Generac Power Systems Reviews

We purchased a generic a year ago. The machine worked for a few months on standby, then wouldn't start. They make you pay $350 for a tech to come out to tell you they won't work on it. I had to find the parts and fix it myself. The warranty is worthless. I wish I had purchased a more reliable standby generator. It's a real shame, because the one I purchased 15 years ago has never had a problem. I suspect they have recent quality control problems. Please look at all your generator options carefully and stay away from Generac if you're able.

Horrible Company without any quality control or knowledgeable staff in the warranty department, nor any accountability anywhere in their corporate structure or office. Brand new 26kw generator leaking oil from presumably front (flywheel end) crankshaft seal prior to start up. I called the activation phone number to activate unit manually after numerous failed attempts to do this online and thru their non-functioning Wi-Fi mobile link app/generator module. I asked the individual on the phone while going thru the activation process if he could make a notation that the unit, straight out of the box with zero onsite run time minutes, had a small amount of oil residue present at the base of the engine right below the drain hose fitting and collected on top of the engine base mount. He said their system did not allow him to add notes to the record of activation process.

We purchased a Generac generator on April 2nd of this year. When we purchased, the Generac the recommended sales person came to our house for an estimate. As part of that process we were told that they were running a special and we would receive a 5 year extra warranty at no cost to us. So for this and other reasons we purchased the generator on April 2nd. The Generac website also had this offer on the website on that date. It took two months for the Generac installer to install our Generator and now they are denying the extra 5 year warranty. Classic bait and switch! We have discussed this with Generac in both email and on the phone and they are telling us that they will NOT honor the extra 5 years. STAY AWAY! We did everything right we used a vendor recommended on THEIR site for the install. Every single step of this was all them and now they will not honor what their representative sold us!

I purchased a Generac 24W in April 2026. On June 8th during its weekly test cycle, Generator started up and immediately shut down. Since that time, we have had several storms in the area. Thankfully did not lose power as I am waiting on parts to be replaced. First it was thought to be the battery, it was replaced and nothing. Second it was thought to be the controller, that was replaced and still nothing. After my technician waited three hours to get a hold of tech support at Generac, it was determined to be the cellular device. That had to be ordered. It arrived yesterday, 6/22.

Our 2 year old unit failed during a storm. We were charged $300 before a repair person would even come out, we have a warranty and pay for yearly maintenance inspection. The repairman didn’t have a part on his truck and left us without power. He advised we would be contacted on Monday, 2 days after the outage. The part was internal and under warranty so we were not charged again. Please explain how we are responsible to pay for your service personnel to come to address an issue with your unit while it is still under warranty. It is unconscionable that your advertisements show a family feeling safe during a storm and yet when your product fails when it’s needed and you have the nerve to demand payment by credit card before addressing a warranty issue.

A word of caution. I purchased my Generac units a couple years ago and it’s been okay. However I didn’t find out until after the fact that the extended warranty they so adamantly proclaimed during their sales pitch really only applied to their high end model.

While the brand new 26Kw home generator was operating within most normal parameters - it was extremely loud (100 plus decibels at 25’ away) from start up - using three different decibel apps. After multiple start ups and inspections we noticed a “puff” of smoke coming from under the new shiny heat shield - which we then removed to identify the problem. The brand new generator had an existing defect - please see pics - as it explains the obvious excessive noise issue. Reached out to Generac and they said to order a new part - but the two connections still appear misaligned - so we will install the new part whenever it arrives and then determine if it was a defective part, OR a major misalignment from the factory… Stay tuned.

I rarely write negative reviews, but I feel compelled to share my Generac. I've owned Generac generators for over 20 years & recently invested in a Generac PowerCell2 system to work alongside my existing Generac generator. I've chosen Generac because of the company's long-standing reputation and growing up, my father always insisted that if you were buying a generator, you bought a Generac. Unfortunately, my recent experience has been extremely disappointing.

Called Generac in Wisconsin for a part number for a starter motor, was put on ignore three or four times and Keith. My CSR could not find a part number for a starter motor on a guardian 17 Kw generator. In fact, I do not believe he even knows what a starter motor is or does?

I do not recommend Generac! I purchased a unit for my egg room, and since the date of installation the unit has not stored one time. A call was made to Generac to assist in a failed new unit and they just played the blame game and said it was the gas hook up problem. So I called and had to pay another gas man again to check and it was hooked up correctly and set at manufacture specs and the unit will not start. They sent a Generac service man out after three months and he determined it had a bad motor and would get it taken care of within ten days and it’s been a month now and he will lot answer phone or text and no communication.

When hurricane Helene hit us here in Dearing Georgia, daily for three weeks I had to find gas stations for fuel and daily I had to carry thirteen gallons of fuel to feed my two 8500 watt generators to supply power to my home. I’m 64 years old so with that I had had enough. I called Generac and a service man came out and said due to demand it would be about three months before an install could be done. I gave him a $6000.00 deposit and two months later they were here ahead of schedule, I’m a retired electrical engineer so as they performing their job I allowed them their space to do their jobs.

I have no complaints about the portable generator I purchased. So far so good. However, I have never had such poor customer service from a company. I have contacted customer service twice now, and both times I have spoken to an elderly females that just act irritated and rude.

I am an electrical contractor with a Generac Installers certification. I would not advise buying a Generac generator. They are unreliable. They have an issue out of the box 80% of the time. They just "upgraded" the installation to be 100% via app and it fails to install correctly 100% of the time. Pick any other brand.

Generac warranty is very close to being worthless. I had my generac professionally installed and just a few months later, it was not working properly as it would quit running and show error codes. I called generac and they gave me the contact for an authorized generac maintenance company. The technician came out and found that the ground wires to the circuit board were loose from factory. I spent months trying to get reimbursed for the money that I paid for the service call and finally got only about a third of what I paid. Generac SUCKS! I would not recommend them. They are crooks! I wish I had never bought a generac. BUYER BEWARE, THEY WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR WARRANTY. JUST ANOTHER RIP-OFF COMPANY!

I spend 5k a year for repair and maintenance on a 120v and a 480v generator. Both with the Ford engine and natural gas. We haven't lost power twice in the past 3 years. I pay for the yearly maintenance contract and it always costs A LOT more to find the issues and repair them. The last maintenance visit, I have had the repair guys out at least every month as they keep failing to start on the weekly maintenance start up.

Bought full house generator in September 2025. Electric went out in January 2026, generator ran for 26 hours. Then the engine died. Took over 3 weeks for new engine to arrive. February 2026 new engine installed. March 2026 it ran for 4 hours and died. Here it is 3 weeks later still waiting for Generac grievances and appeals to let me know what they are going to do. I told them this unit is a lemon and I want a complete new one and for them to add a 10 year warranty.

We own a 24kw Generac generator with three smart switches. The unit is a little over five years old. We have had to replace all three smart switches as all of them have failed. Generac admitted they were a weak component yet refused to help in any way. The customer service rep only stated that the warranty on the replacement switches is now three years where they used to be covered only for one year. Obviously, these switches are a problem and Generac has no intention of helping. Truly poor customer service and poor dependability of a component that should last much longer. You may want to look for other alternatives for standby power.

Had my Generac 9 years and the engine died 1/30/2026. It is under warranty and still haven’t had it replaced. Generac Customer Service is awful and I would not recommend them to anyone looking for a full house generator. Use anyone but Generac. Awful!!!

I purchased the Generac based on good reports. In terms of reliability. However, within I warranty period my motor was defective and was replaced. Unfortunately within 3 years of it being replaced the new motor seized And Generac did not offer any type of warranty on the new motor defect. I contacted generac head office hoping to work out some type of a warranty agreement. But with no luck. If you're going to provide a customer with a new motor that motor should not seize within a couple of years with no recourse to the homeowner.

We have a whole house Generac generator installed in 2017 or 18 with a 10 year warranty. We thought we were covered for power outages. It seems that every year, for the last 3 -4 years something goes wrong that isn't covered under warranty like circuit boards and connectors. Just had power outage. It came on fine but when power was on again generator went off but didn't transfer to power co. Had to call service co. to come out 5am to fix it. Needed new board (that was replaced last year) again. $350 again.

I needed this generator to come through and work truly one time. 2 feet of snow. Power went out the everywhere. Generator never worked. Service for my system came three days later. I assume the other generators also failed.

Buy any other generator but General. Their customer service is non existing. They wrote on their retail boxes and on their owners manuals DON’T RETURN TO STORE. CALL 888-436-3722 and when you call some old lady answers that has ZERO product knowledge and is about as useless as they come. If fact this is a third party company that Generac has contracted to provide customer service and technical support but they know absolutely nothing. Conclusion, Generac is a lousy company that doesn’t give 2 hoots about providing customer service. Better look for another option.

I not had any luck with mine. Bought it new. Only had it 8 months or so and it's been repaired twice, with power going out. Now I'm sitting here with no power and it's not running. Will have to get looked at again. I'm told warranty don't cover what's happening.

First, you spend a small fortune just to buy the unit and install it. Then comes the real nightmare: maintenance and repairs that are outrageously expensive, to the point where it feels like a scam. You might as well buy a Porsche and rebuild the engine—it would honestly be cheaper to maintain than this so-called “reliable” generator. My unit cost $6,000. A Generac-authorized company charged $1,200 just to diagnose an issue. Then we were told the control board needed replacement—not the whole board, mind you, just a small chip—at a jaw-dropping $3,200. That’s insanity. For a “small” residential generator.

Junk. Is year long dispute with a bad generator. No warranty has been met. Will pay to have it picked up and fixed and buy a Craftsman. Pure junk. Hope your company folds. It 0 degrees outside. Glad I have a wood stove. Seen a posting on getting in touch with the Attorney General. Think I'll do the same.

Spent $15,000 on a whole house Generac & less than a year later unit doesn't work and trying to get warranty service is useless. Worst purchase I've ever made. Warranty is worthless. Find a brand that will actually stand behind their warranty claims, or you'll be sorry when something goes wrong. I can't emphasize enough how worthless their warranty is and how, in such a short time, the generator has broken down.

I have a Generac solar system.. It has been installed for 3 years..hasn’t gone 3 weeks without something breaking down. From defective snaps, pvlinks and a controller, to the battery system not switching over during power outages this system has been nothing but a nightmare.. and the dealer they told me to call that sold and installed the system won’t service the system, as he states they are too unreliable… he states he no longer sells them.. worst decision I’ve ever made to use Generac for battery back of of my solar system.

Excellent, reliable generator that we have had for 4 years. Horrible antique wireless adapter that should have been updated years ago drops continuously. Makes the mobile app useless unless you enjoy opening up your generator and reconnecting weekly.

We live in Hilton New York outside of Rochester. Integrated Power Supply Incorporated so does a Generac high-end generator. We have a 10-year warranty that's supposed to cover everything that we paid extra for. It was installed July 23rd 2025 by January 9th 2026 5 and 1/2 months later it's dead. The motor blew out and spewed oil everywhere and instead of giving us a new machine they refused so we went through the appeal process with generac. Brittany ** the appeals decider decided to refuse us and just give us a new motor instead.

I bought the 26kw generator for our all electric home. We contacted Generac who referred us to Echo Electric Supply, Council Bluffs, IA. They in-turn gave us the name of authorized installers and we chose one of them to install the unit. The unit was installed and I bought a maintenance agreement for it for 2 years from Generac recommended service facility. We purchased a brand new tank from Knudsen oil & propane, Washington, NE. They have installed over a hundred generators and been in business for 40+ years. 2 months later we get a phone call from the installer that the inspector had written a comment in our Generac files saying we had inadequate tank for this propane generator. We had the inspectors name and phone and his boss. I called the inspector, very polite young man and he said he never put any comments in the files. I then called his voice mailed boss, not uncommon when trying to reach echo electric.

I bought a Generac 10kW standby generator from the local dealer here in DownEast Maine just over four years ago. I am currently awaiting delivery of my SECOND replacement engine. The first one absolutely drank oil - a quart bottle was lasting for less that 12 hours runtime, and after the dealer tried and failed to fix it, Generac told them to replace the engine. The replacement engine has just died, the dealer's tech believes with a broken crank rod, and I'm now awaiting another replacement. The dealer's tech was honest enough to tell me that they'd had a lot of problems with the single cylinder engines, and consequently no longer sold them. Generac refused to consider any kind of upgrade, even with me paying any difference in price, all they would tell me is that if I wanted to replace the generator with a different model, I would just have to buy a different generator from the dealer.

Worst purchase experience of any product in my life. The 24Kw generator arrived dead on arrival. I spent months (still not fully resolved) trying to get a replacement but they insisted on having several repair companies try to repair what was several broken seals and an engine that was cracked. They still insist that they acted in good faith but only replaced when I threatened to report them to the state Attorney General office. I was making payments for months for a non-functional generator and Generac still refuses to reimburse me for that period.

Purchased a solar system with inverter, panels and battery cabinet in August 2021. It has not functioned properly since it's been installed. I have a 25 year warranty which is totally useless. The electric company that Generac is contracted with in my area, comes out and does a scope and determines what's wrong and that it would be a warranty covered repair. Generac denies it. It's been nothing but a headache. I have an active lawsuit with this company and open BBB complaint. Literally the worst experience of my life. Do anything but buy any generac product. I've been trying to get a single issue fixed for 7 months. According to the electrician they contracted and sent out, it's an easy fix but they are purposely denying it & trying to save money by not fixing issues. So it's blatantly intentional.

I question the low scores for Generac. Our experiences have been exceptional, both with the generator and the generator support team that’s available 24-7. The system is a little techy for me and being able to call them and have a person be patient, knowledgeable and clear to understand to assist is well worth the peace of mind this purchase has provided. On a 1-5 scale, I give them 100!

I bought a new gp9200e. Ran it a few times here and there to make sure it was ready for use. Well time finally came and it's a complete turd. It can't run half what my onan pro6000e did. One 240 leg was gone. After about 6-7 hours the missing leg started working, but not enough to power any 220v devices. It runs poorly, governor bounces constantly, power is inconsistent. If you tighten the fuel cap it draws vacuum and starves itself of fuel after an hour, so the cap must remain loose. It's the most awful piece of junk. My onan was trouble free for over a decade. I hoped this would be an upgrade, but it's nothing but a disappointment. I was going to try and fix it, but it's not worth my time. I could never depend on it. This was my first and last experience with a Generac product. Absolute junk.

Size your generator using a good electrician. Total electric homes may require a larger unit. A 22kw unit w/ tax $7k-7.5k. Insure you can get propane co. To set and fill minimum 500gal tank. Some will not do this if you have no other gas appliances. 500 gal tank and first set and fill around $1,000. Plumber needs to install flex connector and hard black pipe to generator with connection for gas regulator at a minimum of 5' from unit. You will need a $250 battery for the generator also. Plumber may cost $150-$300. Natural gas if available is best option. To insure warranty is valid, have a qualified Generac tech perform the initial startup of your unit. I purchased a 22kw unit with transfer switch and flex connector included. Propane company said I was the last customer they would set, fill and service because I'm total electric and the revenue off of my usage is not very much.

Generac Generator purchased in May of 2021. Serial number: 000000003008290317 Unit Description: 48KW 4.5L 120/240 1P NG AL In the 4+ years we have had this generator, it has NEVER worked. It has NEVER once come on when we have lost power. It has an error of "low coolant." When a technician comes to service, they find that there is NOT low coolant. Generac has replaced the sensor twice. This has not worked.

Lost a sale due to shipment being lost. I contacted them for a refund and they refused. 60 days from original order. Was told there is a no return policy. Out of our control and they were unwilling to help. Told us to sell to another customer. Will not recommend to any other dealer.

I'm telling you the worst company to deal with. The second generator I had installed for over $12000 only worked for a month. Also, they forgot to plug my freezers in, and I had over $400 where the food go bad, they can care less. They're trying to get more money out of me for additional parts that wasn't in the estimate nor demon quoted to me. The first generator I had installed on Lasted, 5 years in. They stood toes from my basement.

I am not happy with Generac Generator's customer service. I had a generator installed Sept 2025 and in less than 30 days Oct 2025 a promotion came out for a 10 year warranty and Generac would NOT give me the better warranty, as a courtesy. WHY NOT??? I'm a Veteran, always hearing "Thank you for your service" well it sure would have been nice to be shown some thanks! It is not an unreasonable request to receive the better warranty especially since I just got my unit installed. If it was a product that could have been returned and repurchased I definitely would have done that, to get the better warranty. The general manager for Generac SHOULD NOT BE PROUD of the customer service rendered to me. I wish I could have spoken to the general manager about this. Absolutely ridiculous not to change my warranty after such a short period of time, and Really Thank a Veteran!!!