Maytag Appliances

[linus69]

My wifes dream refrigerator was Maytags French Door model that you see on so many TV shows. So for the lake house thats what we got, it`s MSRP was $1599.00
After 18 months of use my wife told me it wasn`t cold anymore in the refrig top end and the ice was looking funny in the lower end.
Full warranty was for 12 months and it was the weekend.
We packed the food in snow on the 2nd floor deck and I started checking the unit out. The compressor start capacitor tested fine and up to specs.
I opened the technicians info pack that is under the unit and found the expected schematic and a surprise, 2 data sheets on how to put the unit into service test mode.
You can run 8 diagnostic tests using the temp, settings touch pads and readouts. Test 3 which was the evaporator fan on/off test produced no results.
The bearings in this POC plastic housing fan were shot and the shaft was binding. An online search for the replacement part turned up the fact that the POC plastic fan was replaced by a retro kit which contained a decent all metal fan motor and new bracket to hold it for $23.
I also found countless blogs cursing Maytag for my exact problem, this fan failing after 12-24 months in my model refrigerator. I also found out Maytag had basically gone belly up and been bought-out on the cheap by Whirlpool.
I found the needed kit available 22 miles away and paid $35.99 plus tax. The guy I got it from was a appliance repair place and he put a $15 mark up on it. The part was marked as a genuine Whirlpool/Maytag replacement part.
I installed the kit and the refrig was as good as new (which the darn thing is) and I put the food back in.
I called the Maytag customer satisfaction hotline and after a long,long wait I got a human. I explained I just wanted the part paid for or replaced, which is the 2-5yr part of their warranty.
He told me since I didn`t pay the $200 plus fee to have a Maytag tech come and do the work that they would not pay for the parts replacement.
With a few carefully chosen words I let him know they had lost another customer, which he seemed to be very used to hearing of late.
I understand they have active recalls on more than a couple of their clothes washers and dish washers.He also seemed to know about this plastic fan, but I guess since it hasn`t burned down enough houses yet, it hasn`t been recalled.
I guess the once under worked Maytag repairman is going to be very busy fixing their POC appliances. It`s a shame another Flagship American company has gone to hell in a hand basket.
I wouldn`t recommend one of their appliances to one of my worst enemies now.

[carld]

It really is a shame such as that is happening with Maytag. In years past they were considered top of the line appliances. At least you found the info to repair it yourself and save the $200 service fee that is if the service person was smart enough to find the problem or wanted to at all.

[linus69]

It`s a crying shame, Maytag is basically gone, it is now just a once good name that is now a fraud. Whirlpool will make as much as they can riding on what is now the "Legend" of Maytag`s once reliable, quality product line.
The repair people I`ve seen of late, even those dispatched by SEARS, I`ve found to be very very poor technicians, not even good parts changers. We`ve become a throw away society, I believe the highest elevation on the Eastern Seaboard is Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, NY.

[red]

I too used to believe in the Maytag Legend. When we moved into the new house 14yrs ago we bought all new appliances figured the wife needed new ones cause the old ones really weren't worth the effort of moving. Well the Maytag stove did not live up to the commerical within 18 months the igniton for the oven burnt up ($80) and by the second yr 2 of the burners had to be lit by a match. Last year the oven stop working again and this time it was the gas control module (if you rapped it with the handle of a screwdriver it would turn on) Bought a whirlpool gold series and love it. Had mostly good luck with whirlpool. -Ed