Recall issue involved the 18" gas oven on the 48" range.

It was a very simple fix that took about 45 minutes. They replaced a U-shaped burner unit with a straight bar burner.
The U shaped burner put out too much gas before ignition and potentially could cause an explosion.

I read a post written in June08 that all the Wolf AG were on hold, not being sold, while a fix was put in. Is there something besides the specific problem on the 48 inch model small oven that was causing Wolf to do a fix? Was it unique to a certain year's production or all years? Are the AG models being sold now?

Last year a bunch of people with 30" all-gas ranges were having problems with the burners not igniting when the oven was on. A bunch of people had Wolf buy back their ranges. I have no idea whether that problems was ever solved.

Wolf did come up with a fix for the surface burner issue (not lighting/remaining lit during or following oven pre-heat). There are shields that they can install just under the burners themselves, along with modified burner rings with extra holes along the bottom edge (not visible when they're on the burners).

Thanks weissman and cat mom. Cat mom, Do you know if these fixes were cut in to their line or do you still have to suspect a problem on the 30" AG if you buy it out of a showroom?

The problems are not evident on everybody's range so I don't know that they will be automatically installing the shields right at the factory (though there was mention that they might at some point).

FYI, it's not just the 30" ranges exhibiting the problem, 36" had it as well.

I believe the burner ignition issue was with the WOLF 36/6 AG, not the 30 inch model. It caught my eye b/c I had the 36/6 as well but an earlier model and had no real problems. Reports of the problem seemed to explode here on GW all of a sudden and then seemed to disappear just as quickly as they appeared indicating to me that Wolf must have corrected the problem pretty darn quickly.

They were then dinged lately for the 18 inch oven issue that ended up in a recall but it appears they addressed that issue pretty quickly as well.

If you are considering a showroom model or existing inventory, you can get the serial number and call Wolf to make sure the specific unit you are considering is not included in any of the recall/service issues seen here of late. I would buy Wolf S/Z again given their customer service and willingness to stand behind their products.

I had the problem with 2 30" models so it wasn't confined to 36". I'm glad to hear they found a fix.

Thanks breezy and keitel. Good thought about getting confirmation via the serial number. Appreciate it!

I had been thinking of the dual fuel but the AG just seems simpler -- no electronics -- and I like the semi open burners. A friend got the 30" DF and had a problem with the control unit, which Wolf replaced immediately, to her complete satisfaction.

I had a Wolf AG 36" purchased in 2005 that had persistent ignitor issues. When my warranty was up they actually offered to replace it! I was impressed and would never hesitate to buy a good product from a company that stands behind their products! I have not had a problem since, which of course is the way it is supposed to be!

The shields are easily visible when you take the black burner pans off the range. You would know if they are there or not as soon as you lift off one of the pans.

As I mentioned above, I don't know if they are going to automatically install the shields in the factory, prior to shipping out new AG ranges, or if they will only install them on as needed basis. I know they are now an "official" kit/fix for the problem, as opposed to being "experimental," for lack of a better word.

Apparently not all newly purchased/installed Wolf AG ranges exhibit the burner issues during oven use, so this could be a reason why they might not install the shields at the factory.

So far, we have found that Wolf does make every effort to stand behind their products, and they really do try to make things right for their customers when there are problems or issues.

catmom - glad you got resolution! That is great news.

sayde - I too had the 30" AG model, which had the ignition issues. After service calls and no resolution, Wolf bought back the range. We replaced the Wolf with the American. (A side note for you - The SS top is loads easier to wipe down than the black top on the Wolf) I hope they do have this issue addressed for future owners.

I currently own a Wolf 48" AG range. We have had many problems with the range. Wolf has already replaced the unit twice. We took delivery of the third range a couple of weeks ago. And unfortunately, it has the same problem that the other two had.

I guess I should feel good that Wolf does seem responsive and has actually replaced our range. But honestly, all I really want is a range that actually works. The hassle of having numerous repairmen in the house, the endless phone calls, scheduling deliveries, wipe downs, burn-ins, seasoning of griddle, etc. is starting to wear thin.

I spent over $9000 almost a year ago and I still don't have a fully functioning range.

And I was one of those people that felt an AG range would be less prone to problems....

Well, I do feel slightly better getting that off my chest!

time2go, I was in a very similar position to you about a year ago. It was after the replacement range immediately demonstrated the same problems as the initial one that I pulled the plug on Wolf. I can't remember exactly, but I had somewhere around 10 service calls and countless phone hours spent, and I'd had enough. Wolf was indeed responsive, but they had no idea what was going on and how to fix it so I gave up. They wrote me a cheque for the cost of the range, the cost of the delivery and the cost of the install. I was very satisfied with the way they handled a very unsatisfactory product.

This is really eye-opening. I thought Wolf AG would be the simplest and safest choice. These posts suggest Wolf really didn't understand the problem . I am wondering how to get confirmation that a stove I ordered now would be alright. Keitel and time2go -- did you get the feeling that they were totally stumped by the problem? If both of you had your ranges replaced there must have been many others who did too . . . . what were the problems you had? was it the one described earlier about the burners not working when the oven was on?

I understand the current Wolf recall is on 24000 48" ranges, according the the report from the Appliance Adviser.

Quote............Effective September 3, Wolf is recalling 24,000 48" ranges manufactured between 1998 and June 2008. I can not imagine they have even scratched the surface with this recall.

Another recall for the 30" 36" 48" and 60" was in 2001 that recall involved 15000 units of mixed sizes.

I just wrote to Wolf this morning and they emailed me back almost immediately. Acknowledged that when SZ acquired Wolf in 2000 they inherited a number of problems on the AG. But, be confident that you will be taken care of.
I will phone and try to get some specifics. From what I have read thus far I cannot tell whether this is a design flaw or a manufacturing flaw but I will try to find out more.

Just talked with Jason in Wolf technical customer support. He said that the problem with the AG in some cases is that it became starved for air. The oven and the burners would compete for the available air. The condition occurred because the quality of the cabinets was so good-- meaning so precise and tight -- that the ranges were not getting sufficient air. One of the fixes in the field was drilling holes so that more air could get to the range. I asked him if installing the island vent would assure enough air flow and he said it definitely would. So according to him there is and was nothing wrong with the ranges -- just that they require more air than they were getting.

This might explain why some people had the problem even when they got a replacement range, and some people never had a problem at all. It would not explain why people who had a problem with Wolf seem not to have had a problem like this with American or BlueStar or whatever they bought when Wolf bought back the AG. So I still have a bit of a question . . . . .

He said that when SZ took over Wolf they acquired the AG product. It had been designed for commercial and over time they have learned what's required to make it work well in residential. The DF was developed by them from the start and over time they have put some of the features of the DF into the AG -- for example, they have put the hinging /dampening on to the doors of the AG -- same as they had been using in the DF. I asked if there were any plans for roller bearings on the racks and he said not at this time.

He said that in his experience even though the problem was caused by inadequate air flow it was a causal that customers seemed not to want to hear. I asked why the ranges had been swapped out and even refunded if the fix was just to improve the air flow and he didn't really have a good answer.

But he did assure me that an installation which provided enough air flow would prevent any problems and he encouraged me to have the installer talk with him/his department when planning the install. I felt relieved hearing this and also pretty good about having quickly been put in touch with someone who acknowledged the problems and explained the cause -- I think pretty convincingly -- but would like to hear your responses to this . . .

So, sorry for the long message. Would be interested in hearing what you think of this . , , ,

I really wanted an AG Wolf range and since my kit in last house 5+yrs ago they had an excellent reputation on this site. In 2007 we started a full house reno and I spent a lot of time on this site. It was when people here were having problems - I was so upset hearing so many stories. Yes Wolf was responsive in trying to fix the problem though I would not have accepted duct tape and calk on an expensive range for a fix (it didn't work). I watched closely hoping they resolved the issue but they had not when we were ready to order. I finally went with a DCS and have no problems though I do love the Wolf red knobs. Also I find the SS top of the DCS very easy to keep clean.

Hi eandhl, your post is interesting --
-- you can buy the 30" DCS with DF, SS top, self cleaning and roller racks for about the same price as the Wolf AG -- so it is a compelling choice. With Wolf you get the semi-open burners which I do like but is it worth it? What to do! What to do!

Sayde, one thing I like better on the DCS is the design of it's duel stacked burners. They all go down to an incredible simmer. I can keep mashed potatoes or rice on simmer 1/2 hr on all 5 burners. I also really like having the middle burner be one the 3 high BTU burners, it is well under my hood so I so a lot of saute and pasta water on that burner. But it doesn't have the beautiful red knobs. I am not familiar with the duel fuel, I wanted all gas because of the infrared broiler and less to go wrong. Good luck with your decision.

sayde--to what cabinet was he referring; the (wood) kitcehn cabinets? If so, was he suggesting that air holes be drilled into them? This is the first I've ever heard that suggestion.

cat-mom I am not sure exactly where he felt the holes should be drilled. But I asked specifically if having the island vent would solve the problem and he was adamant that it would.

When you say island vent, do you mean the island trim (on the back of the range)? If so, that contradicts what the service people continue to say (and what some people who'd had the burner problem were told initially)--that the island trim isn't adequately tall enough, a higher riser is needed. It's not, according to Wolf, BTW.

Now if you're referring to an island vent hood (vs a "regular" vent hood), that's another story, and one I've not heard before. According to Wolf, you should use a hood for safety/health reasons (these ranges use a lot of gas and pump out a lot of CO2) in addition to sucking up cooking odors, but the surface burners should work properly when the oven is on even if the hood is NOT turned on. In other words, surface burner performance is not dependent on hood usage.

We talked about the island vent trim on the back of the range. We never talked about ventilating hoods at all. Correct me but I thought the trim is just a place holder providing some space and air between the cab and the back of the range -- that's all. I wish Wolf would issue a crisp statement on this.

If you ask enough people, you will get plenty of different answers unfortunately. We've found that we (DH, myself, most people on these forums) knew more, or at least, had more accurate information than many salespeople selling some of the appliances we'd purchased.

It gets tricky when dealing with the service companies and the companies themselves. This is not something exclusive to Wolf by any means. If you call many appliance companies with questions and speak to person A, and call another time and speak with person B, it's entirely possible that you will get different answers (from slightly different, all they way up to totally contradictory).

Re: the island trim on the Wolf range; salespeople sell the island trim with ranges that will be installed against a wall, Wolf personnel have indicated that it's perfectly fine to use in that application as well. Wolf-owned service company personnel disagree however, saying that a higher riser is needed in order for the range to work properly.

Now, some of the people who'd experienced the original burner issues either swapped out their risers (trim) for higher ones, or, had their new ranges delivered with the higher risers (in an attempt to prevent the problem before it happened), but the burner issue persisted, even with the higher risers. This led Wolf, as well as the Wolf range owners affected by the problem, to conclude that the height of the riser was not the cause (of this burner problem).

You do need to purchase one of the trim/risers for your range (Wolf ranges do not come with that piece, it's purchased as a separate item)--that could be what the tech you'd spoken with meant. The trim or riser height/style you choose is entirely up to you.

sayde - two problems with your response from Wolf - they inherited the gas range in 2000 (if I recall from above). Our range was a 2007 model - We got in early in the year. That is also the year that it was a "new" model, meaning the door was the easier opening door and whatever else was "new" for that year. So to me if they acknowledged a design flaw at that point, wouldn't it have been fixed with the new model? All the ranges with problems here were the new models. Some older range owners chimed in with similar issues did chime in at the time, but it didn't seem to have the same "fix".

The other problem? Well, they BLAMED the problems on the fact that we had the island vent on the range. Someone else here was having the same issue and pretty sure they tried a larger vent and it didn't work either. They did want to try to replace our air vent with the larger one but it was not an option for us as the back splash was already in and our upper cabinets are a little "off". But more important to that, when I asked, can you assure me that if we go with the higher vent they said "no". This all happened during the last service call before the replacement. All other service calls the rep said the island vent had nothing to do with it. They would not offer a replacement range because "we don't know what the problem is and we don't want you to have to go through this again".

So, you are right, it doesn't explain why some have problems and some don't. It does confirm for me though that they still can't figure out the problem or a resolution. Or they think a select few of us scattered across the country are crazy and that's OK with me. At least now, I can cook with the top burners on AND the oven at the same time.

If any of this is related to vent hooding - that never, ever came up in any of our service calls. Also, no one ever wanted to drill my cabinets and the fit of there wasn't tight at all. I'm hoping the reference was to the oven cabinet being tight but I don't know. They also never tried some of the fixes that they did try for the other ranges and that is OK. I think that is because they knew they didn't work for the other folks.

Just keep doing your research and be sure that if you do have problems your retailer will help you out.

I don't know if the post are still around here but try to find them by searching Wolf....

I would like to know how those of you who got your money back from Wolf managed it. I have been going close to a year now with various repair men on my 60 inch all gas range. I had those burner rings installed on 4 of the six burners and now I get a tick tick tick sound on other burners when I light one, not the usual when you first light one, but after it lights, one other just keeps on ticking. I have had burners not light and then when I go to turn it off a big ball of flame catches and it is quite scary. It doesn't happen all the time just enough to catch you by surprise. I have two more men coming to check on it, so I was told, but they have not called to set up an appointment yet. I asked for a replacement or my money back but can't seem to get either. So what did you who got your money back do or say? I have been very kind, though one day I must admit a got a wee bit snippy because I had had enough. Thanks for listening to me ramble and any help you give would be appreciated. bob411's wife

If you are referring to the shields I had those burner rings installed on 4 of the six burners , it is my understanding that they need to be installed on all the burners (not on just a few), and it's a combo of the shields and burner rings that addresses the issue. Also, and I don't know if it applies in your situation, but with the install of the shields and rings on our current range, the svce tech did not make any adjustments to the air shutters but I know they sometimes have to.

cat mom, thank you for your reply. I have the shields and the rings, but yes only on 4 of the six. The new rings are the heavy ones and then I guess the shield would be the round flimsy ones put around the bottom of the burner. One of those burners is the one that continues to tick tick tick the most. I have had the gas shutters adjusted at least three times, then they work and maybe two to three weeks later, another ball of gas flames gets me again. The repair man said that the stove would not explode, I told him I was more worried about someone burning their face. The flames do go that high. Thanks again, Bob411's wife

I wonder why they only put them on 4 out of the 6?

Every now and again ours will click extra times while lighting, and then light with a "whoosh." This is independent of oven being on or off.

These problems are still ongoing as I received my new 36" AG Wolf range in early August and had burner issues when the oven was on. After 3 service calls and waiting nearly a month for the "kit" to fix this issue, my oven still had issues. I received a replacement oven two days ago, and to my dismay, this oven had similar issues. I am now awaiting for the "kit" to be installed on this unit to see if this can be fixed. With all these posts, I am surprised Wolf continues to sell this oven and frustrate customers.

I have been goiong back and forth with this site and on what type of AG Range to get. I was quoted DCS 4,000. Capital 4,500 and Wolf 5,300. After reading all the above and the fact that Girlymomz has had trouble with a Wolf AG that she purchased in August, I think ill go with the DCS (cause I like the pull out racks and eandhl like the one they purchased).

Hello, this is bob411's wife. We just had our wolf distributor rep here for our area. He was very nice and our range acted up while he was here. He is getting us a new one. It should take about two weeks and he said he would try it at the store with our gas pressure before he brings it. They will pick up the old one and bring us the new one. He also said he and his head tech would be here that day to make sure everything is working properly.

We've had the 36" AG for about a year and a half now and have had the burner problem from the beginning. We just lived with it but it does affect how we cook sometimes and when you spend this kind of money on a range you expect it to work properly. I recently contacted Wolf online and they said the burners were starved of oxygen and we should call our serivice rep. Wolf didn't indicate this was a common problem with the AG or that they would do anything about it. We're now going to call our service rep and were just wondering if anyone has any updates on this since the last post in October? Also, how does one go about getting Wolf/SZ to foot the bill to get it fixed? Thanks.

Have had a 36" AG since 12/07. Had a service call last November for the burner issue. The regulator was replaced even though the rep said the original was ok. Problem seemed resolved until the past week. Left messages with local appliance distributor and Wolf tonight. We'll see what happens next.

We were out this past weekend looking at ranges- when we checked out the Wolf AG, I could not believe how tight the black porcelain pan actually was to the burner- it just didn't seem right- it may be good for spills, being that most of the spill would be captured into the pan, however the reason for open burners is air flow, and it just does not seem there is enough of it around the burner. Could it be Wolf merely has to enlarge the circle cutout surround for the burner?

I am interested in this range but it just doesn't seem right and now that I have read these issues on GW about not enough air flow, I may have to rethink this purchase.

Did you notice the hole pattern in the brass (?) ring in the burner that appears to be there to promote air flow from below? (Don't worry, neither did I the first time I looked at it!)

The fist showroom we visited I actually did notice the hole pattern in the brass ring- the second showroom had the same AG range but the hole pattern was not the same and the grate pan was cut even closer than that of the range in the first showroom- when I asked the salesman if this was the new Wolf range he told me it was- as I inspected it closer I noticed that the grates had 4 feet instead of 3 as the one had in the first showroom, the wolf design was not on the side of the handle, and the handle was not oval. Upon insisting this could not be the new model, he admitted to me that this range had been in the showroom for almost a year.

Obviously, Wolf has made some changes, the hole pattern in the brass ring- and an ever so slight enlargement of the circumference around the grate tray- as I say in my original post these changes still do not seem too good as far as proper air flow.