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GE Washing Machines

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Lots of things can, and do, go wrong with GE washing machines, including:

• Transmission failure
• Incompetent service
• Damage to clothes

Or, as Ann of Philadelpia puts it:
As an employee for an appliance parts wholesaler, I can tell you that the GE washer (also sold as Hotpoint and RCA) is the worst design in the history of major appliances.

Others we've heard from recently would probably agree ...

Coni of Saskatoon, SK August 24, 2009

I bought the GE Adora Washer and Dryer summer of 2007. The Washer has been a complete disaster. About two months after owning it, it was making horrible sounds, wasn't spinning properly and kept stopping mid cycle, shorting out. A repair man came and said it was a computer issue, so fixed something on the computer panel.

It was still having the same issues after that and one day we were sitting in the house and smelt "fire", the laundry room was completely filled with smoke. My husband and I frantically grabbed our baby from her crib and I went outside while he tried to quickly figure out the cause of the fire before calling the fire dept. He found it was coming from the washer. We stopped the washer. I phoned for a repair man to come. He said "what do you mean it started on fire", like he didn't believe me. He looked it over and said it looked "fine" and fixed the belt. It seemed to work okay after that.

A couple of uses later, it was up to the same old thing. The repair person couldn't find anything wrong with it and I almost felt like they were trying to convince me it was my imagination. Now, it's a month off warranty and it completely stopped working. I phoned a new appliance repair company to come look at it. He told me that the bearing was completely unusable and that it looked like it once burnt out. He asked if it ever smoked or seemed to start on fire....to which I replied "uh..yeah"...he said it should have been replaced then and couldn't believe I got the use out of it I did after that. He said he could fix it for around 600.

Home Depot said they don't accept returns or liability and to deal with GE. GE said it's off warranty and not their problem. I challenged that it was their problem because it should have been repaired while under warranty. I'm not getting anywhere. This whole situation is frustrating. I now have an unusable washer and am not sure if I should continue to fight this, fix the darn thing or just go out and buy a new one. I haven't even used this one for 18 months, so it's cost me almost 100/month to use it if I scrap the washer.

Gwen of Midway, FL August 24, 2009

Oh how I wished that I had read this site before my purchase, that hindsight is always 20/20. As stated by so many consumers before me, GE Appliances are useless. I puchased my machine brand new, straight out of the box and it broken down one week later. Yes, you heard correctly, one week. It took about a week to hear from a service man and another two to three weeks to received the part.

The machine worked for a little over one year and broke down again with the same problem. Imagine that, it worked longer enough until the manufacture warranty expired. I'm told by Home Depot which is where I purchase the machine to call GE, GE tells me to call Home Depot and see what they will do. Yes, you guess it, the blame game is being played. I asked that the machine be returned and another one be sent to me, but I was told that I had to have GE look at it first. You can usually take back any item within 30 days so why could I not return this item?

I spoke with Natasha and she stated that they have to treat all of their customers fair. I nearly failed out of my chair, did she say fair? I was not asking for anything extradonary, I was simply asking that the machine I paid for work. She proceed to tell me that I should have purchased an extended warranty. I asked for her supervisor (Mr. Wilson) and he told me that Natasha was correct. I guess it's the norm with the company to blame the customer for "shottie" appliances. Let's get this straight, pay for a machine that's poorly made, and then let us squeeze you for more money for a warranty.

As I'm discovering, I think that GE is fully aware of the poor craftmenship of their products and eagerly pushes the purchase of warranties. This is the company policy as I preceive it: Sell a product that is guarantee to break down shortly after purchase; request that the consumer buy a warranty and if they do not, too bad, they are on their own. With so many complaints, why is this company not investigated for better practices? GE will continue to operate in the manner it has if no officials step in. I've purchased two machines before the GE purchase, one lasted ten years and the other one lasted twelve years, yet GE wishes to push, "it's man made and things can break". Well if you know that, required more from your engineers not the consumer.

Carol of Callaway, VA August 7, 2009

GE front load washer. Gasket tore with no sign of cause- no sharp objects found. Through the one year that we have had washer, many items of clothing have had rips and tears when they came out of washer- again no apparent reason. Water spilled out resulting in damage to floor/ lower level's ceiling. New gasket 150 + repair cost. Clothing items that were ripped were not repairable.

Ann of Stamford, CT August 6, 2009

The front load High Energy clothes washer I bought from County Appliance in Stamford, CT is the most poorly designed and mal-functioning washing machine I have ever owned. If you put too many towels in the washer (more than 2) it gets off balance and will not spin water out of the load. If you put in too few clothes, it also gets off balance and won't spin out the water. And, the machine makes a loud banging sound and moves all over the floor when this happens. I am constantly stopping loads and re-arranging the clothing. It is the most poorly designed machine and customer service at GE refused to listen to me. The machine is 3 months old and I told them I wanted them to take it back. They refused. The machine has been serviced twice and had a broken water pipe at three weeks. I will never buy another appliance from GE nor will I ever shop at County Appliance again.

Holly of Auburn, PA August 6, 2009

I purchased a front-loading washing machine in February 2008. Since I have had this machine I have had to have it repaired four times. The first time it was the gasket, after that the timer/lock mechanism. I have been without a machine for one month today,and I was told that it will be another two weeks until the machine will be repaired.

Don of Bluefield, VA July 30, 2009

I purchased a GE washing machine (model no. WPRB8050D1WW) in January 06. The machine started leaking in December 08. The transmission and motor had to be replace - seems to be a problem with this machine. It took until March 09 to get the parts replaced. In the meantime spenting alot at laundrymat. Warranty covered parts but not labor. June 2009, machine starts leaking again.

This time GE agreed to cover labor as well as parts. Again a new motor and transmission, washed one load and machine leaking again. Contacted repairman and informed me outer tub would also have to be replaced. GE then wanted to give me a 70 dollar discount on a 430 machine. I said no I could beat that deal at the local Lowes and I wanted machine repaired. So GE sent parts but after consulting with repair shop said machine was unrepairable due to bent shroud. This was the first time the shroud had been mentioned.

I checked the shroud and it is not bent but GE said they would have to take work of repair shop. Now GE refuses to repair a 3 year old machine and wants me to shell out another 360 dollars for another piece of junk. When I mentioned to the costumer service MANAGER that she should check the number of complaints concerning GE products on the internet, she informed me that she had a life and did not have the time. I realize GE is more than appliances, but no wonder their stock nosedived long before the recent recession if this is the attitude of management. Never again will I buy a GE product and thankfully I got rid of GE stock several years ago.

Ann of Mount Vernon, MO July 30, 2009

For the second time, since purchasing and installing in 5/30/08, the spin cycle is not working on my GE washer. The first time to repair, no charge. This time (same problem) I'm told 145 plus parts plus whatever else needed since I didn't purchase the extened warrenty that was offered. For the same repair to be needed within 1.5 years, two months "out of warrenty" is absymal!

I feel that the repairs should be done without charge, since it's the same parts giving the problem. The cost of repair is going to be over 1/2 the cost of the new machine. This is big money out of my pocket.

Sandy of Todd, NC July 28, 2009

I have a service contract on my GE dryer. I contacted the number listed on my contract for a repair and was told that the ONLY company they contracted with was A&E Factory Service and that I would need to be home between 8-5 for service. I could not believe that it was necessary to take an entire day off work to have my dryer repaired.

In this day and time, I cannot afford to take off an entire day of work. I'm sure that A&E Factory Service gave the lowest bid on service contracts, but GE is sacrificing their customers for their bottom line. This will be the LAST service contract I purchase from GE.

j of pueblo, CO July 15, 2009

So bummed to be reading all these reviews. I have ge adora washer/dryer also, about 1 1/2 yrs old...they suck!!! all the same complaints, won't rinse/spine, clothes wet and stink, may save water...so what when you have to run them over and over using energy to get the water out! the cycles last forever and they just suck!!!

Julieanne of Idaho Falls, ID July 7, 2009

Bought a new GE Front Loader washer and matching dryer in May 2009. Have had 3 prior service calls and am waiting for a repair person as I am writing this. I have the same problem, washer will not spin or drain. I have gotten the run around from the service department even though I purchased 5 year extended warranty. Contacted consumer relations and all they want to talk about is setting up service appt not why the same problem keeps happening. Spent 07.03.09 waiting all afternoon waiting for repair person from authorized GE repair and he didn't show or call. I finally calle Home Depot extended warranty service he finally called (at 5:35)to say he was running late.

I run a taxiservice, I don't have time to sit and wait for service that isn't going to show or even have the courtesy to call and tell me what is going on. I have always bought and been very satisfied with GE washers before. Bought my first one in 1965 and used through raising 3 children. Sold it to a friend in 1990 and it is still working. So of course, when I bought a new one I went back to GE. Wrong move. Apparentely GE is like other manufacturing companies in US who have built obselescene into their product. And, service is a joke. Consumer relations and service are a joke at GE.

I am sure I will have to call them agai for repair as they have built a defective product and won't admit it.I have spent approx. 300 at laundromats since the purchase of this machine plus time I didn't have. Also, the soap dispenser leaks soap when you are loading soap into it, so I wonder how much soap is actually going into the wash cycle. My sister is in the market for a new washer and I have told her not to buy GE and I will advise anyone else who is buying a new washer the same

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