Service is a problem in the appliance
industry and by far our biggest department at Yale.
Other stores may tell you not to worry
about it, but we logged over 37,000 service calls last year alone.
and that's just in the Boston area.
In this video, you'll finally be able
to learn about the most reliable brands and appliances
based on those 37,000 service calls logged, you'll see each brands service percentage,
best attributes and their most common problems.
In some cases, you should not buy or
consider the most reliable brands on this list, depending on where you live.
There's a lot to digest, so let's get started.
The most reliable brands, typically sell more reliable categories
like laundry and more basic builder grade appliances.
However, there are some exceptions for better and even premium brands.
Some of the best brands on this list have
little support available when there is an issue.
So you want to buy a reliable brand, but also find the best support.
That said, let's get to the most reliable brands to
consider for 2021.
Sub-Zero is 10th on this list and has a 14.9 reliability percentage in the
first year. Once touring through the Sub-Zero factory.
The guide showed us their testing procedures.
He then asked me this question, "In your 30 plus years at Yale,
has there ever been a Sub-Zero to ever fail in register
No cold out of the box?" Having thought about it,
I've never actually heard of one.
What's so remarkable about this number is the actual service calls themselves.
Most are installation related, not performance or service related.
KitchenAid is number 9 and has a 13.1 percent reliability percentage.
KitchenAid's dishwashers are now statistically more reliable than even arch rival Bosch
by 1.5 percent for the first time in five years.
Their ranges work well, their refrigerators were tied with
Samsung as the 5th best French door refrigerator.
8th is Bosch, which has an 11.6 percent reliability percentage.
They are the best company to buy any appliance from due to their incredible
support, at least in Boston. They sell mostly dishwashers,
so this is no surprise. Their
compact laundry, however, may be the most reliable single appliance sold.
They also manufacture new two compressor French door refrigerator,
that was the second most reliable French door in 2020.
Seventh is Wolf, with a 10 percent reliability percentage.
It's amazing when a company only selling
expensive, unreliable equipment shows up on this
list. Wolf doesn't sell dishwashers, laundry or microwaves.
They sell only the most serviced appliances like pro ranges and wall ovens.
6th is Samsung with a 9.6 percent reliability percentage. Every year,
someone will call me out on Samsung's reliability and probably a deal or two.
I will repeat this:
These numbers are straight from our system.
I don't make them up.
These numbers are remarkable because
Samsung products are skewed to the more repaired refrigerator category.
However, this year, we shipped more basic dishwashers and laundry as well.
Samsung and a lesser degree, LG real problem,
and what will upset you is a lack of service techs in the field.
Everyone will always remind me of their class action lawsuits.
Every company has issues even on this list.
However, Samsung cannot handle their explosive growth in some markets.
Their lawsuits are a product of customer
dissatisfaction with the service more than the actual product.
Statistically, you will have fewer issues with Samsung.
However, there will be problems in finding common repair.
So check before you buy Samsung.
Miele is 5th most reliable and is a 9.3 percent reliability
percentage. Their dishwasher, laundry wall oven categories are excellent. Miele is
the last company to manufacture that parts
incorporated into their appliances, instead of outsourcing them like every other
manufacturer. It's more expensive than other brands like Bosch or Kitchen Aid,
but the reliability numbers are typically better.
Number 4 is Beko/Blomberg at 6.85% reliability percentage
Beko is new in the U.S. but is a popular European brand based out of Turkey,
Beko actively sells appliances in 140 different countries and manufactures other
products for companies like Viking and Bluestar.
Blomberg is a division of Beko,
sold mostly to builders,
their portfolio includes competitive dishwashers and compact laundry.
Their French door refrigerators with blue light technology was the best freestanding
refrigerator at keeping food fresher for a longer period of time.
When we tested it over a month.
It was also the 4th most reliable French door refrigerator sold in 2020.
Next, three brands were all technically tied for first.
LG has a 6.3 percent
reliability percentage, most of these units are laundry only
needing repair about seven percent the first year.
So this isn't too surprising.
Their refrigerators are decent but need 4 percent more service than average.
Whirlpool has a 6.3 percent reliability percentage.
You walk around a Yale store and hardly see Whirlpool applies except for maybe
laundry, 90 percent of these units are sold to
builders. They are basic products.
The builder channel requires less service because we're paid to do Start-Up checks
with service technicians before the owners move into the units.
This eliminates most of the potential
issues. Repair in your home should be similar or less than their sister brand
KitchenAid on this list at 13 percent repair.
GE appliances have a 6.3 percent reliability percentage. If 2020
has taught us anything, GE produces the best and most reliable laundry.
They also are decent all around in stoves.
They're also the most reliable French door refrigerator on the market in 2020.
Unlike other brands,
these numbers are store driven, not builder driven like Whirlpool, include more less
reliable appliances like refrigerators then LG.
So for 2020-2021 GE is the most reliable brand.
If you buy a whole kitchen, there's a good chance you will need
service on at least one appliance in the first year.
Bosch, GE, Sub-Zero and Whirlpool Brands
JennAir, KitchenAid and Maytag have the best tech support and part availability,
at least in Boston. Your area can be different.
Samsung and to a lesser extent LG have problems after the sale. The product works, but
when it doesn't, it will be your problem.
Most of these brands offer minimal
service, so finding consistent service should be part of your buying decision
before you buy, along with price, installation and delivery.
To learn more about the most reliable appliances, download our free appliance
buying guide with in-depth comparisons of all the most popular products answers
to frequently asked questions and buying strategies to save you money.
If you like the video hit subscribe
and be notified first if future videos we'll be publishing the individual product reliability posts like dishwashers,
washers and stoves in the upcoming weeks.
Thanks for watching.