Complaint Review: Whirlpool

The timer on my 3 yr old, lightly-used dryer stopped working, leaving the dryer to run endlessly, unless manually turned off. Because this represents a serious fire hazard when it is forgotten that clothes are in the dryer, I called several repair shops to inquire about getting it repaired. The consensus amoung these shops was that the timer was bad & this was a very frequent problem. The repair was estimated to be over $200 dollars!!! Since that amount represents approx. half of what a new dryer costs, I called Whirlpool to inquire on buying the little part to replace myself. $75!!! When researching the possibility of using a wholesale, generic, or alternative part, I learned it is an exclusive, Whirlpool model part, & not used by other companies.

Even though the part was said to be shipping from another state, they said they would also charge tax on the amount, since Whirlpool owns land & property in all 50 states. When I complained that this was a common problem, due to what appears to be a defective part, the representative claimed it was considered a rare problem, but then shifted to a stance of ignorance of the matter, after being told of the repair shop's experiences. Even on their internet troble-shooting section, timer malfunctions were listed as "less common" problems.

Is their stance merely calculated to avoid some sort of part-replacement liability? Or, since this presents a fire hazard, with a high likelihood of casualties, is this a calculated "Firestonegate" designed to avoid these more serious liabilities being linked to their defective product?

I will never buy another Whirlpool product, but will instead select companies that invest their efforts & resources into quality parts & design their products to be reasonably safe & serviceable throughout the expected service life.

Darrell
Lexington, Kentucky
U.S.A.