Kenmore Elite / LG model 795.7205 Frig not cooling

[Jody M]

I am going through the same problem at the moment.  But I can't find my owner's manual.   Purchased the Kenmore Elite 795.74025 back in November 2015.  I'm sure my compressor should be covered for labor as well.  Tried looking up the manual online, and the current manual clearly states labor is only included if the failure is in the first year.  Clearly states customer is now responsible for labor.  Anyone want to send me their manual temporarily?

[G Brinton]

Having my failed compressor replaced on my Kenmore Elite 795.7205 by a Sears technician as I'm writing this reply.  Purchased fridge from Sears in Apr 2012 for $2549.99.  Compressor failed in Aug 2019.  Warranty in my manual clearly states "For ten years from date of purchase, a defective compressor will be repaired free of charge."  I mention this to the technician and he tells me it is still going to be $450 to do all of the repairs.   Although he is not charging me for the compressor part or labor to replace the compressor (shows me on the bill where those two are zero cost), he says that there are two other parts associated with the compressor replacement, a filter dryer and some fittings, that he has to replace per LG repair process.  The form in his system says that the filter part only costs $19.12 but when I question him about why the bill is so much he said that LG charges them $150 for the part so they have to put it in the system that way.  Also, the labor to flush the system and install the filter/fitting parts is a fixed fee per their drop down menu that they use to enter the tasks in their system.  He says he also has to clean out the whole system because the failed compressor releases contaminants (dryer oil?) that can cause damage to the system in the future. 

So $450 to repair a failed compressor that is explicitly called out as being covered in my warranty.  I have been going back and forth with the the tech but he is standing his ground.  I said that parts and labor associated with replacing the covered part should also be covered.  He says no, that's the way he has to do it.  Unfortunately I have been without a fridge for almost 3 weeks now so I can't continue to argue with him.  I must accept defeat and pay for something that I strongly feel I should not have to.  

Total cost quoted to me by the tech: $450
Cost after his manager applies a coupon: $313.64  

Parts Cost: $19.12
Labor Cost: $175.00
Diagnostic Fee: $99.00

Tech says that most of his calls are for this compressor and he typically stocks 25-30 of them at any given time.   He estimates that 1 in 3 of these Kenmore/LG compressors will fail.  He also says that LG only reimburses them (the repair company) $135 for the warranty replacement work, which is clearly not enough for 3.5 hours of work + travel time, etc.  This is all questionable business practice at best, and perhaps even fraud and/or misrepresentation on the part of Kenmore/LG about the warranty coverage.  I would love to be informed of any class action lawsuits on this fridge if they happen in the future.  

[Budget Appliance Repair]

@G Brinton

You very well could have a claim to get what you paid back but the original warranty is what is stated in the owners manual.

Usually 1 year full parts and labor for anything
2nd-5th year any thing to do with sealed system PARTS ONLY - you're responsible for the labor cost
6th-10th year compressor PART ONLY, (You would be responsible for the any parts required besides the compressor and full labor)

There was class action that was settled quite some time ago for any for units purchased before Jan.29, 2014 - this info is in the current ongoing class action that was started in April 2019

Quote

3.      LG previously settled a class action alleging its refrigerators are defective.
The claims extinguished by the judgment in that case, however, are limited to those
involving purchases before January 29, 2014, which marks the beginning of the class
period in this case. See Judgment, Clark v. LG Elecs. USA, Inc., No. 3:13-CV-485-JM
(JMA), ECF No. 71, ¶ 2 (S.D. Cal. May 15, 2015); see also id. ECF No. 44-3, § 2.71(a).
Since settling Clark, LG has continued selling defective refrigerators that have failed at
extremely high rates—a “pandemic,” according to one news report. Despite its
knowledge of the compressor defect, LG sold and continues to sell the LG Refrigerators
without alerting purchasers to the problem.

Here's the PDF link for the current ongoing case that the above quote is from:
https://www.classaction.org/media/gary-sosenko-et-al-v-lg-electronics-usa-inc.pdf

 

And a couple of links pertaining to the prior case I believe:
https://www.wfsb.com/news/lg-faces-class-action-lawsuit-as-customers-left-without-fridge/article_9ac1f25e-49e5-5ec3-ac19-ae59c495e03b.html

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/860317-lg-class-action-says-refrigerator-compressor-defect-spoils-food/

I'm not sure if the Kenmore branded units would be included in these or not, (They were built by LG have the exact same problem because they are the exact same refrigerators made by LG but branded as Kenmore for Sears).

Edited August 21, 2019 by Budget Appliance Repair

[LoadStar123]

My Kenmore Elite failed on June 2, 2020. I thought it was out of warranty so I found an appliance technician using the Thumbtack App. The technician came the following day and diagnosed the problem as a faulty compressor. The cost was $40. He told me that LG made poor quality compressors that fail frequently and because of that, they offer a 10 year warranty on the part. The tech also said a warranty sticker should be on the refrigerator but he didn't see one. He provided me a quote of $800 - $1000 (parts and labor) to do the job. Of that amount the labor cost was going to be a minimum of $500.

At that point I said I would be in touch and searched the internet for the warranty information for a Kenmore Elite. That's how I found this website.  I quickly located my owner's manual and original purchase receipt that I had filed away. On the first page it said:

"For ten years from the date of purchase, a defective compressor will be repaired free of charge"

"This warranty covers only defects in material and workmanship"

The purchase year of my refrigerator was September 2011. I called Sears and got the run around just like everyone described. They told me the techs can't work for free. I asked to escalate but they never called back.  Since I knew that would happen, I booked an appointment with a Sears tech online. The Sears tech came on June 4 and confirmed it was indeed the compressor that failed. He was made aware of my receipt and owner's manual. 

Sear will be shipping a compressor to my house and the same tech will replace it for $53.50 when it arrives next week.  

I have an email confirmation of the compressor replacement cost from Sears. The Sears diagnostic fee shows $139 on their website but that amount is the maximum they will charge. It's not a flat fee, it just depends on how long the tech takes to find the problem.

I have a second refrigerator so I can cope with the inconvenience.

Sears clearly won't tell you about the warranty information. They are hoping their customers don't know the purchase date, warranty information or have the manual.

When a car is serviced at a dealership under warranty, there is no charge. Just collect your car and go. Then the dealership will file a claim against the warranty insurance to be reimbursed. Sears is not doing that.

Sears is being greedy because the money that unsuspecting customers pay, is extra profit for them.

My total cost will be $40 (first tech) + $53.50 (Sears tech) = $93.50

Moral of the story: Be a knowledgeable consumer 

 

[LCDukes]

Thanks for the information here. Our Kenmore Elite from 2012 (795.72053.110) failed last week. We had a tech out yesterday who was only able to tell us that the compressor was bad and we would have to pay for the labor to replace it ($500). Our manual also says "will be replaced free of charge" for ten years. I spent at least two hours on the phone trying to establish that this warranty would be honored before having the part ordered. I have a hilarious chat transcript - here is a part of it (it is pages long):

Rob Fleming (22:18:48 GMT) : Absolutely. However, the manufacturer has informed us that if the part is covered under the additional part warranty the labor should be honored by the customer.
Visitor (22:19:26 GMT) : Sorry, I am not sure what that means (honored by the customer).
Visitor (22:20:10 GMT) : It is a Kenmore Elite.
Rob Fleming (22:20:33 GMT) : Yes, I understood. In simple words. if the part is covered by the manufacturer for an extended period of time the labor should be levied on customer.
Visitor (22:21:12 GMT) : That is not what the owners manual says. It is very clear that the repair is to be made at no charge to the customer for 10 years from the date of purchase.
Visitor (22:22:00 GMT) : And the Kenmore warranty website states that the warranty is as described in the owner's guide.
Rob Fleming (22:22:47 GMT) : We do not want to give surprise on the service day. Hence, we are upfront about the labor charge. You can contact the manufacturer at XXX-XXX-XXX for more clarification.

So, ultimately he said there was no way to confirm the warranty coverage up front, that the tech has to do it when preparing the estimate. However, from other threads here, it looks like having the manual is key, which we do. Apparently, you can also claim for lost food if you make the claim within 14 days of the failure. We threw out about 80 lbs of very nice homeade soups, casseroles, paella, pasties, stews. It will be interesting to see how that goes.

Thanks again for the guidance. I am going to rebook the tech to come out and do the work. He told my husband yesterday that if he did not make the decision on the repair right then and there we would have to pay for two service visits, but I don't believe we will be agreeing to that.

[Arlington Owner]

So I am trying to figure out how folks get things covered under warranty? Since I purchased my unit online, there is a link to the PDF of the owners manual AND it comports with what was in the Kenmore Warranty information section of their website (https://www.kenmore.com/warranty-information/#elite-refrigerators) and this is the language:

----

Ten Years on Linear Compressor

FOR TEN YEARS from the date of sale, the linear compressor of this appliance is warranted against defects in material or workmanship.* If the compressor is defective within the first year, a new one will be supplied and installed at no charge. If the compressor is defective after the first year, a new one will be supplied but not installed at no charge. You are responsible for the labor cost of part installation after the first year from the date of sale. This warranty coverage applies for only two years from the sale date if the appliance is ever used for other than private household purposes. *Defects must be verified by a Sears authorized service representative.

----

I called for warranty service and I was told the first available appointment was in 2 weeks + 1 day and I'd have to pay a $149 diagnostic fee + labor for replacement of the compressor if that was indeed the issue (I got a independent technician out and he confirmed it was indeed the compressor). My issue is I don't want to pay for a mini fridge + $400 or so for labor (inclusive of diagnostic charge) only to have the fridge fail down the road. There is really no guarantee Kenmore will still be around to give me a free part in exchange for $400 a few years from now. I have already ordered a new Whirpool fridge, but I'm wondering whether to get my Kemore Pro fixed and sell it to recoup some of the $3200 (with tax) I spent in 2016.

[Kristamo]

Hi.  I've been dealing with Sears as well for the same reason and unfortunately I do not have an owners manual to verify that labor will be covered by the warranty.  The one I found online seemed to be updated to clearly state that labor WILL NOT be covered.  

Could someone post a link to a manual showing that the "compressor WILL BE repaired" and doesn't clarify parts only?  

Or I would be happy to pay for postage if someone was willing to mail theirs to me and I'd be happy to mail it back.  

thanks!  SO glad I found this thread.

[miftah]

It would be really helpful if someone can share a copy of the owners manual that says 10 years parts and labor for the Linear compressor?