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2.3 401 Reviews

Kenmore Complaints Summary

130 Resolved
271 Unresolved
Our verdict: Engaging with Kenmore, which has a below-average resolution rate, demands caution. Thoroughly assess their service reviews and explore how they handle unresolved complaints. If you encounter issues, document your experiences meticulously and be persistent in seeking resolutions.
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Kenmore reviews & complaints 401

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9:54 pm EDT
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Kenmore freezer loud noise and error display

It is August 30, 2009. We purchased the Trio frig on October 17, 2004 which tells me that the 5 year warranty is still in effect until October of this year, correct? According to the service dept. it has expired. Can India please use the correct calendar? In Feb. 2005 the left door was replaced due to a faulty water dispenser not shutting off. Today we have a freezer that is making such a loud noise that one can't be in the same room. An error of ee FF came on. We unplugged it and plugged it back in but the noise is deafening. Called the svs dept and they will be out in 3 days, tried to sell me a $250 package and I said no way. The entire freezer was coated in the back wall with ice, so I picked that away. I'm thinking that a piece of ice is on the compressor making this horrendous noise? Anyone else have this problem. I hate this refrigerator so much, I'm sorry we got it in 2004. Model # [protected].

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laurenmomrn
Medina, US
Jun 20, 2011 2:21 pm EDT

Aside from our light housing having burnt twice (we have been without lights for 3 years now)...Yesterday the control panel numbers on the fridge/freezer keep scrolling numbers up and down. The alarm cant be turned off, it just resets and beeps. To top if off, now the fridge AND the freezer aren't working. This happened once before and somehow reset itself about 4 weeks ago. Is it really worth fixing this lemon of a fridge? I think Sears should have recalled this unit years ago!

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jrstreifel
Aberdeen, US
Jan 22, 2011 8:03 am EST

We bought the same elite ( what a joke) trio. A friedn i work with has the same fridge also. His light stayed on a year ago melting the cover. He had to go through alot to get it fixed. Sears finnaly did come and fix it at no charge. The problem was a faulty circuit board that caused the light to stay on. If your doors to the the fridge are closed and the water dispenser works the problem is not the switches on the the doors. This last week the same thing happened to my trio. I spent three hours on the phone with various people giving me the run around. When I finally go tto the recall department they said that if my fridge was older they would fix it. My model number is not on their recall list and that there was nothing they would do about it. They told me to pay to get it fixed or buy a new fridge. 3 years at 2, 000 dollars and i'm supposed to do that. If it was night or we were'nt home our house might have burned down. I have turned in a complaint to BBB, and advise any one who reads this to do the same, even if you already had it fixed. It's a crime that they will replace at no charge for a fridge that is older.

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Shelley
231 Falcon Crest, US
Dec 31, 2008 9:46 am EST

I purchased a Kenmore Elite Trio refrigerator in April 2008. I have had one repair call to fix improper door alignment. I have had two repair calls to fix problem with freezing in the vegetable crisper drawers. I did not purchase the extended warranty, as I assumed the appliance would not have to be repaired for many years anyway. WRONG ASSUMPTION! I have thrown out about $40 worth of fruits and vegetables and have had two unsuccessful repairs (Sears reply is always that the extended warranty would have paid for the food - nothing about the fact that I shouldn't have to throw food out in the first place). The next scheduled visit for repair by a Master Technition is now two weeks away, after all Sears is too busy at this time of year to send someone out in a day or two. Meanwhile I continue to keep minimal amounts of food in the frig, and continue to monitor the temps with a store bought thermometer. The top frig fluctuates between 35 and 42 The crispers go from 29 to 40. Nothing stays at a constant temperature. I believe that someone needs to make this right. There are too many complaints about the same problems. There needs to be a recall and some sort of compensation for the losses. Sears has definitely lost my business.

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Sean Brophy
East Wareham, US
Jan 31, 2012 3:47 pm EST

My sister in law and I each bought a Kenmore Elite Trio refrigerator back in 2006. Both items leak in the freezer and create an ice rink on the bottom of the freezer. The refrigerator constantly freezes everything. Tried to reset and nothing happens. Also I have an ice maker that I bought at the same time, and crapped out. Kenmore products are horrible. I will never buy another Kenmore product.

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3:54 pm EDT
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Kenmore burning

Kenmore Refrigerator Model # 795.[protected] lights burned so hot melted plastic and turned light sockets brown. Ruined refrigerator contents and Sears refuses to get a technician out for 3 days even if I am willing to pay.

I reported this issue and defect to the following website. https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

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Don Moore
Rogers, US
Dec 01, 2010 5:10 pm EST

I have had a Sears Kenmore 795.7755.660 3 drawer refrigerator. I had the same problem last week when I opened the refrigerator and it was filled with smoke and the plastic shroud around the light was melted and smoking heavily. I unplugged the refridgerator and let the house clear out while throwing away all of the food. After it had cooled I took the melted shroud off and unscrewed the bulbs. The unit seems to work OK but I am calling Sears today.

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6:07 pm EDT
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Kenmore microwave oven model [protected]

Today I dumped our replaced Kenmore Microvave at Sears Repair Center. This second one lasted 15 months. The first one lasted 8 months.
There will not be a third. Being told to buy extended warranty is not an answer. Good riddance to Kenmore/Sears. Once upon a time products were meant to last a long time; now, they are cheaply made, the better to break down sooner, rather than later. The result is to force unsatisfied consumers to continue replacing products, while creating endless landfills. And no thanks to Consumer Reports on this recommendation. They base them on very short term test.

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L Wills
, US
Feb 24, 2011 7:47 pm EST

My Kenmore microwave 721.[protected], 6 months old started arcing while I was zapping a small mug of water for 30 seconds. Luckily I was in the kitchen and heard the zapping. I turned to see black smoke coming from under the door. I was directed to take it back to a certain Sears. I had to make arrangements for someone to come with me because I cannot lift it. We were told that they don't take them there any more. I had to bring it back home, and take it to a facility a 25 minute drive from home. (An employee did carry it from the car for me.) I called to ask about it the next week and the technician who worked on it told me he had to clean out the smoke and replace the door as it had melted a bit. I expressed concern that it would happen again and be a fire hazard. He said it shouldn't be a problem. I paid for a new machine, and now I am getting a patch job. Ugh. This is our last Kenmore purchase. I also purchased a Consumer Report "Best Buy" white canister Kenmore vacuum. It was so heavy and unwieldy that I gave it to my son for his frat house and use my 20+ year old Hoover instead.

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7:30 pm EDT
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Kenmore oven overheating

I cooked bread in the oven and turned it off. My husband and I had dinner and while cleaning the kitchen, noticed the the broiler was heating. It was extremely hot. The control panel indicated that the oven was OFF. We tried to turn the oven off again, but were not successfull. The only way we could turn it off was to turn the circuit breaker off. We let the oven cool down and turned the breaker back on. It started back up again. I am convinced that if we had left home after eating or not noticed the oven was on there would have been a fire. It was very, very hot. The oven is 6 years old and very well maintained. I think my stove should be replaced at no cost. If it is repaired, I will be afraid to leave home for fear this will happen again.

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11:51 am EDT
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Kenmore burning refridgerator

I woke up this morning to a kitchen filled with smoke. My Kenmore Coldspot 106.[protected] was burning. I found the problem, the relay device on the compressor melted and was burning. The compressor is destroyed along with the relay box.

I called Kenmore and they said that I was welcome to pay full price for all the repairs. Nice! It could have caught the house on fire and killed us in our sleep if it had happened in the middle of the night.

I believe Kenmore knows about this flaw but chooses to ignore it. I am considering a lawsuit to force them into action. Somebody is going to get killed from this defective product if they haven't already.

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drivemeupthewall
Fort Wayne, US
Aug 20, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

You placed an ad in craigslist that you put the frig out for curbside pckup...I picked it up and did a very detailed analysis. Compressor run terminal melted but still has short stub and all connections to it were shorted to ground and each other by the burned carbon from the start/overload unit burning up. I unbolted the compresor swinging it outside to enable cleaning everything real good. This repaired/eliminated the shorts and ohmmeter tests showed the compressor start and run coils are good. A new start/overload from Sears is over $60. I ordered on internet for $22.88 but they sent me the wrong unit after 1 week wait so I dismantled the unit they sent and figured out a way to install it anyway. Before ordering I tested the compressor by starting it manually by shorting across the start(S) and run(R) terminals for about 2 seconds..ran fine and froze glass of water within about 1 hour. I examined the replacement start unit carefully and see that it is nothing but a disc thermistor connected between those terminals. I understand all modern refrigerators use these now...the disc thermistors have a low resistance (I measured 5 ohms) when cold allowing current to flow through the start coil on the compressor. This current heats the thermistor disc which when real hot increases its resistance lowering the current through the coil. The thermistors are subject to burnout (open or shorted) and I think is a very very poor design even though used in all refrigerators now. The old ones used a real relay made of coils of wire and moveable contacts and could last 40 or more years with no problems. I have now reassembled everything and the refrigerator works fine...but, like any modern refrigerator, I do not know when/if the thermistor will fail...again. As an aside, the coils were very very dirty and the buildup of heat may have contributed to the failure of the thermistor/overload compressor starter unit. I used my leaf blower to clean the coils...see photos.

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PlanoJane
Stafford, US
Aug 13, 2009 12:03 pm EDT

What makes you say that you know Kenmore knows about this problem? Have you discovered many others that have reported the same condition? Are you sure your appliance wasn't part of a recall you chose to ignore?

How can you be SO certain it was a design flaw? How old is the fridge? If it is out of warranty, yes, you have to pay for the repairs. If you did not buy an extended warranty, or if it is past that date too, then that's the responsibility of owning appliances!

Are you sure there wasn't an electrical surge that melted it? I once had a lightning surge come through a phone line and melt my computer's on/off switch.

As for burning down your house, i'm sure that as a responsible parent and homeowner, you have plenty of smoke detectors in appropriate places with current, active batteries. that must have been what woke you up. And these days, you probably have a CO2 detector as well. It's not likely it would have killed you in your sleep, since these inexpensive and required items would have alerted you.

there are hundreds of things in our homes that could burn it down and kill us and our families and our pets. It's our responsibility to keep ourselves safe from accidents and even the occasional faulty appliance.

Good luck with your potential lawsuit. And next time, buy Maytag! (No i do not work there)

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10:07 am EDT
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Kenmore ptc relay burns causing smoke

My wife was in the kitchen when it suddenly filled with a white, foul smelling smoke. I quickly disconnected all appliances and opened all windows. After a couple hours it was marginally bearable to begin plugging devices back in. The smell became worse as soon as the refrigerator was reconnected. I unplugged it again and removed the cardboard cover from the back. Plugging it back in caused the PTC relay on the compressor to start to burn. Much of the plastic had already burned and some had melted. I would be surprised if the smoke is not highly toxic. The relay did not unplug easily from the compressor as one contact seems welded together from sparking. As yet I have not replaced the relay but have contacted the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and emailed Sears. I find it unbelievable that as many complaints as I have read Sears hasn't yet issued a recall!

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Budogrl
Redlands, US
Jul 12, 2012 10:03 am EDT

Count me in for the same problem, relay burned up in middle of night. My son smelled it but by morning the odor had cleared. I'm lucky, purchased the fridge 7 yrs ago, but Sears replaced it for an out rages amount of money. Never again.

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Ed2010
, US
Mar 09, 2011 11:37 pm EST

Same problem. Kenmore [protected]. The relay switch was burning. Fire department found the source of the heat.
recommended not to use. I witnessed the red glow on the relay and burning of plastic on red wire. I replaced relay switch which i purchased from sears. I have same concern, is the switch i replaced the relay switch, faulty as well.

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A FL GC
Jacksonville, US
Feb 05, 2011 1:06 pm EST

I woke up at 3:38 am this morning with an aweful smell of burnt plastic. The smell was so aweful that it woke me up! After searching all over the house and unplugging everything, I realized it was my Kenmore refrigerator. The relay was on fire. I unplugged the refrigerator and moved all the contents to our fridge in the garage (lucky I had that one).
Model # 106-[protected] Manf. Date: 12/2002

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stardune
Lafayette, US
Sep 24, 2010 11:25 pm EDT

Add another survivor of a Kenmore side-by-side frig to the list, model106.1212101 MFG date 2003 .07. I came home unplanned mid-day to find the kitchen, living room and dinning room full of an acrid smoke and strong electric smell. Luckily the dog was elsewhere and I did come home that day otherwise it would be a much sadder story.

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giulianamd
fort collins, US
Aug 17, 2010 8:49 am EDT

This happened to me this morning. It was around 4:30am and the smell started coming in so strong. We live in a two bedroom apartment so it was not long till the smell was all over the house. We did not know where it was coming from but I was 100% convinced it was coming from the fridge.

The fire department stopped by, moved the fridge and smoke just started coming from the back of the fridge. One of the only reasons we did not see the smoke was because it was put into a cubby hole.

Finally we had to evacuate the apartment because the smell was very strong. Is this toxic? Of course I am at work.. tired out of my mind and can't think straight!

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Herschela
Golden Valley, US
Aug 06, 2010 10:51 pm EDT
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Hmmm.. this post started a year ago and the incident reports keep coming. Add me to the list with my Whirlpool Model GS465 - for all we know, one giant corporation owns all refrigerator brands and uses the same crappy parts. My cat woke me up at 5:00 a.m. and by that time, the whole house was filledwith the white, stinky smoke. I flipped the circuit breaker and the billowing smoke stopped. The appliance man said the relay and compressor were melted worse than any he had seen. He also said i was lucky i had a tile floor, because the layer of insulation under the fridge had also turned black from the heat, and a wooden floor or carpet would have caught fire. It's Friday - my insurance company (Liberty Mutual) has been SUPERB, but I have to wait until Monday for them to take the fridge away. In the meantime, the stink is giving me a giant headache. Anyone want to venture a guess as to whether or not the smell is toxic? I know I should just stay somewhere else to be safe, but... ugh. where's the consumer alert?

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katesgrandma
Dallas, US
Aug 02, 2010 3:18 am EDT
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Same complaint here. Came home to burning plastic smell. Thank God (I mean that literally) the breaker blew. It would not reset until I unplugged the refrigerator.
Kenmore side-by-side
Date of Manufacture: 2003.10
Model Number: 106.[protected]

Kenmore used to be a brand you could trust. Craftsman, too, but the last Craftsman mower I bought was a piece of junk.
Guess now days everything is about profit, forget customer safety, much less satisfaction.

I'll be filing complaints, also.

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JK39
Tampa, US
Apr 23, 2010 1:22 am EDT

Same thing happened to us... it is currently 2:22 am - we woke to the same burning plastic smell. Do not know anything about refrigerators or PTC relays... we unplugged it - not sure what else we can do at this hour. We will be phoning someone in the morning I guess...

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pugsl32
Milford, US
Apr 04, 2010 2:25 pm EDT
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On evening of April 2, 2010 I woke up to a foul smell and after investigating I found my Kenmore refrigerator was smoking. Thankfully I was home as I travel for work. My dog would have died from the toxic oder and /or my home could have burnt. I am in a 3 unit condo and could have affected 2 other families.
After looking at the back it was found to be the relay. It was completed burnt/melted.
Why has there not been a recall!

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Bob606
Columbia, US
Mar 05, 2010 8:20 pm EST

Add mine to the list. My relay caught caught on fire today and we were lucky to be home when it happened. Didn't want to loose everything in the frig so I contacted a local repair outfit to come to make the repair. He said this is a common problem with Kenmore and that the part used is junk. He said they will only use a third party assy that is made in the USA. The new part does not plug on to the side of the compressor like the original but but gets remote mounted.

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10:57 am EDT
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Kenmore refrigerator breaks 4 years and 3 months old

Bought a brand new Kenmore Regrigerator in May of 2005. It died while I was out of town on July 28, 2009. Just over 4 years old and it is unreparable now. Lost all the contents. What happened to long lasting appliances. My Whirlpool dishwasher circa 1985 and Whirlpool stove circa 1985 are 24 years old each. I won't replace them till I'm forced to. I did call Sears and got this from customer service: "I do regret that we cannot do anything about it since it isn't under warranty." I have a new fridge arriving today $700 and have to replace all my groceries. Of course, I didn't order from Sears though I think many appliances today aren't made like they used to be made.

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Kenmore kenmore elite front load washer

I bought a Kenmore Elite HE3t Frontload Washer & Dryer. Have 2 1/2 years I started getting this F11 code during the spin cycle. I could not get past the spin cycle. I called Sears and it would be a 65.00 charge for service to come out. I paid 2200 for washer and dryer. Service person came and said it would be 552.00 +/- to repair the washer. I said I wanted a second opinion. He said it was the circuit board. I call another service person from another company and he said he could fix it, but it would be 400.00 +/- and a week for the part.

They had me over a barrel. Please do not buy this machine. I will never buy another Sears product.

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Linda Kay Holmes
Howell, US
Sep 24, 2014 9:12 am EDT

We bought a Kenmore Washer and Dryer 4 years ago... I am very disappointed with this front loader! We have had service man out many times... His answer is always about the amount of detergent! The door latch was fixed a couple weeks ago now it is leaking again will not spin unless I drain the pump again and again. I do this after every few loads and clean the filter which has nothing in it! The code keeps coming on saying oe I drain it again and still doesn't spin out properly... It will take a week for repairman to come out and another week for parts. I really hate this washer I am 65 years old and am not able to continually do maintanance on this poorly designed machine... All the trouble I have had has made me realize this thing should have been recalled! I will never buy any Kenmore product again as The company will not stand by their products! The washer needs and should be replaced by the company!

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amy logan
Oakland, CA
Aug 31, 2009 6:33 pm EDT

I purchased a Kenmore Front loading washer 3yrs ago I love the way it cleans much better than a top loader. The only thing is that don't leave any thing in the pockets (who doesn't sometimes) because it can get buy the guard ( that was never put in correctly from the begining) I had a service guy come in to repair once. It happened again. I t took my husband to figure out how the screen should be put back in to guard the components so things do not enter it. I am just angry when things arn't check before they are shipped out cost me and other people money. Hopefully won't happed again. Check pockets.

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Kenmore broken again

In October of 2005 after Katrina, I bought a Kenmore Pro Elite Refrigerator, and I did not buy a warrenty due to the fact that I expected Sears to stand up to its good name and do the right thing. My refrigerator does not work yet again. The freezer at this present time is about 38 degrees and the refrig part is about 48-50 degrees, I have had the refrigerator serviced at least 5 times for different problems and I have lost about [protected] dollars worth of food. At one time the refrigator part was freezing everything ( milk, eggs, lettuce, fruit) EVERYTHING.
When I called yet again to get someone to come out and look at it all I got was the earliest that they could come out and look at the referator was Wednesday. Now please explain to me how I am going to take care of my family, by the way I have two children, ages eight and six .At their age a working refrigerator is a must...
At this point, I have thrown in the towel I have gone to Home Depot and bought another frig, which will come on Friday. The old one will be thrown away.
I really don't think that you care, but at this moment I had to tell someone how upset, disapointed and angry that I am. My husband and I had to rebuy something that we thought was going to last a while. I will be sending a letter to the Better Business Bureau to let them know .
Thank you for listening to me, Melissa L. McDonald

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Kenmore vacuum keep shrading the belt

I purchase a kenmore upright vacuum and the belt keeps shredding and I take it back to Sears and they send it in for repairs and when I get it back and toake it and use it a couple of times the belt shreds again I've taken it in severaly time until me warranty ran out. I was told by a sales person to send in a complaint because they can not replace it because I no longer have an Sears account and it is not coming up in there system. I like my vacuum when it did work. all I want is a replacement, I don't know why the sale person did not replace this at the time a was having the problem, I ask her all she would say you have a warranty we can send it in to get fix, I told her the last when my warranty was just about to expire to exchange for another vacuum since it is doing the same thing each time I being it into sears. Please look into this matter.
Vacuum Cleaner Aspiradora
Model, 116.34728
116.34729

purchase 03/08/05 for $67.93
You can contact me at the address or phone number below.
Thanks

Brenda G. McBeth
6707 Winchester Crossing Blvd
Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110

[protected]

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Kenmore faulty burners

I purchased a Kenmore Elite Gas Grill from Sears department store approximately 5 years ago. The grill was purchased for $2000.00. I purchased the grill as apposed to a competitors model because I was lead to believe that this grill would last longer and service would be better, had I run into any functional difficulties. The unit has 6 burners on it, all of which have corroded and function poorly. I was told the cost to replace the burners was $28 a piece, totaling a price of nearly $170. Most recently my brother contacted the service department regarding his Weber Gas grill which is approximately 9 years old. He had a bad burner on his grill and Weber replaced it, free of charge, including shipping and handling. My complaint is that I spent nearly 4 times as much for my grill that was to be superior in quality from a reliable and trusted department store. How can Kenmore, or Sears, compete with brands like Weber with other retail stores? I anxiously await a response to this matter as I am very disappointed in Sears and the $2000 grill I purchased from them. My next grill purchase will be a Weber...and not from Sears! Never again will I purchase a Kenmore product.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark J Anderson

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DocAceZ
Annandale, US
Mar 14, 2015 12:24 pm EDT

Since 2011 I have owned TWO Kenmore Gas grills and BOTH have rusted with in a yer BOTH. I just had a repair man come to my home and say this is not under warranty you will have to pay for the labor - but when I told him this was the SECOND grill and provided a receipt for the new 8 month old grill he said wow. Ya this one is parts and labor covered for a few more months.

He looked at it and said I wit they would stop using metal parts from china this is an epidemic with these grills they rust out so quick now it's amazingly sad. He said that this been a parts only repair it would have cost me 180 bucks for labor. The 4 burners are 36 bucks each and come "free" but they get that money back by charging us high LABOR costs. Such a SEARS SCAM it;s a CRIME. I WILL NEVER EVER EVER BUY anything from Sears or Kenmore again. I truly hope SEARS closes it's doors forever - soon!

Oh and for the record it was NOT just ALL 4 burners that rusted out it was the carryovers and the GREASE PAN ALL OF IT! Basically, the entire inside is gone.

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J Goldsmith
Munster, US
Nov 21, 2013 9:57 pm EST

OH YEAH, WELL DOES A PROTECTION PLAN COVER BURN INJURIES DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW? While cooking expensive steaks on a Kenmore grill, I attempted to adjust the temperature and the plastic handle came off. I thought the handle simply came off or had broken. Well I immediately attempted to turn the nob by the small metal piece that the handle slides onto and my fingers stuck to the metal and caused second degree burns, blisters/ turned white and black, to my thumb and index finger. The handle did not break off...IT MELTED OFF! In the process I immediately had to run inside to cool my fingers off with cold water and in the process, my steaks turned into hockey pucks. I contacted Sears and Kenmore and they stated that I have to pay $109 for a service tech to come assess the grill. I informed them that their grill malfunctioned and this is a liability to them. WHY ARE THE HANDLES GETTING SO HOT THAT THEY MELT OFF OF THE GRILL? I have never seen or heard of this...has anyone else? They also stated that there is nothing they can do to compensate me...THAT IS REDICULOUS! Not only do I have burned fingers, but I have a piece of garbage that I can't trust. I will never buy Sears again and I'm considering taking legal action against them. They gave me the run a round on the phone for an hour and a half, finally stating that there is nothing they can do. So I have to pay for a tech to come inspect their piece of garbage grill to see why it malfunctioned. In no way was I negligent nor did anything wrong for this to happen to me. But Sears or Kenmore is not responsible for their design flaw! yeah right...I disagree. What would you do then?

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no_really?
Middleton, US
Jul 06, 2013 9:10 pm EDT

Maybe people should do research before they buy instead of complaining afterwards to try and feel better about yourselves. There's also things called protection plans, just saying.

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dstolerow
Mchenry, US
Dec 29, 2011 2:49 pm EST
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I have had the same issues with my Kenmore Elite Grill. It has rusted out three times now. I have spent over $600 in replacement parts to keep the grill going. Customer service is no help, and when I over ordered a couple of the parts, they would not let me return them. Six years later, and now when I light it, the knobs ignite and there is a flame somewhere under the unit near the tank. I had to tell my wife that we'll cook the burgers on the stove. I can't even barbeque with my $1500 grill!

There should be a class action lawsuit against these guys. Now it'll cost me more just to get rid of the piece of [censored].

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Dione Van B
Beresford, US
Sep 19, 2011 9:27 pm EDT

I bought a model 141.16228 six years ago. The burners, flame tamers, collector box and burner brackets rusted to nothing 3 years ago and we've been holding off to fix it because the service department at Sears said that the parts are not covered and we would have to pay to have someone came take a look at it. He told me my best bet was to look on the internet and search for my model number and order parts there. WOW now that's customer service. Considering I was a former Kenmore/Sears advocate, I guess I've changed my tune. I would NOT recommend a Sears Kenmore grill to my worst enemy. Sears Parts Direct is double the price of Marbeck's. So I bought my replacement parts from Marbeck's. I will not buy replacement parts again or anything else from Sears for that matter. Good luck keeping customers if you're not willing to back what you promote.

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spockmckoy
West Mifflin, US
Jun 19, 2011 8:33 pm EDT
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I agree with the sears quality going down. I bought my Kenmore Elite several years ago, stainless steel, etc. I was told for $700 it would be the last grill I needed to buy. 'lifetime' grill. BS. I have nursed the cast iron burners as long as I could repair them. Now I need to replace and found them on ebay. So much for Sears 'lifetime' products. NEVER again. I will repair for the $54 dollars and I need to make my own supports for the 4 burners, which I have the metal for. The starter rotted off within the 1st summer, so I use a long metal bic lighter to ignite. The stainless grill looks fine. The cheap, and I mean very cheap painted steel cart is rusting away big time. POOR design/POOR product. I advise to stay away from Sears anymore.

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ErinKu
, US
Apr 11, 2011 6:47 pm EDT
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My Kenmore gas grill (model [protected]) was in use for the 3rd summer last August when the hose connecting the side burner ignited into flames! The entire sideburner of the grill was burned but luckily no one was hurt. I recently opened the grill to figure out what replacement parts I need. In addition to the side burner mechanism and gas hose attachement, I had to replace the rusted out grill grates, starter button, and other rusty parts which was not from the fire. I was told by Sears that there is nothing they could help me with. I spent about $120 in neccessary parts, but could have easliy spent another $100 or so just to make it look nice. I hope to get another 3 years out of it and then I will purchase a Weber!

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Ernest King
Little Mountain, US
Feb 20, 2011 8:55 pm EST

I agree with all of the above. My wife purchased a Kenmore Elite Model 141.17680 in 2003 for our anniversery. She paid $1, 000.00 for this product. Since that time, I have replaced all of the cast iron burners (4), the bracket, and gas collector box twice. I am now looking at a third time, since the burners have deteriorated once again. I always keep it covered. I will now purchase a different make grill and have the Kenmore hauled off. I was always a strong believer in Sears products, but this ordeal has tarnished the Sears name and has brought it to the level of K-Mart. Thanks for the memories during the good times for Sears, but it is time to move on to another product line.

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Mike B. - NJ
sparta, US
Nov 13, 2010 6:28 pm EST

Similar story. Owned two Kenmore grills, one elite with cast iron burners and the other high end "Kenmore" with the stainless steel burners. Have always trusted Kenmore/Sears with applicances and the like, but never again! Unbelievably bad customer service, transferred to 13 people over 2 calls all in the attempt to get replacement parts under warranty. Ultimately got some of the parts, but not all and had to spend a weekend repairing on my own. Of course, they were willing to visit and evaluate for the base level service charge.

Parts wear out, just honor the warranty. When it becomes a hassle, I will find someone else who will honor their commitment. The stainless steel rusted and "burnt out" from the heat and the painted parts have completely rusted thru. If you want a disposable unit and 2 years is okay, Sears is fine. Otherwise, direct your money elsewhere.

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MDC2
West Boylston, US
Oct 20, 2010 12:31 pm EDT

Yup, same here. I've replaced the burners 3 times in seven years. I've waited quite a while to replace the internal brackets but am now forced to since they are literally crumbling before my eyes. It's a good looking grill but it's really a piece of junk. And believe me, I let it be known at every function I host when folks say "Hey, what a great grill!" Looks are very deceiving.

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Kenmore bad design

I purchased a Kenmore Elite Cloths washer Model 110.[protected] in August of 05, it has been replaced once and repaired twice, every service rep that works on it tells me that the machine has been plagued with problems. It's broken again, I had to pay $70 for about 10 minutes of the reps time to tell me that it would cost $350 to fix the problem, I called Sears to ask them for assistance in buying a new machine but all they can offer is a voucher for $65 to $100 nothing else. It's obvious that this machine is a bad design, it has been recalled and discontinued but since I'm out of warranty (which by the way costs @ $200) they cannot help. I'm not asking for a free replacement but what they offer is just offensive. I have spent thousands buying Sears product and could have spent thousands more over a life span. I ban business with Sears and recommend the same for anyone willing to listen!

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Update by Ricardo
May 21, 2009 2:23 am EDT

I agree with the complaint. Sears is suppose to be well known company and to hear that they are not willing to assist with offering a fair discount towards a replacement washer is just upsetting. It makes you think twice now of spending money elsewhere and knowing you will have better service from a smaller company.

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Kenmore repair service

Kenmore washer leaking, determined source of leak, called Sears to get estimate for repair, they said they had to send a technician out for diagnostics ($69). I told them I knew where the leak was (tub seal), I needed a repair estimate for that work. They were not able to do that--too hard. Scheduled visit Fri AM, tech was late (PM), spent about 15 minutes, confirmed problem & ordered 2 parts (bearing & seal), scheduled re-visit for same day next week. Parts arrived, different tech (also late), fixed leak, said that I didn't need the bearing & gave me credit, said there would be a 90 day parts & labor warranty. Tried washer Sat, no leak, but a cacophany of noise during wash cycle (tub likely rubbing against something). Called Mon to schedule warranty service, earliest appt was Thurs AM; tried to get something earlier, said they "would call, if one became available." Thurs, no confirmation of service call & no tech, so called service 800 number Thurs PM, no service call in their system. Earliest available reschedule--Tues of the next week. Multiple calls later, spoke with "Supervisor, " all he could do is apologize, no earlier service available, period; however, he said I could complain (as if I needed his permission). This whole experience is an abberation from past dealings with Sears, but this time, plus the other service-related issues discovered on the web search has made it clear that they are NOT the same company I trusted for so long & they have lost a customer, peroid!

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Kenmore kenmore oven fire

We had to call the Fire Department for the first time in our lives because our Kenmore oven bake element started to burn after being on for 30 minutes. After turning the power dial to off it continued to burn and spark and flash. The element only stopped burning after we turned the breaker to the power outlet off. This is a DANGEROUS appliance: Model 911.[protected]. We bought it in 2001.

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happy consumers
Belvidere, US
May 01, 2011 9:56 pm EDT

Used this oven for 10 years and it still works perfectly, never any problems

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Kenmore does not clean

This water saving washing machine does not wash clothes. My husband bought ours and I have put infant clothes with spit up on them in to wash only to have the same clothes on top with the vomit still intact. The same has happened with many other stains. It does not even make good engineering sense to have a washing machine which rotates in the conventional way not have much water in it. Just think, water, gravity, i.e. the water stays at the bottom of the tub and the clothes at the top do NOT get washed. I saw the other complaints about this washer, but mine works (according to its design) so a warranty does no good for me, but it just DOES NOT WASH CLOTHES. KENMORE SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THIS STUPIDITY!

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Kenmore fire

My oven caught on fire! Had the fire department here today! A common problem with this company and
Stoves from what i am reading! I couldn't get the fire out! The oven was off but still kept burning, the white fire! It was sooooooo hot it burned the elements and sent fireworks everywhere.

I am very mad!

I would like to know why someone hasn"t done something about this!

There are page after page to the same problem with their products on the internet,
But no one does a thing! This is criminal!

So i guess, everyone should just. . . Spend their time. . . Looking up problems with their appliances? I just printed 50 pages of complaints of fire problems with these stoves.

Mine came with the house i built in 01, so i guess i am lucky it didn't happen before now?

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Python287
Neskowin, US
Mar 06, 2014 11:37 pm EST
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first file an online complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Next send an email to feedback@customerservice.sears.com. Tell them what the problem is and that you want this defective oven replaced or better yet a full refund of the purchase price. - be firm - mention all the complaints on this website - but be firm that you want full credit for the cost of the oven - as it is too dangerous to use anymore.

After that go to the nearest Lowes and buy a replacement oven (not Kenmore for sure) Lowe's will price match + their extended warranty is 10 times better then Sears and is only $ 99 !

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MISTY F
Jackson, US
Aug 19, 2010 9:36 pm EDT

TONIGHT WE WERE MAKING TACO'S, I TURNED MY KENMORE OVEN ON 325, SET THE TIMER FOR 5 MIN., AND WITHIN 2 MIN. THERE WAS BLACK SMOKE BELLOWING OUT OF MY OVEN. I TURNED IT OFF, OPENED THE DOOR AND FLAMES FLEW OUT AT ME. THE OVEN WOULD NOT TURN OFF THE BROILER WAS STUCK ON, AND WOULD NOT SHUT DOWN. I NEVER TURNED THE BROILER ON. WE CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPT SHOWED UP THEY COULD NOT GET IT TO TURN OFF EITHER. MY HOUSE COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN. EVERYTHING SMELLS OF SMOKE. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MOVED THE OVEN OUTSIDE, AND IT IS NOT COMING BACK IN. I CALLED SEARS TO CHECK AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS OR COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME THING HAPPENING AND WAS TOLD NO AND BECAUSE MY OVEN IS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME 129.00 PLUS PARTS TO COME AND LOOK TO SEE WHAT MALFUNCTIONED. THIS FIRE TRAP IS NOT COMING BACK INTO MY HOUSE. MY STOVE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD THESE THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST LONGER THAN 4 YEARS AND THEY CERTAINLY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SHOOT FLAMES OUT AT YOU.

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peck
Saxonburg, US
Jun 16, 2012 4:14 am EDT

on june 5, 2012 my 5 year old kenmore electric range model # 790.9602 was preheating to 400 degrees after 10 minutes there was a white light coming from my oven. i thought i left the oven light on. no way! the cooking element was on fire.I shut off oven and kicked breaker. element continued to burn. thought of replacing the cooking element, but after reading similar occurrences, i'm dumping this range and reporting this incidence to the government.

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B Jenkins
kitts hill, US
Jan 30, 2012 2:42 pm EST

I have a Sears Kenmore Oven model # [protected] and it caught on fire after 3 years of use. We also had a glass casserole dish explode while it was sitting on top of the stove. My daughter was doing dishes and she had set the casserole dish on top of the stove. The stove was not on but all of the sudden with her back turned to it this pyrex, oven safe, casserole dish exploded into hundreds of pieces and went flying through out my kitchen. We are real lucky she was not pierced by one of the glass pieces. The other day we were getting ready to use the stove and my grandson walked in the back door and he could see the flames through the oven door and yelled at his mom. The bottom heating element caught on fire. I have asked sears about recalls and of course they have not heard anything about a recall on their appliances. Would not even tell me where to direct my concerns. I will not be buying another sears appliance!

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NANCYRE
, US
Mar 02, 2011 3:15 pm EST

WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, NOT ONCE BUT TWICE! THE FIRST TIME WE HAD A FIRE IN THE OVEN AND THE ELEMENT ON THE BOTTOM WAS LITERALLY ON FIRE. WE DID THE SAME THING AS YOU, WE SHUT THE ELECTRIC AT THE BOX. THE STOVE WAS FIXED WITH A NEW ELEMENT. ROUGHLY A YEAR LATER (ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO) WE HAD THE OVEN PREHEATING AND WE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING--ONCE AGAIN IT WAS THE OVEN, BUT THIS TIME THE WIRES WERE SHORTING. THANK GOD WE WERE HOME. WHO CAN WE SPEAK TO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WRONG WITH KENMORE OVENS!

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Edith Gadsden
Sarasota, US
Jan 16, 2011 11:51 pm EST

during thanksgiving 2010 about to bake turn on my electric selfcleaning 30inch oven to preheat model #911, 95402.95404, 95409, 95582, 95587, 95589, Iamusing all #s from the user guide.Low&behold a fire started at the bottom of the oven, no longer can use oven.What is going on?Edith Gadsden from Florida

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MOE W.
Bemidji, US
Dec 02, 2010 1:38 pm EST
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KENMORE OVEN MODEL# 790.[protected] WOULD NOT TURN OFF.
MY WIFE WAS BAKING AND THE STOVE GO VERY HOT AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF WHEN SHE TRIED TO. USED THE BREAKER TO TURN OFF. REAL PROBLEM WITH SEARS KENMORE SMOOTH TOP OVENS. STAY AWAY FROM. GETTING A NEW ONE NOT KENMORE OR FIGIDARE PRODUCT WITH TOUCH PAD CONTROLLES, KNOBS FOR ME!

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MiloCase
Ruidoso, US
Nov 09, 2010 4:58 pm EST

We had our KEMMORE ELTE oven -- starting to pre heat - in about 2 minutes into the preheat mode >> it looked like the 4th of JULY in the oven! then a FIRE! we were able to turn off the circut breaker -- and the fire finally stopped after the oven element was burnt INTO! SCARY indeed --- and dangerous -- TRYING to get some help from SEARS ! starting to be FRUSTRATING!

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Kenmore bad control panels

We bought a Kenmore Oasis Elite washer Dec. 2006, ByAugust, 2008, The first control panel had to be replaced. The next control panel lasted (ALL THAT LENGTH of TIME) untill March, 2009. This is very expensive to repair and very frustrating. There is just the two of us in the home and the company that I work for provides a uniform service. My wife works at a med. clinic so this washer gets very light use . Kenmore knows they have a problem. But they could care less. I feel Kenmore should come out with a recall and fix there problem. I would never recomend Kenmore to anyone. I guess they look at it as, were selling control panels if nothing else, in a tuff economy.

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Kenmore glass top electric range

I had only been away from my home a short time when i recieved a call that my house was on fire. I can't tell you the feeling of disbelieve that comes over you. As i turned the corner there were firemen everywhere and concerned friends and nieghbors. I was stunned and crying and scared to death. The final conclusion of the fires cause was there had to have been faulting wiring. My stove top was like it had been opened with a can opener. My home was a total loss! I thank god i was gone or i would not be here to tell my story. I have written to sears, but have had no reply. I now have kenmore appliances and i pray that i have not made a wrong choice. What is there to do with such a loss?

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Kenmore poor quality

Purchased washer for $1235.00 in 8/07. Jan 09 noticed the letters on the start button are slowly dis-appearing. Called Sears, out of warranty. Sent me to Warranty Department and they asked for model #. They said that was a Whirlpool product (who knows these days) and gave me their number. Naturally they couldn't help. Called back Sears Warranty department and asked for number to complaint department, can't help me. Word to all, this is why our country is going to hell. We make a crappy product, charge too much, give crappy service and then we cry to our government to bail us out cause no-one is buying our products.

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Kenmore stovetop burst into flames

My mother's Kenmore Elite glass stovetop model # [protected] just burst into flames. It shattered the glass all over her kitchen. Has this happened to anyone else?

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