Try calling SubZero and ask if the part is still available. I have had good luck with their customer service. The authorized repair in my area usually doesn’t stock compressors on their truck so they would contact SubZero too and it means two service calls.

Please post an update as I am curious about parts availability on older models. Although my oldest SZ is only 13 years.

Edit - the issue may be refrigerant availability.

most mfgs are not carrying parts on 30 yo anything Hopefully the tech has a collection of slightly used compressors

What sometimes happens is when appliances are taken apart other marginally working pieces and parts break as well once moved/removed

My SZ is original to the house built in 1987. I first had the refrigerator side rebuilt about 5 years ago and then the freezer side a few years later. It was not inexpensive, but much cheaper than a new unit. They are running fine. SZs of old are tanks!

@annettea I hope they will be as lucky as you. Repairs are not inexpensive, but worth it if you can get more time out of it and are faced with a $10k new fridge.

@delray33483 - Good to consider about other pieces breaking in the repair process. I will have them ask the subzero person about this when they come to look at the repair.

I had an almost 20 YO SZ rebuilt. I was told by the local rep to trash it then i found a factory auth. company a little further away that said it could be rebuilt. i think it depends on the model and who you talk to.

Call SZ to see if they have the parts. Your local repair person may not, but if you can get what is needed, you can save your beloved fridge.

My much younger Jenn-Zaire double oven cannot have the control panel replaced. The appliance repairman offered that information(unsolicited) when he came to fix something else. Hopefully SZ keeps more inventory of their older models due to their price point.

Call SZ directly. They will suggest the name of authorized dealers in your area. We never had a problem getting parts for the 26yo SZ (36” over/under) in our former home. Often, after learning from the SZ rep what part was needed, we’d pick the part up at the nearby distributor ourselves, at a fraction of the cost. The times we didn’t get the part ourselves, the authorized repairman always had it on the truck, because he was told in advance by SZ.

SZ is not like other fridge companies. Among other significant differences, they keep parts in stock for many years beyond what other companies do.

Fingers crossed for your folks! My built-in Subzero is 30 years old, too...refrigerator side stopped cooling just before Thanksgiving; repairman (firm services SZ, and has done regular cleaning & maintenance on mine over the years) diagnosed problem as worn-out temperature sensor, and replaced that part...it was available (in fact, he brought it and other potentially useful SZ parts with him when he made the service call)! I know it's not the same part as required for your parents' SZ, but a hopeful story nonetheless! I was sweating it out, as you are, for the same reasons - I didn't want to replace the unit because it's so expensive, and didn't want to have to have remodeling work done in the kitchen...but I think I'll go ahead and move before the compressor goes :)! All the best.

If I had a subzero I'd do whatever I could to get it fixed. They're so expensive, plus the hassle of replacing! Even if Subzero doesn't have the parts, you and the repairperson can search ebay or any of the "replacement parts" websites. There are so many of them. My handyman and my refrigerator repairperson know how to shop to get a better price (or a quicker delivery) than direct-from-factory parts.

I am curious how you know it is the compressor? I'm not at all knowledgeable but my built in side by side had a similar problem, and it was a stuck "door" between the freezer and the refrigerator, that was fairly easily fixed without any new parts.

Not quite as old but I got the sealed unit replaced in my 1999 601R a year or two ago, $1340 parts and labor.

I'll bet you can. That 30 year old refrigerator looks exactly like the one at the appliance store today. They are stuck in the past.

Paul - that is pretty fun. Look at the energy use on a new SZ - I haven't looked recently but when we got ours 5 years ago, it beat everyone else (based on size). I doubt they were like that 30 years ago but I'll also bet they were quite efficient back then.

SZs are built to last like no other manufacturer out there. You will not see another thread like this about any other manufacturer (in refrigeration). Maybe - can I find a part for a 10 year old "whatever" but not a 30 year old one?

There is absolutely no comparison with a Jenn-aire anything.

SZ doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles for a reason. Do I wish I could see my fridge contents sometimes while at the store? Sure. Have I spent way too much money (not to mention waste) replacing products when one control board for a gadget or control failed? Yes, too often.

Update - Apparently, they do not know it is the compressor. My mom said it was the compressor but my Dad clarified that they don't know what it is.

I asked my Dad if it were a $1,000 fix that was pretty sure but not certain to work, would you do it? Hell yes!, he said. And that is saying a lot for a guy as frugal as my Dad.

I'll compile in an email to them with these encouraging stories and pointers and will update you on what happens. Thanks everybody!

You are super kind to help your parents like this - good on you! Let us know how it works out.

SZs are built to last like no other manufacturer out there. You will not see another thread like this about any other manufacturer (in refrigeration). Maybe - can I find a part for a 10 year old "whatever" but not a 30 year old one?

Based solely on my experience with my 601’s I’m less convinced. On my fridge, the compressor had apparently already been replaced. I manually defrost the freezer because I’ve paid the repairman enough to look at that unit and tell me all the heaters are working fine. Parts are stocked and these “last” so long because unlike regular fridges, doing expensive repairs is more cost effective than replacing them. Admittedly this is just opinion based on very limited anecdotal evidence. And I’m not a hater - if and when I remodel there’s a good chance I’ll choose SZ.

Here’s the SZ thread with Paul F: SubZero v Thermador

Sometimes the repair of a Subzero will cost as much as an okay refrigerator. My sisters house had an old Subzero, probably not quite 30 years old and it could be repaired. But it was about the same as buying and ordinary refrigerator. In her case, it was more or less freestanding in a pantry, so it was not a matter of fit. So she bought the ordinary refrigerator.

When you have a built-in though, a built in was chosen because it is frequently the only thing that would fit, so it makes sense to repair it. My old apartment had a 27" Subzero, which they no longer make, so it will make sense to repair that as long as possible. It could be replaced by their 24", but nothing bigger will fit without a major overhaul.

You also have to take into account that in Manhattan (I am assuming) getting a new refrigerator is about as far as you can get from two guys pulling up into a suburban driveway, bumping the old fridge down a couple of steps into the garage and into the truck and bringing the new one in the same way, all in about 10 minutes. It likely requires advanced permission to use one of the elevators or a special service elevator, and some loading/unloading gymnastics out front unless the building has a dedicated loading zone. Even if it is a relatively pricey repair it still may be well worth it.

Mrs. S, you didn't reference the brand/model of your SxS refrigerator but it apparently has a single compressor to cool both the freezer and fresh food sections via one cooling coil in the freezer side. The (air control) door of question opens/closes to route and control the volume of cold air that passes from the freezer section into the fresh food section. Many if not most SubZeros have separate compressors and cooling coils for freezer and fresh food, thus don't have an air control door between the sections.

For cost info, I had the refrigerator side compressor replaced on my 2003 subzero 48” two years ago. The cost was $4,000. I also had the door seals replaced during Covid for about $500.
I live in S. Florida-

Darbuka, stop with the personal attacks.

Continuing with my thought after an actual price was mentioned above, if I lived in a regular house with a driveway and big doorways I might be hard-pressed to spend $4000 to replace a compressor on a 20 year old refrigerator when the same same amount would by a decent non-built in, if I had the room.

But given the exigencies of living in an apartment building in an urban environment, it might still be worth the repair.

The first place I lived had a tiny kitchen and whoever replaced the refrigerator paid no attention to depth when they replaced the old one. So I had to open the refrigerator to get the DW door open. And had the refrigerator been even an inch deeper, that would not have worked. I juggled the kitchen around a bit when I remodeled to lessen the conflict. When the unit was sold the second time after I sold it, the new owners upgraded the white appliances to stainless. They didn't pay attention to the depth of the refrigerator. So now you have to stand at an angle at the kitchen sink, because it Almost goes behind the fridge. Annoying.

This is not my kitchen (Mine was smaller but not as narrow), but it's in the same complex. You can't get a regular refrigerator in here, and if you could, you wouldn't be able to get the door open. The DW door almost touches the opposite wall. The aisle in the narrowest part is probably a bit over 24", 30"ish in the wider part.

Yes, absolutely. We just had the refrigerator coil in our 1999 SZ replaced, the guy threw in a new circulating fan while he had it apart because "it was getting noisy" after 24 years. According to the sevice guy all the parts he needs are readily available.

A big reason to buy SZ is that they are built like commercial refrigeration units with service in mind. I can strongly recommend Subzero Solutions in Boston for service.

They live in Pittsburgh, so unlike my building in Manhattan, they actually have a building driveway, delivery, and contractor parking area. Their elevators are small though.

My Dad is an HVAC engineer so he'll speak the lingo of refrigeration well with the repair guy.

They drive a 21 year old Honda, drink generic club soda instead of Pelligrino, and would never buy a Subzero if the had their druthers.

Their current SZ is 30" built-in. If they can't repair this one, are do other brands make a 30" built-in for significantly less? I presumed that all built-in cost a lot and if you are going to be in the high end market just get SubZero.

I love my parents. They are really independent now, but I still like to help them from a far every chance I can get. Doing research for them gives me pleasure. And quite frankly, I think I have a Houzz addiction.

Thirty years is a pretty good run for a refrigerator.! Nothing lasts forever. You should definitely try to contact a good service provider to see if it can be repaired. But if it's finally bitten the dust, you don't necessarily have to replace it with another SZ. I'm sure you can find something is the same size for less money than the current one. I like Thermador, Monogram, and Bosch as alternative options.

Here are some freestanding 28" wide, counter-depth (which will be deeper than the SZ) models that will fit in the space, because they are less than 30" wide. Not a lot of features on most of them because when it comes to free standing "small" is usually associated with "low budget"

https://www.ajmadison.com/c/refrigerators/?attributes.size=Apartment---Full~Size&attributes.installation_depth=Counter~Depth&attributes.exterior_width=28&attributes.width=~2822

Here are 30" built-ins, which appear to start around $5000, but aren't $10,000 like a SZ. You have to sort through because some of these are refrigerator only

https://www.ajmadison.com/c/refrigerators/?sort=products_price_asc_02&attributes.type=Built~In&attributes.size=Full~Size&attributes.exterior_width=30

@Kendrah - that is great news. I’m sure your dad is ecstatic.

Yes, spending $4,000. on a new compressor was shocking, but the problem was (and is) the kitchen layout and cabinetry was designed for this refrigerator. If I didn’t repair the old one, I couldn’t get a new SZ for 18+ months, and if I switched brands I opened up the can of worms of having to get into new kitchen cabinets- possibly moving the refrigerator…more cabinet issues and needing more new cabinets…then $4,000. looks like the best option! Still feel like I got late COVID ripped- off though.

My mom thinks the should get a new SZ because their current one is a 30" built-in and those are still being made, they wouldn't have to pull apart their kitchen and redo cabinets to accommodate a new SZ. She said this is the 3rd or 4th repair they have needed in the 7 years they have lived there. She is concerned that when it finally dies, they will no longer make a 30" SZ that can fit into their cabinets. Thoughts?

They did stop making the tall 27" a few years ago, but I can't imagine they would stop making a 30".

This will currently cost a bit under $10,000 panel ready and between $11 and $12K for stainless. Also, it just took about 10 months to take delivery of a 30" over under.

UPDATE - They decided to get a new SubZero. They are now 70 and 81 and my mom decided at this age she didn't want to risk it breaking down at an inopportune time in the future when it would be challenging for them to deal with shopping for a replacement. They were quoted a 6 month wait time but it arrived after only 7 weeks. Peace of mind.

@Kendrah - Good decision. I hope they love their new fridge.