KitchenAid Built-In Refrigerator - AVOID

4 years ago

I purchased a kitchenaid built in refrigerator 2 years ago, and the lights have gone out in both the fridge and freezer 6 times. Each time - a repair person needs to come and replace these lights - which are supposed to be lifetime - because the lights are built in and not easily changed.

For the first year - my warranty covered the repairs. The second year - KitchenAid extended my warranty for a year - bc they realized this wasn't OK and they wanted to make it right. The service company - which is authorized by KitchenAid - has changed out the power boards as well as all the lights, they've checked the wiring to make sure nothing was crimped, and they've spoken directly with Kitchenaids service team to get guidance.

Now I'm in my third year, and the warranty that was extended no longer is in effect. When I called - KitchenAid said they'd send someone to look at the fridge again - and then talk about "options". Well, the option now is - pay $275 out of pocket to get the lights fixed. So essentially, every year, I'll be paying between $900-$1200 - and dealing with the hassle of scheduling and coordinating repairs - just to have lights in a $7K refrigerator.

The last service tech who came apparently said - this is happening with several of his customers - and KitchenAid has been handling them the same as me - just replacing the lights every few months.

Is there some kind of consumer products agency I can contact about this? Or anything else I can do to hold KitchenAid accountable for their product?

Featured Answer

chicagoans

4 years ago

I'm sorry this is happening. Have you contacted the vendor from whom you purchased the refrigerator? (I don't know if they can or will help, but they should at least know the issues.)

I had a frustrating experience with a KA dishwasher that stopped working after less than a week, and the day before I hosted 20+ people for Thanksgiving (that was super fun washing dishes by hand.) KA's service was horrible - their system had the wrong part listed for my model, and they kept sending the same wrong part even though the service techs and I would tell them it was the wrong one. (Apparently they aren't clever enough to override that wrong info in the system.) 3 times they overnighted the same wrong part and 3 times I stayed home from work for the service call; it was stupid and frustrating. Finally the appliance store called the DW a lemon and replaced it.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

Steve Daigneault
Original Author
4 years ago
You know, I purchased the KitchenAid package from Plesser's so it wasn't a local retailer. I guess I can contact them to find out what they might be able to do - but I'm not hopeful. I did look up lemon laws and apparently there are federal laws that cover appliances that sometimes lawyers will use to litigate. I may pursue this avenue.
Related Professionals
Norfolk Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Saint Cloud Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Green Bay Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Covington Bathroom Remodelers · Lafayette Bathroom Remodelers · Anderson Kitchen Remodelers · McAllen Kitchen Remodelers · Kankakee Kitchen Remodelers · Grand Junction Kitchen Remodelers · El Dorado Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Murrieta Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Torrington Kitchen Remodelers · Florence Custom Countertops · Winston-Salem Custom Countertops · Wenatchee Custom Countertops
Steve Daigneault
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks for the suggestion - I gave Plesser's a call and they opened a ticket to advocate on my behalf w/ KitchenAid. I was pleasantly surprised with the help they offered. Hopefully something comes from it!
wdccruise
4 years ago
What is the refrigerator model number?
Steve Daigneault
Original Author
4 years ago
KitchenAid KBBL306ESS
wdccruise
4 years ago
The LED part number is W11462342. As described here (scroll down), the lights are wired in series so if one goes out they all do. You can buy the part at many places (e.g., Thrifty, ebay) and replace the part yourself.
Steve Daigneault
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks wdc. The issue isn’t the lights going out, its that they continue to go out every three months. Something beyond the bulbs is a problem.
wdccruise
4 years ago
"they continue to go out every three months. Something beyond the bulbs is a problem."

If any one bulb goes out they'll all go out. I don't know how you conclude that it's something beyond the bulbs. Maybe you should just forget it and stick some battery-operated puck (or similar) lights to the insides of the cabinet.
Steve Daigneault
Original Author
4 years ago
Just a follow-up to note that after going back to the store where I purchased the refrigerator (Plesser's out of NYC - highly recommend!) - they were able to work w/ KitchenAid to process a replacement for a new unit. I will have to wait for a few months, but I'm thrilled with the support I received and am back to being a KitchenAid fan. I highly recommend Plesser's and also highly recommend working with the store you purchased your appliances from if you end up at a dead-end working directly with the manufacturer.