anyone with experience with Samsung dishwashers?