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Any recent opinions on Samsung dishwashers?

6 years ago

Hi all, I'm in the market for an 18" dishwasher (no, I can't get anything that's bigger).


I know Bosch are usually the highest rated and most recommended, but I just ran across this Samsung dishwasher that looks really great - https://www.samsung.com/us/home-appliances/dishwashers/rotary/whisper-quiet-46-dba-dishwasher-in-stainless-steel-dw50t6060us-aa/


It looks like it might be a very new product so I haven't been able to find reviews anywhere. Does anyone have opinions on Samsung dishwashers in general?

Comments (33)

  • 6 years ago

    Per Consumer Reports, Samsung's dishwasher predicted reliability is not good. The Whirlpool WDF518SAHM would be a better reasonably-priced choice.

    Ash Y thanked wdccruise
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Aww man :( The Whirpool is fine but looks so ugly to me. Unfortunately most smaller-sized appliances are on the ugly spectrum (despite being hundreds of dollars more!).

  • 6 years ago

    I don't know about Samsung dishwashers, BUT if their quality and reliability is anything like their refrigerators I'D STAY AWAY. My parent's have had problems (fridge, range, microwave) along with many friends. We have vowed to never buy another Samsung appliance again.

    Ash Y thanked User
  • 6 years ago

    Thanks cd7733. I'm beginning to think reading reviews at this point is pointless and I should just close my eyes and point. JD Power lists Samsung appliances as highest for customer satisfaction haha.

  • 6 years ago

    The JD Power ratings are based on surveys of people who bought within the last 12 months.

  • 6 years ago

    So you mean they’re not a good indicator of long-term satisfaction? Sigh, why can’t these things be easy?

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    "So you mean they’re not a good indicator of long-term satisfaction?"

    Correct. The best, longer-term appliance reliability summaries based on owners' surveys is going to be from Consumer Reports though I think owners' reviews on sites such as Home Depot and Best Buy can be useful if you just consider that they're biased. I would suspect that people who are dissatisfied would be more likely to report and/or that people at the extremes (very happy or very unhappy) are more likely to report. (I always read the bad ratings first and have found that they're frequently NOT ratings of the product; writers harp on late delivery or damage during delivery or some such thing.)

    Ash Y thanked wdccruise
  • 6 years ago

    We just had to replace our four year old Samsung dishwasher, and it was god awful at cleaning dishes before it died . I’ll never buy another Samsung. We have a Bosch 500 now and love it.

    Ash Y thanked Amber S
  • 6 years ago

    I just purchased a Samsung dishwasher DW80R5060UG last night even after reading hundreds of the 1 & 2 star reviews on the product, and most likely to post a review. My concerns were failures with the machine and not the countless stupid reasons people gave for the low ratings. Of all the reviews from multiple retailers on multiple models I'd say less than 1% were from the machines breaking down. With an overall star rating above four I was sold and the odds are low my machine will break.

    As far as the cleaning quality I have a problem thinking any dishwasher will clean racks packed full or dried on crusty food with burnt greasy sludge on the dishes as I saw in the negative review pictures, discussing IMO. A dishwasher isn't a pressure washer, garbage disposal or sand blaster and I never stick any dish in my washer without removing any food, grease or crud. My 15 yr old cheap maytag never had a problem, never stunk, clogged or failed to clean. Yes cheap, the cheapest I could find, plastic everything but is still working because I didn't fall for the dishwasher and soap commercials trying to sell me a compact car as a monster mud truck.

    I also bought a Samsung stove, refrigerator, microwave and large capacity top loading washing machine to replace my 15 yr old Maytag appliances. Some required a few repairs but can't knock them at all even if the frig broke down twice in the first 2 years after the warranty ended, but I didn't tell everyone not to buy maytag. The odds were good in my favor on the maytags so IMO I'd give them all 5 stars, but time to upgrade.

    Get this, the samsung Frig had two reviews with one star because it didn't have a light in the outside ice cube dispenser. Many of the low reviews are comical based on delivery or other issues unrelated to the appliances.


    Ash Y thanked outpaientzero
  • 6 years ago

    Hi! I’ve never used a small dishwasher like that before, but we bought a Samsung dishwasher last year and it’s actually been great so far! We have a large family and have always homeschooled, so that means a lot of large meals per day. For almost 2 decades I’ve been used to running my dishwasher twice a day on normal days, more if it’s a big cooking day. Our kids have just started moving out this summer. Anyways, all of that to say, hubby and I have always kind of considered dishwashers to almost be disposable appliances because it’s hard to get them to last longer than 5-6 years when you’re running it double the average. We’ve never bought a high end dishwasher because they make the interiors too small for our large family, they’re worthless for us. We have had a lot of Kitchenaid dishwashers and were always pleased with them, but two dishwashers we got an LG... it was TOTAL crap and didn’t even last 2 years for us before the tines were rusting and breaking off, I had to clean the filter after every load, it often got a fishy smell and I’d have to rewash the load... so hubby has refused to ever buy a dishwasher with a filter again. So Samsung was an option for us and we’ve had a Samsung was her and dryer that has lasted us over a decade now with almost zero problems... it’s actually been the best washer and dryer we’ve ever had for reliability (yes, as you can imagine, we also do about double the amount of laundry per week than is average... so that’s like 20 years of average use) so we were willing to risk buying a Samsung dishwasher because of that. So all of that to say, we like our Samsung dishwasher. It does a great job and has been very reliable for us so far.

  • 6 years ago

    We've had our Samsung fridge 6 years and it has broken three times in that time period. The fridge stopped cooling due to the fan wiring breaking. The replacement broke. Then again. Finally after the third time my husband fixed it himself with different parts (can't tell you specifically just a lot of cursing and trips to the hardware store.) The fridge hasn't broken since, fingers crossed.


    Our original cheap Home Depot Amana special lasted 15 years with ZERO issues and the last half of it's life was in an unconditioned garage, then a barn (Houston, Tx).


    My mom's new Samsung microwave quit working after a couple months of use. Her range oven thermostat gave out within a year.

  • 6 years ago

    I had (note the word had) a Samsung dishwasher, came with the house. Three words: POS.

  • 6 years ago

    I had a Samsung microwave that stopped working after less than three years. It’s mediocre performance and short service life, along with the multitude of poor reviews, have convinced me not to purchase any more Samsung appliances.

  • 6 years ago

    If I have problems I'll dig up this thread and eat my words. Samsung has been around since 1938, started building appliances in 1974 and entered the US appliance market in 2005. Good luck to Whirlpool trying to buy out the Samsung competition like whirlpool did with Maytag, Amana, Kitchenaid and JennAir. I'm sorry but I don't want whirlpool, and any brands I listed is a whirlpool. Whirlpools attempt to squash competition let the 500 lb gorilla into the room and you brave wonderful people who bought Samsung's first generation of U.S. products helped. I'm sure Samsung has improved their products for the US market since 2005 so I'm not to worried about the stuff I bought.

    Whirlpool are the ones who need to worry or suffer the same future as Kelvinator (officially out of business in 2000). Just like Ford & GM did buying up all their competition in the USA and letting innovation and quality go to hell, they gave Toyota and others foreign car companies a market, it almost destroyed them. As of 2018 Samsung has a washing machine factory in North Carolina, my washer is coming from that plant.

    To the OP word of caution, if you buy one of those overpriced Swedish gems consider parts availability. Look up asko or Miele for a part or service, it's like trying to find Volvo parts or a service center other than a dealer to work on them.

  • 6 years ago

    I’ve honestly never had to get an appliance serviced or fixed so I don’t even know what’s involved in that 😂

  • 6 years ago

    The Samsung plant is actually in South Carolina, @outpaientzero. North Carolina has the Bosch dishwasher factory. ;)

  • 6 years ago

    Love my Maytag, and I have all Kenmore prior.

  • 6 years ago

    A lot of Kenmore and Maytag mentions (kitchenaid in several other threads as well). Unfortunately none of them make 18” dishwashers.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Have never bought a Samsung or LG, because reliability is a big priority for me. We subscribe to Consumer Reports and they poll their members every year on whether their appliances are holding up and Samsung and LG are usually lower than other brands. I try to buy from the top 2 in the chart for reliability.

    I also question reviews on a lot of sites. I don't go at all by how many overall stars a product has because it really doesn't match up to the reviews they base them on. I do feel that Amazon has reviews that are usually useful. Of course, there has to be a certain number of reviews that are biased, or planted, or just not useful, but if you spend some time reading the reviews, you can sort out which are which and gain a lot of pertinent information that helps you make a decision on a brand.

    When I think of the kind of appliances we used to be able to buy and what we have to choose from today, it's sobering. We already replaced our dishwasher early, Microwave twice in the past 15 years. Our stove - I want a new one and just not taking the time to start a 'search' for the right one.

    Sometimes, I think it's almost better to buy cheap and depend on replacing them often.

    As for Bosch - people seem satisfied with the quality, but I agree with whoever said be careful of availability of parts. I was told to watch that from an appliance technician whose company doesn't sell Bosch for that reason. We tried to go to a dealer that sold Bosch but we were told that being 25mins away from their location put us outside their service area. So no parts and no service, we moved on.

  • 5 years ago

    Ash Y: Did you end up getting the 18" Samsung DW? If so, how do you like it? If not, what did you end up getting, and do you like that? Curious about ease in loading, having slots accept most plates/dinnerware, reliability, leak issues, etc. I need an 18" DW & would appreciate your thoughts.

  • 5 years ago

    yes . I purchased a samsung dishwasher on black friday last year. As a matter of fact I purchased samsung for all of my kitchen appliances. The service is terrible!!!!! I purchased an extended warranty. I used the dishwasher 6X and it started leaking all over my floor. I had people come in who could not fix it, they contantly "excalate" the problem, but to no availe. What they have offered me so far was a pro-rated price , no compensation for the delivery, plumber or the fact that I have not used this dishwasher for the whole year . Terrible terrible service! I do not reccomend this product. I wish I knew how to upload the video of the massive water all over my new floor after a service man supposedly fixed the dishwasher!

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    So sorry to hear that. This shouldn't be possible in this day and age that a company can fail you so completely. Was the service man from samsung?

    You might think of complaining to the District Attorney of your state.

  • 5 years ago

    @HU-533768631, I purchased a Samsung set last fall from home depot and I installed all the appliances. The installation instructions for the dishwasher specificity states if the dishwasher isn't perfectly level the unit will leak. I spent the extra time to insure it was level and have no leaks and I wonder if your installer installed it wrong. Could be the fault of the installer and not the dishwasher. I hate the thing BTW. I do like my gas stove but the ice maker on the freezer door always plugs up but it freezes and cools good.

    I did complain to Samsung when they changed my delivery date 2 hours before delivery for a week later, and after I received confirmation the night before. I pulled out my old appliances and gave away the frig and dishwasher.

    Samsung said: So sorry, truck broke, no can help. I was so pissed I went to the home depot and they told me the same B.S. I demanded they call the transfer agent and when they did my appliances were sitting in their warehouse. They all lied, and I said I want them delivered the next day and they agreed. While I was gone my wife called Samsung and Home depot corporate and got the same B.S. But before I got home both companies called my wife back and told her the appliances will be delivered the next day.

    If all 5 appliances make it 3 years I will be surprised but with exception to the ice maker nothing serious yet.

  • 5 years ago

    Well I had 3 sepaarate technicians come out to resolve the problem You would think that they would know that and resolve it?

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I‘ve had nothing but problems with my 2 yo samsung dishwasher. I would never buy a samsung again. The company is refusing to replace or provide a refund. I also have had 3 technicians come out.

  • 4 years ago

    Bought a Samsung DW80R7061US dishwasher 14 months ago......now just out of warranty. Just stopped working due to water not draining out ( pump? ) . Waiting for service call to see what the problem might be. Previously had a Kitchenaid unit that ran well for 20 years! Don't think I'll be buying another Samsung appliance!

  • 4 years ago

    Pete, I'm sorry for your troubles and appreciate you posting to let us know about Samsung's performance.

  • 4 years ago

    Do not EVER buy this dishwasher, EVER. I have had 3 major problems with it, all having to do with cheap shoddy design. When I tried to get it fixed, even under warranty, the company had horrible contracts with horrible companies that did everything in their power to avoid fixing it. Once, I had to fix a stupidly placed sensor myself using a youtube video because of a sensor that produced a debilitating error message. Last thing that happened was that one reason I bought this thing was its stainless steel drum A metal panel on the right hand side of the appliance sheared off, blocking the bottom panel. The call center in the Dominican Republic said they couldn't fix that, and that I was on my own. Note that during the warranty period, they wouldn't fix the machine for SIX MONTHS. So they single-handledly voided the warranty period while I sat there unable to wash my dishes. NEVER EVER EVER BUY AN APPLIANCE FROM THIS COMPANY. Their sole reason for being in business is to AVOID FIXING THEIR SHODDY PRODUCTS.

  • 4 years ago

    I'm going on a year and a half with my Samsung appliances, a stove, frig, dishwasher and microwave with no problems so far but knew what I was buying, inexpensive appliances. I knew the problems they experienced from hundreds of reviews and was aware 10% would break during warranty but decided to roll the dice anyway.

    Looks like you rolled snake eyes roxanne but I know how you feel. I bought a Toro zero turn mower and the first two mowing seasons it sat in the repair shop to be fixed waiting on parts. The defective part was something they never saw fail on machines using the same part but Toro wouldn't replace it or extend the warranty.

    I just looked at my dishwasher's Stainless steel tub (which I like) and saw nothing that could shear off. The 3 walls are one piece and attached to a ceiling and bottom pan with only the rack guides screwed into the sides, so I'm at a loss to what you mean. If you could include a picture of what sheared off it could clear up the mystery of what you mean. Shear usually means to cause something to break off due to a structural strain, and a result of force of some kind. I rolled my racks in and out without the need to force them so was it really a manufacture defect or the result of careless abuse. A few pictures would clear it up and validate your claim.

  • 4 years ago

    Don't do it. If you buy a Samsung dishwasher, you will spend the rest of your life trying to get it serviced while washing your dishes in the sink, by hand. Samsung is the worst company I've ever dealt with for service. Don't even go there. Get another dishwasher, and you may end up with an actual life.

  • 3 years ago

    Don't buy any samsung appliance! I have a $400 "dishrack" under my counter because the samsung dishwasher I purchased 2 1/2 years ago died and I can't get it repaired by anyone local. Even samsung corp can't find someone in western PA or eastern OH that can/will repair it. Also, they make their own parts and they aren't available and there are no aftermarket parts for any of their products. Get GE, Whirlpool, Fridigaire or another US brand. The parts are interchangeable and you will be able to find someone to do repairs if needed. A friend bought one of their refrigerators, same issues. So don't buy anything Samsung!

  • 3 years ago

    "HU-624370500: Also, they make their own parts and they aren't available and there are no aftermarket parts for any of their products."

    That's not true. I found substitute suspension rods for a Samsung washer several months ago. They worked nicely. OEM rods were also available from several sources.