Smart Household Appliances More Likely to Experience Reliability Issues, J.D. Power Finds

New Study Evaluates Appliance Reliability and Service Experience during First Three Years of Ownership

TROY, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Refrigerators that suggest recipes, dryers that send a text when the load is finished and dishwashers that use artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize cycle adjustments are just a few examples of technology features that have now become commonplace in home appliances. According to the inaugural J.D. Power U.S. Appliance Reliability & Service Study,^SM released today, these smart technologies, which make use of built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities to connect appliances and their users, are also contributing to widespread reliability issues. In fact, washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators and cooking appliances (wall ovens, ranges and cooktops) with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities experience an average of 87 problems per 100 appliances (PP100), while those without any connectivity features experience an average of 63 PP100.

“Ask the average customers about their major household appliances and you will likely hear a familiar phrase: ‘They don’t make them like they used to,’” said Michael Taylor, senior managing director of retail practice at J.D. Power. “This is true, of course. Modern appliances are far more sophisticated and packed with more technologies than ever before. With that increased level of complexity, however, comes a greater potential for issues, which puts a spotlight on reliability as a critical factor in the customer experience and a key driver of brand loyalty.”

Following are some key findings of the inaugural study:

• Connectivity features linked to higher problem rates: The average number of problems customers experienced among all appliances evaluated in the study this year is 69 PP100. That number jumps to 87 PP100 among appliances equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Among customers who actively use these connectivity features, the problem rate increases further to 92 PP100, compared with 80 PP100 among those who own connected appliances but do not use the features.

• Customers who experience problems are far less loyal to their appliance brand: Among major household appliance customers who have not had any problems with their appliance brand, 52% say they “definitely will” repurchase the same brand appliance in the future. That number falls to just 32% among those who have experienced a problem with their appliance brand.
  
  
• Front-load washers have most reported problems: Of all appliance categories evaluated, front-load washers have the highest rate of reported problems, with an average of 89 PP100. Clothes dryers and cooking appliances have the lowest rates of reported problems, each with an average of 56 PP100.

Study Rankings

GE ranks highest in clothes dryer reliability with 45 PP100. Whirlpool (48 PP100) ranks second.

GE ranks highest in front-load washer reliability with 83 PP100. Samsung (84 PP100) ranks second and Whirlpool (88 PP100) ranks third.

GE ranks highest in top-load washer reliability with 60 PP100. Maytag (70 PP100) ranks second and Whirlpool (71 PP100) ranks third.

KitchenAid ranks highest in dishwasher reliability with 63 PP100. Bosch and GE follow in a tie (64 PP100 each).

GE ranks highest in side-by-side refrigerator reliability with 52 PP100. Whirlpool (60 PP100) ranks second and LG (68 PP100) ranks third.

GE ranks highest in French door refrigerator reliability with 65 PP100. Whirlpool (68 PP100) ranks second and LG (74 PP100) ranks third.

GE ranks highest in top-mount freezer refrigerator reliability with 51 PP100. Frigidaire (56 PP100) ranks second.

GE ranks highest in cooking appliance reliability with 37 PP100. Frigidaire (38 PP100) ranks second and Whirlpool (49 PP100) ranks third.

GE ranks highest in service experience with an overall customer satisfaction score of 778 (on a 1,000-point scale). Samsung (768) ranks second and Whirlpool (765) ranks third.

See the rank chart for each segment at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2025115.

The U.S. Appliance Reliability & Service Study measures the reliability of major household appliances purchased within the past one to three years, as well as the overall service experience of customers who had an in-home service technician visit coordinated by the appliance brand. Appliance reliability is evaluated using problems per 100 (PP100) as the unit of analysis. A lower PP100 score reflects higher quality, indicating that customers have experienced fewer problems, on average. Service experience is evaluated by examining customer experience across six core dimensions (in order of importance): ease of scheduling service technician visit; timeliness of completing the work; quality of the work performed; courtesy of the technician; knowledge of the technician; and professionalism of the service technician. The inaugural study in 2025 is based on 12,755 appliance reliability responses and 1,419 appliance service responses via online interviews conducted in June-July 2025.

For more information about the U.S. Appliance Reliability & Service Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/jd-power-appliance-reliability-service-study-award-information.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services, and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 55 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

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