Complaint Rating:

Company information:
Whirlpool North America
2000 N. M-63
Benton Harbor, Michigan
United States
whirlpool.com

We purchased the Whirlpool Duet washer (9150) and dryer set approximately 4 yrs. ago. We do 3-4 wash loads a week since it's just my husband and I. We started having problems with the washer last year where it will stop, beep several times and show an F-dl code, which correponds with a door lock error. At first it was sporadic then gradually became a common occurrence. I would like to mention that this problem is being experienced by hundreds of owners of this washer as the Internet is full of complaints about this problem as well as a mold problem.

We contacted an appliance repair place recommended by Whirlpool. We paid a total of $254.34 ($70 part; remainder was labor) for the repair which involved replacing the door latch. Less than one (1) month later, the washer is again malfunctioning with the same problem. We called the same appliance place. Repair tech is now telling us that the CCU board needs to be replaced. The part itself costs $185.55, not including labor. When asked why the misdiagnosis the first time, the tech said that Whirlpool instructs them to first replace the latch. If this doesn't fix the problem, then to replace the CCU board - all at the expense of the appliance owner.

Should we decide to replace the CCU board, the initial repair along with this 2nd repair will equal more than half of what a new washer costs. I'm sure most people would agree that 3-4 washloads a week is light usage for an appliance such as a washer. We spent over $2, 000 for both washer and dryer.

We cannot comprehend how Whirlpool sits there and does nothing about addressing what is without question a defect in this machine. This is not an isolated case, as evidenced by the hundreds of blogs on this problem. Whirlpool is very much aware of this problem as they have changed the design of the newer washers to eliminate this problem. Why has a recall not been issued for this machine?

I would caution the Whirlpool management that it will cost them more in the long run as customers have a long memory when it comes to the dependability of high-priced appliances. More importantly, we remember the manufacturer's lack of response and this will be a determining factor when we do any future shopping. We will also spread the word about the irresponsibility tht Whirlpool has shown.