Kenmore - No More!!!!!

Argh! Why is it that appliances don’t last long anymore? When we were children, our parents and grandparents had sturdy American appliances that lasted forever. They were simple, effective machines that did what they were supposed to do. Nowadays, it seems we can get 5 years out of them, (and our vacuum only lasts a year or two). One would think household appliances would last a lot longer… not so!

We’ve only been in the house for four years. All our kitchen appliances (Kenmore) were new when we moved in, and we actually “upgraded” them from the basic models that came standard with a new house. We also bought a Cabrio (the top-end of the Whirlpool brand, which should be named “Crapio”) washer and dryer set. Well, in the four years our dishwasher had to be taken apart and cleaned/fixed over three times, our range had to have the “brains” replaced, and our microwave quit, and had to be replaced. Now, two weeks ago (while Sterling was on a trip, of course) the oven quit, and so did the washing machine (which had never done a very good job anyway). While researching replacement parts for each (two parts were over $ 150 each, and more parts were probably needed) Sterling discovered that our microwave (the one that quit) and our dishwasher had been recalled.

After talking with customer support (or lack of), they questioned how we found out about the recalls, as if we had discovered a hidden secret. (Of course, they had our product registration information on file, but didn’t send us any notices.) We were also upset to find out that they wouldn’t do anything about the microwave we already replaced, and would only send out a technician to change out the motor on the dishwasher (the old ones have a history of catching on fire). We offered to use the money they’d spend on repairs towards a new machine, but they will spend money to fix an appliance, but not give you a new one.

So, long story short. We got rid of the three faulty appliances, and replaced the entire set with LG ones. It took a Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, but we’ve got them all in – hopefully these will last longer than the other pieces of junk! If you have any Kenmore/Whirlpool appliances, beware!