I’ve had almost a year long problem with dishwashers. It was about this time last year when my dishwasher discontent started. I hated mine. The dishes weren’t getting clean. I wanted something new.
Finally at Christmas the kids said they’d get me one. Bucks was great and installed it. I was so happy for about 2 months. The top rack in the dishwasher broke. WHAT?? This is only a couple months old. How could it break??
Well I didn’t think about any warranty. I went to Amazon and ordered a top rack bracket. This is the old one and apparently, the new one was supposed to be better as it have screws rather than plastic snap together system.
Karl fixed it. 
I was so happy. I thought it all a fluke.
Karl was so happy to. He’s not been known to be the fixer of the family but with this fix, he proved to us all he can be.
Well believe it or not but about three weeks later, it broke again. This time I was telling one of the kids and they said, did you call in about a warranty. Hmm. Ya. The dishwasher had a warranty for a year. Surely this break would be covered by a warranty.
I called in. Yep, it was covered by the warranty. They offered to send me the part. I waited and waited for it to come. At the time of the call I think it was late April or early May. Well the part didn’t come and didn’t come. I ended up calling in and asking about it. Supposedly they had sent the part. They blamed covid on it not coming.
I waited….two weeks later, still no part. In the meantime we had used the dishwasher with the bottom rack only occasionally putting a couple plastic glasses in the top rack. Then the dishwasher started leaking water.
At this point I was very upset. I called into the company again. I told them I wanted a tech to come and look at it…and by the way, where was the part to fix the dishwasher top rack?? Well apparently the part for the top rack got damaged in the mail and was no longer coming my way. WHAT???!!!
So I asked that the part be expedited. The person on the line said no…she couldn’t get it expedited. I explained to her that it had more than a month without dishwasher and I was frustrated. She passed me on to her supervisor. Well she did “expedite it”.
Two weeks later the repair guys showed up to look at the leak. They said that the leak was due to the rack being a problem. The rack was putting pressure on the door and the door was opening thus the leak. Hmmm. I didn’t buy it but okay. The part had come for the upper rack and I showed the part to them already knowing what they were going to say….wrong part. UGH.
I asked them if they could order the part and they did…and two weeks later they came back and fixed it.
Whew…I finally had a working dishwasher…or …
did I? No. I didn’t. Oh my word!!!!!!!!!
The dishwasher still leaked.
I called in again. I know the whole routine for calling in now. I know what prompts to push without even waiting for them to tell the prompts to me. How frustrating.
They said they would send a tech…but then there was whole problem. The repair place that came before wouldn’t come as Whirlpool, the maker of my dishwasher hadn’t paid them yet. UGH. I understand that they wouldn’t come without getting paid but seriously…this was getting annoying.
So the person from Whirlpool dispatched someone else. Well…not really. Let me explain. The place that originally came, Buchheit Appliance, is in a neighboring town. It’s a small town…I’ve been up and down the streets often. I do not fault them for not coming if they aren’t getting paid. So Whirlpool told me they were sending Sims TV and Appliance from the same town. The town is small. There wasn’t a Sims in that town. How could they be dispatching them? As far as I knew, they didn’t exist. Then I reasoned maybe someone fixes things out of their garage and went with it. They were supposed to arrive a week later.
So I waited…handwashing all of the dishes. In the meantime someone told me that if I used brand name dishwasher soap, the dishwasher wouldn’t leak so I tried that…no luck. This time when it leaked I found the leak myself and took pictures. I felt like they previously didn’t believe me that it was leaking. UGH.
Check out that white piece on the right, there is a drop of water ready to fall off. THERE WAS A LEAK!!
The repair person never showed on the day it was said they would come. It was a Friday so I waited for Monday to call in AGAIN.
Can you believe when I called there was a 190 minute wait to talk to a customer representative?? There was. Can you believe that the first song they played as the “wait time music” was “Don’t you forget about me” from the Breakfast Club movie. I really felt that was quite ironic.
Well, the wait wasn’t 190 minutes. It was two hours though. I was right. There is no “Sims TV and Appliance” in that town. It’s actually the same place, Buchheit, that originally came. They are listed both ways at Whirlpool as their parent company is Sims…but they go under the name Buchheit. Well, Buchheit still hadn’t gotten paid by Whirlpool so they weren’t coming. UGH!!!!!!!!! Can I SCREAM yet???
Finally Whirlpool called Sims (or Buchheit-same place) and assured a payment would be coming. Would they accept my repair?
While I had the lady on the phone I asked if they had a “lemon policy”. At some point do they ever just replace the dishwasher. Seriously, I figured I must be a candidate for a lemon. She assured me there wasn’t but asked if I was willing to accept a $75 VISA gift card for my inconvenience. UGH. I said yes. For all the trouble I had…I still feel like $75 is a spit in a bucket.
They would. A couple days later the repair man showed up. He opened the dishwasher and in the bottom of the dishwasher was a metal straw. He was sure that the dishwasher was leaking because that metal straw had jammed the “float” open. UGH. No. I knew it wasn’t that. The metal straw was from the last load of dishes I had washed and the dishwasher had been leaking for a long time before that. AHH!! I was so sure the guy wasn’t going to believe me again. This has been such a frustration for me.
He ended up watching the dishwasher cycle through and finally told me that yep. It was leaking. Oh my word. I was finally slightly hopeful.
Of course the guy didn’t have the part. That would have to be ordered. Oh my. I was sure that I’d be waiting another two weeks but I didn’t. Three days later when I wasn’t home I got a call. Was I home? They were coming to fix the dishwasher. Crap. I wasn’t home. I was told that before by Whirlpool that someone had to be present while they fixed it. I told them I’d try to hurry home and be there in an hour. Could that work? The lady said I didn’t need to be home….was there a way for them to get into the house. YES. So…I came home and found this…
…and the dishwasher was running.
So. I am hopeful. Will it work? I have no idea. How long will it work? I have no idea. Will I ever buy a Whirlpool again? NEVER. Never, Never, ever, ever, EVER.
On a side note:
Every time I called in I was asked if I had an extended warranty. I said no. Every time I said, my dishwasher isn’t a year old so I didn’t need one, right? They said yes, I was right.
Note: So often people buy an extended warranty on products at the time of purchase. You don’t need to. Check how long your warranty is good for. Buy the extended warranty a few days before that warranty expires. Otherwise you have a double warranty for the first year. You actually will get an extra year of warranty if you do it the way I suggested.
So wish me luck. I’m hoping to run it tonight. If you hear screaming for northeast Iowa way, it’s me…and the darn thing isn’t working again. Fingers crossed….I’ve had enough dishwasher woes.
We need a new dishwasher whenever the virus situation allows it. I will remember to think twice about getting a Whirlpool!
After 3 dishwashers we bought a Bosch. More expensive but it actually washes the dishes and I’ve never regretted the purchase. We’ve had it about ten years with NO issues.
What an ordeal! I hope it’s truly and finally fixed now. When I saw the picture of the inside door of your dishwasher and your rack, I thought, oh no, it’s the same as mine! I have a Maytag, though. But Maytag was purchased by Whirlpool, and I think the salesman told us they were basically made on the same line. Our is only 9 month old and no problems yet, knock wood. It’s a lot quieter than our last dishwasher, but I think our old KitchenAid that we replaced when we got all new appliances last fall loaded easier and got the dishes cleaner.
Oh my Jo-
This is one reason I hate dishwashers… And
Never have used one in the house… Bad nightmare from when I was a child and the dishwasher flooded out the kitchen…
I’m sorry that you have the same luck as me.
Lol…
We had a kitchen renovation in 2005 and the contractor bought a Bosch. We were on a tight budget so this was not high end at all. Not the first hint of a problem. I can highly recommend them.
I hope it’s fixed Jo. I went through a similar ordeal with a Whirlpool refrigerator that was about 9 months old. I won’t buy another Whirlpool.
So sorry for your bad luck on your dishwasher . I think all brands now days can have a lemon. My sister had Samsung and had problem getting her refrigerator and microwave service she said she’d never buy that brand agin . When we . brought appliance this year we ask what appliance are serviced locally . We ended up buying kitchen aid .
My mother had a similar issue with washing machine, went on for months, finally got a new replacement after the one year mark! Customer service is not what it used to be.
It so hard to hear that you had so many problems. At one time one could be assured if one bought Maytag, product was good, so now that Whirlpool took over Maytag, not so sure. When we were shopping for some appliances, my husband refused anything Whirlpool and now I am glad he did. We bought a Maytag dishwasher but that was maybe 2005, and it was good for the next four years that we lived in that house. Appliances are not what they used to be, nor is service! I hope you now have a working dishwasher.
I hope the repair holds for you! We’re looking at replacing our dishwasher as we’re at the point of putting more and more money into replacing parts. It’s still working but not doing the extra things like high temperature wash (need to replace the panel for that), can’t put rinse aid in or it leaks, and the door makes an awful squawk when we open it. We were looking at the Bosch but are hoping for a sale. Hoping it holds out until Labor Day and hope they will be on sale then.
I believe every word of it! Sounds like our experience with Whirpool (except they never got the thing fixed after half a dozen repairs) and this year’s drama with GE (which they did fix, after a month and a half without a fridge, because who needs one of those?!)
I don’t trust any of the appliance manufacturers anymore.
Sadly, Maytag isn’t the quality it used to be either. We were pressured to replace our old Frigidaire with one. Well, we pretty much have to clean the dishes before they go in or they aren’t clean when done. AND, the dry cycle is crap We have to prop it open for 12hours to get the dishes mostly dry to put away.
Sadly, the only one on the market these likely to do the whole job is the expensive Bosch. I have friends who swear by them!
I’m not sure I should say this but……. Our dishwasher was leaking and my husband fixed it with plastic wrap about 4 years ago and it still works.
Oh Jo, I really hope your dishwasher is finally fixed. I totally feel your pain of appliances needing repaired while under warranty. We bought a LG french door fridge. I love the space, especially doing holidays. Many people come to “fix” it. We finally did get a tech to come. Naturally he arrived on Christmas Eve afternoon. With the box that the new door came in, the service tech and fixing our family Christmas dinner. Oh my. Well the words I remembered him saying, always keep a maintenence on this appliance. I tried to renew the agreement about the time the original was going to end. This frig and all new appliances when we remodeled our kitchen were purchased at Home Depot. I was told I could not buy an extension because the appliance cost more than $2399.00. Really does that make any sense. Crazy how customer service is a thing of the past.
All our kitchen appliances are Whirlpool (3 years old) and have been great. We had Whirlpool in our previous house and had no problems with them either. Our daughter had a more high end brand of washer and had nothing but problems. Go figure.
Poor Jo. I understand how frustrated you are. (Been there before.) I have had pretty good luck with Whirlpool. I guess the best bet is to buy appliances with good local service if needed.
I have no problem with my Whirlpool dishwasher. The oven on the other hand! The computer panel has gone out on it at least three times. This March it started going out again. I could only cook at certain temperatures and the broiler worked. Repairman arrived, “fixed” it and then NOTHING worked. He ordered another computer panel, which didn’t arrive until July 26th. So for over four months, I couldn’t cook anything in the oven. If not for a friend lending me a large convection oven she kept in their camper, I would have been up a creek. I told my husband that I wasn’t going to renew the extended warranty when it runs our, and if the computer panel goes out after that, I was getting a new different brand oven!
Oh boy, do I feel your pain. We purchased a Bosch, after doing quite a bit of research, mostly because 1. flat front, for me, and 2. quiet, for hubby. We almost ALWAYS buy the extended warranty, because, well, hubby has such BAD luck about things. So, just at the 4 year mark, with a hurricane approaching, and us getting ready to hit the road for a month, it made a funny grinding noise and absolutely refused to fill with water. Hubby was pretty sure the water pump was out. I reminded him about the warranty, so he called, and sure enough, it was still covered (think we had about 1 more month). BUT, when the rep found out where we lived, he also discovered they didn’t have a Bosch tech in the area, so we were screwed. Or were we? Nope! They offered us our purchase price, less the cost of the extended warranty. We took it, hubby ordered a new water pump online, we went on our road trip. When we got back home, the pump was there waiting for us, he installed it and we cashed the check for $1100! And basically, paid $150 for a great dishwasher that worked fine for the rest of the time we owned the house.
I have had 2 Bosch dishwashers. They are more expensive but they are very quiet and work well. I got them locally and have good service. I like them better than any of the previous ones I’ve had: Kenmore, GE, Maytag. I’ve been married a long time and have had many!
Love, love, love a Bosch dishwasher. I had to leave it behind when we moved. Now I have a Samsung and it doesn’t wash at all unless it is on heavy so 3 hours later, I have (mostly) clean dishes. I can understand replacing appliances every 10 years but hearing about so many that don’t work out of the box or after just a short time is just unbelievable.
Whirlpool used to be the best. When we built,22 years ago, we bought the best at that time: Amana & Maytag. Been bought out by Whirlpool (also Kitchen Aid) quality is iffy. Three years ago we bought a mid-price Bosch. I love it! Has three racks and is so quiet (we have a great room style house) we seldom hear anything!
Never let anyone pressure you into a brand, at the first pressure tactics, I’m gone!
I finally made myself go mattress shopping. We talked about it for a couple years. Hardest thing I’ve done.
Jo – I feel your pain. I have had similar situations with other types of appliances and services. It seems that they are trying to see how much aggravation and inconvenience we can stand. Glad you hung in there!
My husband is an appliance repairman. He advises never buy LG or Samsung. They don’t support repairmen and their parts are outrageous!
I will never buy a Whirlpool dishwasher again either. I had leaking problems with mine too. The one we had lasted only a couple of years. The one I have now is a GE and I love it. It has already lasted much longer than the Whirlpool one. On the other hand, my Whirlpool refrigerator is 25 years old and has never been repaired.
Jo, I am so sorry for the problems you have had with your dishwasher. I just feel like they do not make things like they used to. There is no pride in workmanship. They are hoping things will break down so you spend more money and go buy new again every few years. I think that is B.S. Sorry, but that is just my feelings. Our dishwasher is a GE and it does OK. Every once in a while it will leak, but I think it is the way it is loaded or something, as it doesn’t leak all the time and sometimes I will findmy Cascade soap tablet at the bottom of the diswasher like it just fell out of the dispenser and no water every went through the dishwasher. Go figure. But for the most part, it runs fine.
Hopefully, yours will run just fine from here on out. Fingers crossed for you, Jo.
Oh that is a series of unfortunate events! I’ve heard bad things about all of them. Also that whirlpool owns Maytag. I have a kitchen aid and it’s quiet at 2 yrs old no repairs needed. but maybe Whirlpool owns then too, bc the insides look the same.
Good morning
I have just been educated on buying a dishwasher. Thank you. Have had my Maytag 20yrs with no repairs, it still washes very well and doesn’t leak but boy does it ever make noises, I’m sure it was bought before Whirlpool.
my local repairman also said what Lori G husband said, “never buy Samsung or LG appliances”
Thank you for the education
Jo, I am so sorry that you’ve had to endure such frustration. But, I appreciate hearing about it, as I am about to purchase a new dishwasher. I know the GE that I want. It has high marks from the reviewers. But, nobody has it in stock. COVID really has slowed everything.
Appliances just seem to be getting worse and worse. I blame it on all the plastic parts in them. When we got a new refrigerator several years ago I actually purchased a warranty for the fist time ever because things do seem to be so poorly made these days. Boy did I ever feel sorry for you when reading all you have gone through with your dishwasher.
Unfortunately appliances aren’t made like they used to be. When we built our house we bought all new Kenmore appliances for the kitchen. The refrigerator lasted five years, the stove and upright freezer lasted ten, but the dishwasher still works. Of course if the dishwasher has been run 100 times since we bought it I’d be surprised. It was my first husband’s idea as I was working 60-80 hours a week at that time and he hated doing dishes. I just find it easier and quicker to do them by hand unless we have a large gathering.
My mom bought a new Maytag washer a few years ago. It is the noisiest thing and they’ve had nothing but trouble with it.
After we bought a mid-range Bosch dishwasher, it didn’t seem to be cleaning the dishes right. So the tech came back and “instructed” me on using my dishwasher.
First, I couldn’t put anything into the small front compartment on the glasses rack because it was actually there to allow the soap dispenser to open properly. Had to be careful not to let bowls lay over into it either. This information is not anywhere in the manual.
Second, I had to CLEAN THE FILTER. I have never in my life had to clean a filter on a dishwasher. But now, when the clean dishes seem to have little bits left over in them (I do rinse dishes), then I know it is time to clean out the gunk in the filter, which isn’t hard. Just needs brushing out and lots of very hot water.
Only use liquid soap, ECO Palmolive is good. Put rinse aid in when indicator light comes on (I use a funnel, and pour slowly so I can see when it starts leaking out the compartment.)
Haven’t had any problems for two years (knock on wood!)
Good Luck!
Uggh! What a pain!
We don’t typically purchase the extended warranties, but that is a very good tip related to when to purchase it if you do. I will have to keep that in mind. We just purchased a dishwasher this year after 44 years of marriage without one. You know what? We still seem to do them up by hand most of the time (since it’s just the two of us), but I just love it for when the gang is all here.
I found your story about the dishwasher to be quite interesting. I bought a Whirlpool dishwasher two years ago. As yours did, the top rack became quite a problem and I ended up buying the parts to fix it (same parts Karl is fixing in photo). That was interesting because from the parts websites, it looks like that is an extremely common problem. After we fixed that, the dishwasher just didn’t work. It sounded like it did when it was first turned on, but then it didn’t wash so I called in the repairman. One came after two weeks and said it needed a part. That took about a month to come. A different repair guy came and quickly found that it was the wrong part and needed to be ordered (and more $$$). I’m still waiting two weeks later for that new part. I would NEVER buy Whirlpool again, or Samsung. Samsung ice makers all break according to the repairman who wondered if ours works (it doesn’t). It’s sad.
Wow, the saga never ends with your new dishwasher. I have owned a Bosch which only lasted 3 years and would cost more to fix than replace. I have owned 2 Maytag’s (new but different homes) and never any problems. I really like them with the extra features that heats the water before washing, everything comes clean and no nasty drain to clean out periodically. I hope your holds for many years to come, appliances are so expensive to replace.
I love Whirlpool everything. I have used Whirlpool washers and dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers in my homes and use only Whirlpool in all of my apartments. I have a repair story from February that is as long as this on a no name, years past any warranty, gas dryer in a condo I manage but I was stuck with the bill for the first repairman who did nothing and totally misdiagnosed the problem. Then I paid the 2nd repairman to actually fix the problem. The first guys attitude, and the very poor response from the 800 number staff, still makes me angry when I think about it. Zero customer service. I won’t be calling that company again.
Our son has an appliance store, he has said that Whirlpool is not the greatest appliance anymore. Of course the newer ones fall far short of the old ones.
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