Sounds like a bunch of you need to start reporting this to the US Consumer Product Safety Commision.

With enough documentation, Viking can be forced to acknowledge the problem and retrofit the ranges for safety reasons at their cost. A class action law suit (which I am usually not in favor of) or maybe just the threat of one may recoup already outlaid expenses.

Here is a link that might be useful: US Consumer Product Safety Commision

Wow Shappy, I remember reading you long before I even registered. If I recall correctly people actually blasted you for blasting Viking so bad. I always found that ironic, as you were in the 1% of Viking bashers that actually owned a Viking. Go figure.

I'm not sure a lot has changed since back then. Still a lot of Viking bashing, warranted or otherwise. DCS chatter is characteristically low, I guess it's boring to talk about a brand with few issues. Bluestar defenses are at an all time high - LOL - just the other day someone was reprimanded for using the word "blue" in a negative connotation even thought the question was about two entirely different brands. I guess the only real news is that Wolf had a run of bad press on their AG range within the last couple years.

Who the hell knows. Unless you completely hate Viking's performance it's probably worth sinking more money in every could years. It would take a whole lot of $300 repairs to equal the cost of a new 36 incher. If you truly believe it's a fire hazard let me know and I'll buy it from you. I need the insurance money. Good luck!

I totally agree. When I remodeled, I got a Viking 36" gas range with gas oven and corresponding range hood, a Viking 27" single electric built-in oven, and a Viking microwave. My first problem was a gas smell from the range. Initially, the repair people told me that was normal. After a couple more visits, they found that there was a problem with the burners, replaced a part, and I have not had a gas smell again. Then, neither of my ovens heated properly. After numerous service visits, they replaced the motherboard and thermostat in the electric oven, but the gas oven continued to be a problem. It would cycle off well before it got anywhere close to the temperature at which it was set. After more numerous service visits, they decided the entire range needed to replaced because the interior of the oven had allegedly been damaged during manufacture (actually, during assembly -- the Viking distributor told me Viking just assembles parts made by other manufacturers). So, I got a new range and had the very same problem. After numerous more service visits, they replaced a burner in the oven and the thermostat. But then I tried the convection oven in the gas range. It sounded like I had turned on a blender full of rocks. They fixed that, saying that when the range was assembled, a part was placed too close to the convection fan and the fan was hitting it and causing the noise. Viking appears to have no quality control whatsoever. After the Viking distributor sent its chef to my house to tell me that I would learn to love my Vikings if I would just work with him for a year or so to learn how to cook with them, I decided I want the Viking ovens out of my kitchen and and currently deciding what to replace them with.

Yes, I was the one blasted for telling the truth about Viking. In fact, a new thread was started just for the purpose of bashing me, I was accused of being a Wolf salesperson!! As I recall, I had just found the Garden Web forum and was ready to spit bullets as I had put a chicken in the oven, gone to work (don't worry everybody else was home) come home and found raw chicken!! Then I was bashed by people who thought it was some nerve of me to expect my $5,000 oven to actually work!

That's ok, if I have saved one person from experiencing this Viking nightmare it's worth it. As I stand now, I have no working oven, it will take weeks to get parts and repair and yet another holiday season without an oven. But as you know the ignitors consistently keep going out so you never know if you will have an oven. Just got off the phone with a repair service who wanted a mere $300 per ignitors to repair, so that's $600 and it doesn't even count the oven burner that has a hole burnt through.

I mistakenly thought gas ovens were among the simplest appliances out there having grown up with a gas O'keefe and Merrit that is probably still chugging along somewhere.

At this point I just wish I knew what to replace it with that was simply reliable.

Shappy: u and the many others like you have helped me get over the seduction of the beautiful Viking kitchen (my heart was set on the new color 'Cotton White'. So you have saved 1 person and I thank you.

There often seems to be a brand around which there is a lot of buzz that, upon further investigation, proves not to be the best for all. Years ago we were all set to go with Viking, but then looked deeper and decided on other cooking products. The same happened years before that when we were shopping for a crib and baby furniture (I can't remember the name, but it was Italian and the stuff was pure crap).

"Seduction" is a good word to describe Viking fever. I went into a showroom to look for alternatives and saw the Viking display and my emotional reaction to those beauties was 'how gorgeous you all are.'

The sad thing is really how little integrity this company seems to have. It's not difficult to make a gas range. Heck I had a gas weber BBQ around 20 years and it worked flawlessly. For a little bit of time, effort and expense they could correct their design defects, stand by their product and earn the reputation they seem to try to buy with glossy brochures and lavish showroom displays. It would seem simpler and more honest than selling this junk at top dollar.

This is a company that when my oven burner had a large hole in it at 2 years and their written warranty clearly stated it was covered for 5 years brazenly refused to cover the part! I had to threaten legal action and remind them that in California contract law is taken seriously.

If someone out there seriously still wants a Viking range I'd say put aside a chunk of money for repairs and since there are design flaws Viking refuses to address, you will pay through the nose for repairs and keep repairing the same thing over and over. And don't count on having an oven when you need it as it takes time to get parts and schedule repairs. IMHO there is no excuse for this as one can get more reliability in a $500 range, this is not rocket science and I can't understand why Viking can't do what manufacturers of gas ovens have been doing for decades, namely , make an oven that just functions as an oven.

Wow, I am so sorry you are still dealing with this. Because of your posts and others, I decided not to go with Viking in my new home as much as I had dreamed of a Viking range for years.

I could not be happier with my Bluestar. I like that it has no electronics. It is an easy to operate range. I boiled milk over and clogged up the gas holes on one of the burners. DH was able to easily disassemble it so I could clean out the holes and then he reassembled it. No repair person required. I loved that! I know others have had a few issues with them, but I am so thankful I did not go with Viking.

I would be going crazy if I were approaching the holidays with a range that was unreliable.

Lots of luck with your next range. Let us know what you decide upon.

Teresa

I am another Viking owner. I'm not sure where this person comes up with the statement that the Viking bashing comes from non-owners. That person is ignorant. Did they do a poll? No. Don't pull statistics out of your backside person. The Viking I own, VGIC36540SS IS GARBAGE. A $6k MISTAKE! AN ABOMINATION. I'm not sure if you want to hear about my 5 years of kitchen nightmares with the igniter (second and third ones no better than 1st) where I have to shut down the oven to put the stove on, or you want to hear about the clicking of the igniter that doesn't stop after the stove is lit, or the expensive need to replace the elements at 160 per pop, but Viking is junk. They should go out of business and die a horrible death for hyping that piece of junk. Plus, I saw the innards. It's very simple. It's a stainless box with a coupla wires. Nothing more. Charging 6K for my stove is robbery. Don't buy Viking unless you're ready to pull your hair out. The Emporer's new clothes comes to mind when you see the Viking.

Repairing a Viking range for a friend of mine. After endless searching on the web, Viking is junk and their support is crap.

All I can say is this 48" gas range is about 6 years old. The only reason is has lasted this long is due to to the fact the person that previously owned the house and installed the appliances did not really cook. So they were rarely used. There is a file with about 4 service visit.

The igniter for the burners has 1 bad leg and the igniter continues to run. Kind of normal, igniter order to replace this.

When using the oven there is a constant gas smell and the other day they were using it the CO detector in the kitchen went off.

I tore into the oven yesterday. Baking burners have holes from the oven glow ignitors running all the time. Then I found the entire bottom of the oven a disaster. The flame guard/baffle fell off the bottom floor of the oven and was resting on top of the baking burner tubes!! It appears that this flame guard/baffle caused the screws to back out over time when it expands and contracts?? Screws are in the bottom of the oven below where they would have been installed. This only happened on one side. Then when the screws fell out of one side of the flame guard/baffle, the spot welds on the "Z" bracket on the other side broke off. There were 2 spot welds that were too close to the edge of the "Z" bracket and they were less than 1/2 strength. I did better spot welding in my middle school shop class!! What total idiots. I will see how many years their warranty covers mechanical parts and welds, as far as I am concerned welds should be lifetime.

So new bake burners have been ordered. Not sure how to repair the bottom of the oven as the floor is porcelainized and welding or drilling will cause the porcelain to crack, but probably will make a repair and see how it goes.

These stupid ranges are a serious safety hazard and everyone needs to report their problems to the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission). They will not do anything for your specific problem, however, if enough complains show up, then they investigate and may issue recall notices?

Oh, this is just the range problem, will not even go into the refrigerator door hinge problem. These have been recalled, however, the appliance repair people they sent out have changed the hinges 3 times and the doors still do not work correctly. Not sure is the problem is parts, training or just plain sloppiness on the appliance people??

Anyone who tells you Viking appliances are good quality either do not use them or they have staff that cooks and they have no idea about the poor quality of these appliances. If you use these appliances daily, you will see.

Oh, then just wait if you expect support from Vikings indignant customer un-service staff. They feel like you are personally attacking their company. Well they deserve it, how disconnected can you be regarding crap products you turn out and sell for $1000-$5000 more than a standard Sears or GE product that actually works!

I am writing this on behalf of my father.
Viking appliances are low quality. Three of the four appliances purchased have issue. In total there are four. The gas range. The conventional oven. The conventional microwave. The refrigerator. The gas range had the constant igniter click mentioned above. In addition the knobs have their issues. They are hard to turn on and have been previously replaced. They were replaced to cure the condition it has currently. So this knob issue is reocurring. The conventional oven has not had a problem but it has not had much use. We are not bakers. The conventional microwave is broken. First the plastic container that the rotating tray sits on melted. It was replaced. Shortly after 1

Viking applicances are of awful quality. We had a range for two years. Lots of issues with knobs. Gas smell began recently when oven is ignited. however NOW the paint or enamel is peeling. Customer service is absolute crap, lying to me that this food debris. Unacceptable. Do not buy!!!

i also had many issues with my 36' range. its been servised 5 times in two years. and this is for a summer house. BEWARE!!!!!