Complaint Review: Samsung Corp - Ridgefield Park New Jersey

Samsung Electric Range Failure                                                                            

 In late January of 2014, we purchased a Samsung Electric Range (stovetop and oven) at a cost of roughly $1300.  With just two retired people being in the house, the range had light usage and was well kept.  The self-cleaning oven had been used annually to clean the oven.  On November 17^th of 2016, less than three years after purchasing the range, the self-cleaning feature was used to clean the oven.  After the cycle was finished, the oven door would not open. 

Upon examination, the appliance repairman said he had encountered this problem on a number of occasions, and that the Samsung product was prone to failure when using the self-cleaning feature, probably because of poor engineering and defective insulation around the oven.  He opened the back of the oven where a small motor drove the release latch on the oven door, and found it had failed.  He then manually opened the oven door and disconnected the motor from the door latch so the door could be opened when needed. 

Upon further examination, he found that the electronic control boards for the oven and the control display were also ruined (cooked) and needed replacement.  The cost of parts and labor was $725.  This did not include the cost of the door motor, as we did not want to use the self-cleaning feature again, nor use the door lock (the estimated cost for this repair would have been around $150).  Later we found that a couple of the heating units on the range top also malfunctioned in that the controls did not work properly (the “Low” setting would activate the “High” setting.  The electronic board for the range top had also been damaged.  Repair of the range top control will cost around another $250.  In retrospect, it would have been better to have dumped the range and bought a new one from a different manufacturer.

We called Samsung Customer Service and were told the range was out of its “One Year” warranty and therefore, the company would not stand behind the product, nor send new parts, or cover any of the costs.  Samsung Executive Customer Service was then consulted and they took the same position.  A letter of explanation of the failure of the stove was then sent to the Presidents Office.  A representative called back.

We explained again that the oven was little used, it was cleaned as instructed by the owner’s manual, that the process failed and cooked the control boards so that the product would no longer function, and that the repair costs were very high. The representative effectively said, tough luck, the product is out of warranty and the company has no obligation.

There are several conclusions to be understood from this experience:

1. The warranty period for this level product is unreasonable short at one year (we have a new Maytag washing machine, a mechanical device, that has a ten year warranty).
2. The repairman advised that he had encountered an unusually high percentage of such ranges made by Samsung, and that the product was prone to failure.  Our son, upon learning of our purchase of the product, also expressed his disappointment, saying he had heard the product was inferior.
3. Samsung Company will not admit to a defective product nor assist in its repair when appropriate.  The customer must bear all the costs of a defective product and its failure.
4. The Company’s recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is similar in its problems.  As noted by Luke Dormehl in the Wall Stree Journal (September 26, 2016) as I recall, Samsung reported that its replacement batteries quickly overheat and lose battery power.  Samsung allegedly rushed development of its Note 7 to gain a competitive edge against the iPhone 7, only to have to carry out an expensive recall after it turned out the phone batteries were prone to exploding.  Unfortunately, the replacement smartphones Samsung handed out — which feature non-removable batteries — are still riddled with problems. The complaints appear to have emanated from Samsung’s home turf of South Korea.
5. We also own a vacuum cleaner manufactured by Samsung.  It worked well for six months, then the sound deadening system in the vacuum cleaner failed and it is now very noisy.

Our advice - Stay away from Samsung products.