WWMMD? Re: broken dishwasher

daisy662 · March 2014

Hello! We built our home about 2 years ago and it came with a built in dishwasher. It probably cost about $500-$600. It already broke. It's a GE. Also, our fridge is giving us trouble, also a GE. The dishwasher will cost us about $300 to fix. With the problem we are having, chances are 50/50 it could break again. Would you fix it or buy a new one? A new one would cost about $900 and we would pay cash and we have the extra money...I am just not real pleased with these GE appliances. I'm thinking as they break we need to replace them. What would you do? If your vote is buy a new one, tell me about your dishwasher. Thanks!

SmrBrd2012 · March 2014

Can't you just get a cheaper dishwasher? I don't know much about them but $900 seems really high...A quick search shows reputable brands at ~$3-400.

Have you tried complaining to GE too? Can they do anything for you?

formerlyGDaisy09 · March 2014

if you may need to fix the fridge, you could wash dishes by hand until you have the cash for a new one.

I also think $900 is high for a dishwasher, I feel like you can get a really nice one for $500-600. if it's going to cost $300 to fix I'd consider selling it for parts and buying a new one.

If it's out of warrantee GE won't do much for you other than say "sorry".

daisy662 · March 2014

Warranty was only one year. Also it will take about a month for the part to come in. We did try complaining to GE and they said $300 to fix it. PP, we do have the money to buy a new one, that is not the concern... My thought process on the $900 one is that we researched and this one has the best reviews. We could spend $500 on one but I'm worried if we go cheap we could end up with another issue. I'd rather bite the bullet up front and have it last longer.

daisy662 · March 2014

One more thing... I hate washing dishes Lol! I have a 2 month old and a 1.5 year old so we are washing dishes all day long with bottles etc. It's not a big deal now because I'm on maternity leave but when I go back to work in a few weeks it will be really inconvenient!

jessica490 · March 2014

I would just get a new one. I think our GE dishwasher was about $400 or so but we bundled it with a washer and dryer when we bought it. It would definitly look for something cheaper than $900, that seems crazy. Go check out Home Depot, Lowe's or Sears, sometimes you can get free financing.

formerlyGDaisy09 · March 2014

all valid points. Our fridge broke a couple years ago and we splurged on the more expensive model because it had better reviews from consumer reports and I really wanted a french-door style fridge instead of the side-by-side (we had a whirlpool that was less than 2 years old but also out of warrantee, we were going to have to buy a new compressor to *maybe* fix it).

Do you also have $1200-$1500 for a new fridge in-case your fridge is also not fixable? I was just pointing out that while a dishwasher makes life SOO much easier (I think everyone hates washing dishes) there is a free-alternative...while a fridge is more of an essential appliance (you did ask WWMMD?). We've got a 25 year old dishwasher that's on it's last legs, as much as I hate it from a MM frame of reference we'll be washing dishes by hand for a while before we get a new one once that goes (granted I don't have 2 little ones creating dishes).

KatieCutie05 · March 2014

I wouldn't spend 300 to fix an old dishwasher but i also wouldn't spend 900 dollars on a new one unless i was really floating in cash, had no debt and like my mortgage was paid off or something. I'd spend 500 and get a new one. 900 is really expensive - you can get a very nice brand new dishwasher for 500 easily. The extra 200 is worth it for a new one but not an extra 600.

formerlyGDaisy09 · March 2014

jessica490 said:

I would just get a new one. I think our GE dishwasher was about $400 or so but we bundled it with a washer and dryer when we bought it. It would definitly look for something cheaper than $900, that seems crazy. Go check out Home Depot, Lowe's or Sears, sometimes you can get free financing.

careful with the box-stores their appliances have different, lower quality, parts in them than the appliances reviewed in consumer reports (note 1-2 character differences in model numbers). those appliances are going to be more prone to break sooner than if you go to a more local dealer that can order whatever model number you're looking for direct from the manufacturer, you also may have to deal with the Box-store's sub-par customer service if your appliance does break.

brij2006 · March 2014

If you have the cash to buy a new one, then I would do it. Especially since you've been having trouble with the GE appliances in general and would like to replace them as they go.

This is coming from someone who purchased a new microwave last year that doesn't match a single one of our appliances, because we know we won't be going with Maytag next time around and our microwave had given out.

I also don't feel like the $900 price tag is that bad for a decent dishwasher. But we're looking at a Bosch that would easily set us back close to that. We have a $300 Maytag we bought 3 years ago, and it's already needed 2 parts replaced in it.

daisy662 · March 2014

I am considering getting a more expensive dishwasher because ours is only 2 yrs old and already broke. We do have the money to buy a fridge also if it goes. I am leaning toward just buying a new one but thought if ask for others thoughts. Hand washing dishes for a while is not an option even if it is MM! Lol

cbee817 · March 2014

We got a Frigidaire Professional in 2010 when we gutted our kitchen (the old layout didn't have a dishwasher). It was like $700 (install was an extra $100) and it works great. We bought ours from a local appliance store and got 0% financing for 12 months (we bought a new gas stove and fridge too so it was a big bill)

Erikan73 · March 2014

I wouldn't spend $300.00 to fix an dishwasher. By me they have a Sears Outlet store where they sell scratch & dents & discontinued models. On the scratch & dent stuff, depending on where the damage is & how bad it is, it's not a big deal. For example, the fridge we picked out had some scratches on it, most of them are below the counter top line so they will be hidden by the cabinets. The other scratch, well since we got a black fridge, I just used a sharpie & no more marks. But I saved almost $1,000 for getting that fridge. Also saved over $300 on a dryer there, nothing wrong with, still brand new, just a model that Kenmore was no longer making (last year model). So you may want to see if you can find a store near you that sells stuff like that. My thinking is $300 for repair or if you can find a washer you like for $350 or $400, get the new unit if you can afford it.

CuriousKiddosMama · March 2014

I wouldn't spend $300 to fix a dishwasher because our dishwasher we bought last year, that was a closeout model was under $300 brand new.. Ours is perfectly fine, has been working great and is super quiet. The cycles are long because only either the top or the bottom is washing at one time, but that helps keep it quiet. I would look into other options besides a $900 dishwasher, or fixing the one you have.

Wulfgar · March 2014

I agree with most of the people, I would buy a new one in the $500 to $600 range instead of the $900. Just because it is more expensive doesn't mean that it is any better or will last any longer.

Since you have cash though, it is more what you want to spend.

JoanE2012 · March 2014

Wulfgar said:

I agree with most of the people, I would buy a new one in the $500 to $600 range instead of the $900. Just because it is more expensive doesn't mean that it is any better or will last any longer.

Since you have cash though, it is more what you want to spend.

This.

We spent about $700 on a dishwasher and had to immediately have service on it because the company (LG) put the vent at the bottom of the dishwasher and it would drip on our wood floors! There was a fix for it, but it was annoying. Also, our dinner plates do not stand up easily between the tines. If I move the drawer too fast they fall over onto each other like dominos. I don't think my plates are that oversized....I think LG just has poor design. But if I learned one thing, it's always to bring in a few plates to test in the store dishwasher before buying!

short+sassy · March 2014

I'm going to vent with you, OP. I just bought a BRAND NEW dishwasher, had a licensed plumber install it, and it isn't working. Great. So now I need to go back to Home Depot, schedule another delivery to bring a new one and take away the defective one. And that will probably take at least a few days, if not a a week. It wouldn't be quite so bad if it were my dishwasher, but it is for my rental unit that has new tenants so it is a bit embarrassing.

daisy662 · March 2014

@short+sassy that is awful. What brand? I finally just bit the bullet and bought a new one. My H did a ton of online research and it seems the one with the best reviews is Bosch so we went with a middle of the road of their models. It ended up costing about $900 with tax, delivery and setup which I didn't think was too bad.

short+sassy · March 2014

It's a GE. I can't remember the exact model, but it is on the lower end price-wise. It was normally $450, on sale for $400, and I talked them into a 10% discount, so I got it for $360. Though it wasn't a floor model or anything. Since I wrote my last post, my husband and plumber figured out it is one of two problems.

I went back to Home Depot last night with all my paperwork and the two people in the appliance area didn't seem to have any idea what to do. So it took awhile because the one helping me had to call around and find out the procedure. Apparently, they have to troubleshoot with my husband first over the phone...then if it is still not working (and it won't be)...they will send a repair person out within two days. Who should be able to fix it, because the one of two problems it could be are both minor reapirs. But, if not, it is only after that they send a new dishwasher. That is all with GE.

Which made me wonder what people are receiving if they choose to buy the "extended warranty" (I didn't) for appliances. One of the supposed "perks" of doing that is Home Depot will take care of everything so you don't have to bother with the manufacturer, yet I'm still within my Home Depot 90-day warranty, and they are still going through the manufacturer. I already have a 1-year manufacturer's warranty so why would I pay $40 extra (which was the 1-year price) for Home Depot's special one when it sounds like it would be the same process?

That's a rheotorical question, but it just makes me think those extended warranty deals are even scammier than I already thought they were, lol.

daisy662 · March 2014

Ugh, ours was a GE also! And only 2 years old! I will never buy GE appliances again. I agree about the warranties - total scam I know a bunch of people who used to work for Circuit City and they have all told me they are scams and how the salespeople made their money since they were commission based... Good luck with everything. What a pita....

WWMMD? Re: broken dishwasher

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