Why I'll Never Buy Another Samsung Appliance Again
The $2000+ mistake I won't make again. Here's why I'll Never Buy Another Samsung Appliance Again.
I've thought about writing this post once a month since LAST December. Every time my Samsung fridge starts making airplane noises I vow to never buy another Samsung appliance again.
In May 2014 we closed on our first house. A foreclosure that was move-in ready although a little less than visually appealing.
The whole house things was a done deal as far as we were concerned before the end of February that year. The rest was just lawyers, inspections, paperwork - you know all the annoying parts of buying a house.
I was over the moon though, and started making arrangements for all of the necessities right away. Topping the list were appliances.
Having lived in rentals for years and years, I'd had a few appliances over time, but never anything very nice. Some rentals include a refrigerator, others include a washer but no dryer - there's no rhyme or reason to any of it. So we'd had to purchase a washer at our last rental property, but the dryer and refrigerator belonged to our landlord.
As a food blogger I was obviously SUPER EXCITED to shop for a new fridge and had a list of qualities I wanted in my new appliance.
- stainless steel
- french doors
- easy-to-organize freezer space
- ice maker!
- water dispenser
- at least 28 cubic feet of space
So obviously we could have gone in a million different directions. There are LOTS of refrigerators that fit these specs. Not having a brand preference at this point in our refrigerator-buying consumer career, we were open to options and shopped ... and shopped and shopped. We did our due diligence with price comparisons, and went around to all the stores so that we could open all the doors and drawers and look at the features in person.
After all the deciding we chose the Samsung RF28HFEDBSR. Here's my fridge y'all.
(Photo from the Samsung Website)
Looks good, right?
And it was good. Until December 2016.
So first, lets review the dates.
The sticker in my refrigerator says that it was manufactured in January 2014. I bought it from a local appliance store here in March 2014. We had it delivered and installed in our new house in mid-May 2014.
That means that my brand new $2000 appliance lasted exactly 2 years and 7 months before quitting.
What happened?
Just before Christmas last year the heating element in my stove went out. I had a bunch of client work due and was not super excited at the prospect of appliance shopping (except I WAS a little excited?!) in an emergency right before Christmas. But the stove came with the house and it had plenty of wear and tear before we moved in.
One $11 heating element from Amazon later and that crisis was averted.
One day later my Samsung fridge started making a loud humming noise.
The next day it go louder.
And then louder.
And I got a little worried.
It seemed like the condenser was freezing up. So I think okay... well this thing is barely 2.5 years old. So let's see what's covered under warranty.
I called Samsung.
And it was a predictable nightmare. It was like that time I called Verizon and all I accomplished was wine and anger.
I was on hold for an eternity. I got transferred 22 times. There was a language barrier. And! I have 1 million things to do that are not sitting on hold because of an expensive-ass broken refrigerator that at this point was as loud as the air compressor in the garage.
When I finally got someone on the phone though, he was the nicest guy. He walked me through the steps of defrosting the fridge. He called me back to check on me. I was like OKAY! It's good! This is all good.
I thought it was fixed.
Thirty Days Later...
It started all over again.
I wasn't too worried this time though, because The Nicest Guy ever was somewhere on the other end. Except this time HE WASN'T. I never actually reached a person that gave a damn.
Someone finally scheduled a serviceperson to come out [which is SUPER FUN when you have 6 dogs at home] but that was a whole other nightmare. It was going to be weeks and weeks before a certified technician could come to where we live. I was worried the fridge was going to quit completely and it was SO LOUD THAT I COULDN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK.
So I Googled the steps to put the fridge back into maintenance mode, defrosted the fridge and...
... have been doing that once a month ever since.
Once a month it sounds like I have power tools in my kitchen. Every 30 Days I have to put the milk in the freezer and thaw out the fridge. Then I have to worry that all the food is going to spoil and why did I buy so much chicken?!
I'll Never Buy Another Samsung Appliance Again
This all happened about the same time that Samsung phones were banned from airplanes. Exploding phones, frozen condensers, and if you take a look at Consumer Affairs we are all having the same Samsung Refrigerator issues.
I'll never buy another Samsung appliance again.
Currently seeking a new brand to love - give me your recommendations!
Same problems. We have had repair problems with all of our Samsung appliances - refrigerator, dishwasher and stove. Stove was uniquely broken.
UGH - so annoying! I just had to defrost my fridge again yesterday. It's only a matter of time before I'm forced to replace it, I'm sure.
Samsung Refrigerator Recall USA is a Facebook page. It explains how many of us have gotten refunds ( full or partial) from Samsung by filing with the NJ better business bureau. please check it out because it tells you everything you need to know about how to proceed. Also there is a class action lawsuit about many of the refrigerators.
STRONGLY recommend Whirlpool! Whirlpool corporation owns several other names (i.e. Roper, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn Air, Estate, Amana- all these are manufactured by Whirlpool). Many people think you will get better quality if you spend more money. This is not true.The price differences will be about options, features, size, color, etc.
More money will mean more doo-dads that you may or may not ever use. Think about what features you have now and don't use or what options you wish you had. Don't pay for options you aren't going to use. I don't recommend stainless steel because it only looks beautiful if you never use it. It scratches and stains easily. I also don't recommend the extended warranty unless you have a large family (6 or more) and/or a lot of usage. All appliances can and will break down. How soon is just a matter of how much it's used.
@Greg, this is the most helpful response I've read and really makes a difference to my buying confidence. I always liked whirlpool but now I won't be afraid of some of the other brands because I knew nothing about them. Thanks so much for the information!
As a Sears tech for 35 yrs, I have a little experience with Samsung refrigerators (aka "job security".) The recurring noise is a fan hitting ice that has built-up because the defrost water is not draining out as designed. The drain tube gets clogged easily. When the refrigerator auto defrosts itself, the melted frost turns to water and that water should drain to the pan underneath where it will eventually evaporate. If the water can't drain out, it freezes. It builds up until it touches the fan. If you defrost the ice but don't clear the drain tube, it will happen again and again. There are fans behind the interior back walls of both the refrigerator and freezer. This can happen in either cavity. After this has happened a number of times, the insulation on the cover (the one that you remove to access the fan) becomes saturated and it also freezes. It is then ruined and needs to be replaced (after you're sure you have solved the draining problem). A new fan may be included with the cover. If this problem has happened several times, the fan blade or fan motor may been damaged, you may want to replace that too.
AND NOW, The answer you've all been waiting for- how to clear the drain tube! There are two tubes, one for each of the refrigerator and freezer cavities. They are accessible from the exterior back panel. They each have a 'duck bill' in them that can stick closed or there can be debris (food, paper, etc) from the cavities. Be sure everything above the drain has been defrosted. When you remove the tubes, water should flow out of the holes where the tubes were attached. If no water comes out, you may have a clog farther up- that would need a professional repair person. Wash the tubes with dishsoap and a small bottle brush. After you reinstall the tubes, be sure the lower ends are resting in the pan so the defrost water doesn't go on the floor. If the drain tube gets clogged again, this will happen again...and again...Amen
Fridge died while on vacation. Once I got past the smell, called a repairman and he said " don't buy LG, Samsung or GE refrigerator". Mine was Kenmore elite, built by LG. He told me I was lucky to get 7 years out of my $2000 fridge. Lots of them are going in 2-3 years.
UGH o so frustrating! We still have ours - still defrosting once a month so the noise doesn't make me crazy. Haven't yet decided what to replace it with.
worst mistake ever buying all new Samsung appliances 5 years ago since I liked the style and blue lights- - -Refrig making loud fan noise, bins on the door had to replaced 4X since they crack easily, cubed ice light no longer works and already had to replace ice maker - washer won't empty the fabric softener in the load, dishwasher Now making noise-not normal and top tray comes off track easily. - - -they are the worst- - would love them to see this post- if they even care!
Never again even though 7 years old ice maker quit.. convection fan in oven quit before one year as well as control panel lights dish washer doesn't dry have to open door let sit a bit then still dry by hand....fridgedair in garage 27 years old been painted 3 times is still humming along. If you buy Samsung be sure and get a kiss because you have just been screwed.
Me too, loud noises, fan replacements, every 30 days my husband uses small hair dryer to free ice maker. Horrible parts service as well. NO NO NO to Samsung appliances.
@Tess h., I am on target against Samsung appliance two days online on Chat on phone, yips my food had to be thrown out a refrigerator full molded and thrown into the trash. It sincerely was a nightmare.
Bought a new side by side as a back up, 5 year extended warranty, its a beauty but don’t be fooled Samsung needs to stop building products for the kitchen and stay in the living room TV is good. Do not buy Samsung appliance period or you will be very angry you did.
@Tess h., A handheld steamer is easier to use and works better. It also is less likely to mount any of the plastic. I know this from experience with my Samsung.
I thought it was just me! Same exact thing happening right now! Argued my point today with Samsung June 14, 2019.
Jet engine noises (video ‘d it), temp panel reads 34 but internal compartment is 45 at least; ice maker not producing ice BUT there is a ice jam behind the back panel (peekingthrough the tiny vent slots of frig, freestanding water puddling under long crisper tray (above the not working freezer below).
Tossing food daily, even the tea is room temperature. What the jimmies?? Purchased in 2013 noticed noise within 1.5 years, condenser out since Feb2019 and now the frig is faulty. Wasted $2,000, lost food, and losing my mind and patience!!!!
@EB,
See explanation above (once the evaporator cover gets saturated and freezes, it blocks air flow causing refrig temp to stay too high)
Ditto ditto ditto. Bought a brand new Samsung refrigerator in December 2017, and had to replace the thermostat, the fan motor and the defrost kit last week (June 2019)!! ? My renters would not move in until it was fixed, so I lost over $350 in rental income wasting time with Samsung on the phone and online, only to have to wait for a service tech to finally come to repair it. That cost another $350. I'm LIVID, and will NEVER buy another Samsung appliance either!!!
Please never buy Samsung Refrigerator. Our brand new so call energy efficient $2500 Samsung refrigerator started making a loud noise out of nowhere. Local tech fixed it but am very very disappointed with Samsung appliances. Stay away from Samsung appliances, their customer service sucks too.
Good luck
AHHHH so infuriating! I am so sorry you are also dealing with this!
WOW....Thanks for the info. I am having to buy a new fridge for the new house due to the buyers asking for our 18 year old Kenmore. HOLY COW I had no idea refrigerators are so expensive!!! I have an American HOme Shield warranty, I HAVE NEVER had NEVER had an issue with AHS, just issues with the idiot contractors and AHS has allows corrected that issue for me. So after hearing the nightmares about LG/SamSung I called AHS and ask, Which brand of Fridge should I buy. their response was "DO NOT DNO BUT Samsung or LG". WE are backed up with parts orders for claims on these pieces of junk and we are replacing LT 5 year old units!!!!! Ok, buy a GE or Whirlpool. I am getting a GE Profile.
Thanks, Bentley! I wrote this post to vent, but it has really turned into a good resource! Lots of people with the same issues. I'd love to hear how your GE Profile works out. Our fix on the Samsung worked for less than a year and now I am back to defrosting the damn thing every month again. Useless piece of junk. Hope this post saved you some cash!
Thank you so much for letting us vent a little bit.
I literally hate Samsung now. They can make "decent" phones but can't make appliances. We bought a combo of Samsung appliances just about 5 years ago; Fridge, Oven & Dishwasher. All of them are a disaster. The Fridge has been making that noise forever now. Oddly enough, when I push on the door a little bit, the noise will dampen but I never figured out how to actually fix it. The oven, garbage.... The very first day we tried using it, itt wouldn't work. 2 weeks late a Samsung staff came to look at it and concluded it will need a whole need control panel or mainboard. Anyway, a pretty major part of the appliance. It works now but to preheat the oven at 350, I actually need to punch in 375 for it to register 350. It's basically off my 25 degres, wth? The dishwasher's bottom door seal just deteriorated to a point that there's considerable leakage but guess what.... You can't just replace the seal, it's part of the inner front door which means you actually need a whole need door just to have the seal with it. That is either complete incompetency at the design level or a major financial scam to entice people buy the more expensive part(s).
Never again.
Have the same model manufactured in Oct of 14. Frig fan motor went out. No problem I have a home warranty plan that covers my frig. Technician came right away. It’s now 3 weeks later and the part should arrive sometime next week. Must be a “slow boat from China”.
Yeah - it's SOOOO frustrating! Ours is better after the tech we found came out to fix, but I have still had to defrost the fridge several times since he replaced everything just so that fan isn't frozen. I will never buy another Samsung kitchen appliance again, that is FOR SURE. But I wish I knew which alternatives were working for people! It's such a huge purchase and it's so hard to know what will last more than a couple of years!
My $2000 Samsung POS lasted almost 3 years. Samsung refused to stabnd behind their products, even though they had a class action lawsuit filed because of this KNOWN issue. Whata crap company they are! I bought a whirlpool for half what i paid for the crap-sung and it has been fine. I will never buy a samsung ANYTHING. They have lost a customer for life.
@Dave,