Kenmore Refrigerators
ConsumerAffairs Accredited BrandRecognized as a top appliance brand for 100 years, Kenmore brings a new level of performance with appliances that deliver time savings, convenience and great results. From quickly cooling drinks to laundry loads completed in less time, Kenmore is the most awarded brand in the industry.
The Kenmore brand understands its customers’ wants and needs. Being in the lives of over 100 million Americans, performance innovations are a top priority of Kenmore product development. Ongoing engagement with our customers before, during and after purchases will help us maintain the honor of industry leader.
2384 Kenmore Refrigerators Consumer Reviews and Complaints
This review is about the Kenmore 22052 convertible refrigerator/freezer. After my 32 cubic foot LG French door fridge died, I spent significant amount of time researching the "next" refrigerator, and this website was invaluable. We almost bought a Frigidaire Gallery French door fridge, but to my horror, all of the units I looked at had green corrosion on the copper refrigerant tubing solder connections. These are brand-new units. It's a tell-tale sign of sloppy workmanship. The green crud is corrosion from failure to wipe off excess flux during soldering. In time it will develop a leak. I decided it was time for back-to-basics: no-frills, good workmanship, Made in USA.
I stumbled upon the Kenmore 22052 freezer which is made by Frigidaire/Electrolux in the USA (Most Frigidaire are made in Mexico). It is a freezer OR refrigerator (but not both -- it only has 1 compartment). The thickness of the walls is twice that of regular refrigerators, at nearly 3 inches. No electronic control. Uses a Panasonic DGK66C10RLU compressor. Lots of empty space where compressor and condenser coil are located, to promote natural airflow. No fan on the condenser coil to break (There is fan or blower for the evaporator coil, obviously.) And NO GREEN CRUD on the solder joints!
I figured if it's a freezer operating as a refrigerator, it's like driving a 500hp car at 25mph. It probably won't be working very hard, which hopefully extends its operational life. On sale for $649 -- pulled the trigger. Sears delivery was very good. They called 3 times to let me know delivery window. They were ahead of schedule. Not a single scratch on the unit or my house. Delivery folks even leveled the unit.
The 22052 is big... Almost the same footprint as my old LG and just 2" shy in width at 34". It's a true 20 cubic foot unit. (Many manufacturer's size rating is just volume calculation, rather than usable space.) There is more "refrigerator" space than just about any residential side-by-side or French door unit. Of course, operating it as a refrigerator means it has no freezer. But the target audience for this box is folks who want a 2nd or garage fridge. I just happen to use it as my main fridge in the kitchen. The door seal is phenomenal -- if I don't yank on the door hard, it'll move the entire fridge. There are no wheels on this unit, so moving it is a bit of a chore. Build quality and fit and finish are very good.
Operationally, it gets very, very cold as a refrigerator. This is because it's really designed as a freezer! I have the dial set to what would be 37F. As it uses a traditional rotary compressor rather than an inverter compressor, there is a larger temperature variance compared with the LG. It gets very cold when operating, but have not experienced "freezer burn" on fruits yet. The insulation must be decent, because it only runs for 5 minutes every 25-30min at 70F ambient temp. The old LG seemed to run constantly. With such low duty cycle, I'm hoping it will last.
There is no water, no ice maker, no built-in TV. Nothing to break or leak. It comes in appliance white only. (You can pay more for Frigidaire version with stainless door, electronic control, and better interior.) Nice thing is the door is magnetic, unlike most stainless steel door fridge. The power cord is a bit short, probably 5ft. In the back, there is no cover over the compressor compartment. Everything seems easily accessible with good airflow. Haven't measure power consumption yet, but it should be middle of the pack for something this size.
The 22052 is noisy when it runs. There's refrigerant gurgling noise, buzz from compressor, and the evap fan has droning noise. The LG was whisper quiet compared to this. But after my LG experience, I just want something that's reliable and will last more than 5 years. Two of these would make a killer giant side-by-side because you can have one operating as freezer, and the second as a refrigerator. The door and handle are reversible.
The interior is cheap, no doubt about it. The molded-in shelves on the door feel like they can't support much weight. There are no drawers, but a couple of baskets, one of which is like a drawer that can be pulled out. But no actual drawers or compartments. Shelves are glass, but with no center support, it flexes quite a bit underweight. What do you expect for $649? Time will tell what kind of reliability the 22052 has. It can last 5 years without problem, I would be very happy. This is as no-frills as a refrigerator comes, yet offers enormous size for the money and solid build quality as far as the eyes can see. I'm hoping it lives up to the Frigidaire name of years ago.
This is a great refrigerator. Its size really lets us keep everything we need in it and also, it has an alarm to let you know that the door has been left open.
In 2014 I purchased a Kenmore refrigerator. I did not buy the extended warranty. On day 1 when moving the refrigerator in, there were two small dents. I let it go. Then I noticed within a month that the water dispenser was dripping on the finish. The black finish flaked off and rust set in. I have been sanding and painting for four years. My advice do not purchase a Kenmore side by side. No one really stands by their product unless you want to pay a lot. It's frustrating. Since I'm not rolling in the bucks I will have to keep trying to figure this out.
My wife and I purchased this 2700.00 Elite refrigerator 79574043.411 from Sears in July 2016. In August 2018 it stopped working. I called Sears on August 4 and I was told they could not come to my home to diagnose the problem until August 17. Meanwhile all my food had spoiled. I had a home warranty. They were able to come out to my home on August 8 (5 days later). They said the unit had a leak and all the Freon had escaped. The appliance repair said Sears would cover the parts but they couldn’t repair/touch as it would void the Sears warranty. So I called Sears. They said yes that it’s covered under warranty but I would have to pay the labor and wait until August 17, 2018. After multiple phone call to overseas customer service, they finally agreed to come to my house that day.
The friendly technician arrived today. They said that my compressor went out - not Freon issue. Said the parts are covered but labor will cost me 345 dollars. They said they can’t come back for 2.5 - 3 weeks. I scheduled and paid the costs but who knows. So basically this 3,000 refrigerator is costing me a ton of money and time without refrigerator. I think they need. Way to go Sears - now you know why you’re still in financial ruin.
Thought I was getting a good product. Have bought Kenmore Elite in the past. Paid $2500 for refrigerator in Nov 2016. Less than 2 years later, the fridge is warm. Same story as others. Sears can't come out for 2 weeks. Had another company come out next day and they confirmed the freon was gone. Apparently there is a leak in a "sealed unit?" Compressor was hot and coils were not. Can't complain to anyone because call center is offshore and they do not understand. I called customer service and they said they would have to transfer me. This happened 4 times before I couldn't take it anymore and hung up. You can't get to Kenmore Corporate. All contact info is pointed to Sears. Is there a class action lawsuit I can join?
I have appointment scheduled for them to come out in 2 weeks, but I'm afraid they will say it will be $1k or more to fix it. Less than 2 years old. I shouldn't have to fix it. The tech that came out told me my Kenmore is made up of LG parts. If I wanted an LG I would of bought that brand? Why do they do that? Oh and my Kenmore dishwasher crapped the bed a few short months ago too! I replaced it with a Bosch. I will NEVER spend another dime at Sears or on a Kenmore appliance again!
Bought a Kenmore refrigerator Nov 2017, under warranty, repair techs out twice, two more scheduled repairs. They were a no show, Philippines based customer care is incompetent. DON'T BUY KENMORE! SEARS IS DEAD!
I purchased a Kenmore 111.7121 and it died within 24 hours of receipt. Called Kenmore. They informed me they could have a tech out on Saturday (4 days w/o a refrigerator) and for some reason they think that is acceptable... They don't have a food spoilage policy which is very poor due to the amount of poor products they are producing. It is very sad, everyone is still hoping and praying Kenmore name returns back to their original great products from the past.
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Paid $2300 for this Sears Kenmore elite refrigerator and less than 3 years old it's total junk. Stopped working!! Had 5 different guys out to diagnose and fix it and all 5 appliance repair people said they can't fix it! Sears is the bottom of the barrel with quality anymore. Including their craftsman tools that are no longer made in America. CRAFTSMAN TOOLS ARE ALL MADE IN CHINA! That’s right, Sears has sold out to China (and their prices are still the highest). Never ever again will I ever even step into another Sears store! That’s how I feel after getting ripped off on this refrigerator! This week I have to go out and buy another refrigerator and take the $2300 loss!
Kenmore Elite Refrigerator - I have owned this refrigerator for less than 2 years and it had stopped working. It took 2 weeks for Sears to even be able to come out to look at it. He diagnosed it was the compressor and another 2 weeks for the part to arrive and be replaced. He came back out and replaced the compressor. That night the refrigerator never got colder than 60°. I am currently waiting another week for them to return to look at it again at which point it will probably take another 2 weeks to order another part and install it. I am looking to see if there are any lawsuits against Sears ad obviously these are faulty parts on their refrigerators. And I am extremely disappointed to find out that it is an LG brand refrigerator under Kenmore's name. So very unhappy.
My wife and I purchased a $2k Kenmore Elite fridge 4-1/2 years ago with all reviews at the time as 4.5 to 5 stars. The fridge quit working a couple of weeks ago so we called Sears and they could not send a tech out for over a week. Then they tried to sell an extended warranty for $50/Month + service call. I then called a local repair guy that came out to inform me that the compressor died.
Kenmore are apparently famous for this, and the fridge is made by LG which is also a Samsung. Not going to spend a thousand dollars to fix when it is only good for another year or two. Not being brand loyal, the repair person told us which brands are good and which ones to avoid. He has been banned from writing reviews and his reviews get removed. He also informed us that said brands spend 80% of the costs on marketing and 20% on the product. Knowledge is power, talk to somebody local that is not brand loyal when you purchase something of any significant cost associated with it.
BUYER BEWARE – KENMORE REFRIGERATOR. November 30, 2016 I purchased a Kenmore Elite 795.74093.411/Seri#607R00046. June 25, 2018 it stopped working (less than 18 months), I lost everything in it. I phoned Sears and found out that it was no longer under warranty and I will have to pay full price. I went online and looked at the Consumer Report - out of 54 reviews - 38 are 1 Star. Sears - out of 55 reviews - 37 are 1 Star. Amazon has 2 reviews - 1st is out of 3 - 3 are 1 star / 2nd review is 2.5 out of 5 stars with a 67% 1 star rating. TopRefrigerator Reviews.com 2,696 Views – 2.32 star out of 42 votes. NO RECALL was done on item.
Sales clerk at Sears in Rancho Cucamonga, CA on Friday June 29 2018 around 6:45 p.m. – She told me that KENMORE does not make refrigerators to last, that is why you have to buy the extended warranty which cost $499.99 and keep it current for any future problems. NOTE... it only covers 25% cost of parts. I was also told by her that Kenmore is not a Sears Brand. Funny when I look up Kenmore all phone numbers lead to SEARS.
Our 4 and 1/2 year old Kenmore Elite refrigerator quit working on June 7, 2018. I called Sears and they said they could not get to our house to service it until 6/13. I had no choice but to wait. When the technician got here, he said it was the compressor. Even though the refrigerator was a Kenmore, he said it was built by LG, and they are notorious for bad compressors. He told me there were all kinds of lawsuits against them because the parts are bad, and it takes a long time to get them. Sears also does not have enough techs, so the customer has to wait weeks to get their product fixed. He put in a brand new compressor, and it did not work. He got another one out of his truck, installed it, and it didn't work either. He said another one would have to be ordered and delivered to my house, and he could be back 6/20, the next available date, to install it.
Today, I get an email from Sears telling me they are trying to confirm that we had received the part, which we did on Fri, 6/15. When I called them, they informed me that another part had to be ordered, but would not be delivered until 6/20, before the end of the day, and that our service appt would have to be rescheduled for 6/26, meaning that we were going to have to go another week without a working refrigerator!
This is the first I have heard about this other part, and no one could tell me why or what it was for. I talked to several people, all in the Philippines, and they were no help and did not care. We have lost hundreds of dollars of food that has gone bad, and have spent hundreds more having to eat out. These people are not helping or taking care of this customer, and we have no choice but to take it. What is the recourse for the consumer? We spent $3200 on this refrigerator, that was supposed to be top of the line. Now, it has quit working and they can't seem to fix it after only 4 1/2 years! Consumers should not be treated this way. HELP!!!
We purchased a Kenmore Elite 795 Model refrigerator from Sears, $2500, in July of 2016. In May 2018 it stopped working. Repeated calls to customer service over a month and still no help with anyone to come take a look at it. My problem is not unique from reading the reviews. What I do want to ask is, does anyone know or is involved with any class action suits against Sears or Kenmore for the problems we are having?
I bought the Kenmore refrigerator, Model # 795 71019.010, Serial #005KRO2571 from Sears a few years ago & a part I need to be able to use the ice-maker now is DISCONTINUED according to Sears & I was told "You'll just have to buy a new fridge or go without ice"??? I can't believe they leave customers high & dry & expect them to buy a new fridge when all it needs is a part. Not sure who to blame so I blame both KENMORE & SEARS. What a way to treat consumer! I've always bought my KENMORE appliances from Sears & never had a problem, but after this - Never buy from Sears & never buy a KENMORE brand anything!
I purchased my Kenmore refrigerator model #596.69313010 less than a year ago. I was not happy with how noisy it is. There is very little room in the refrigerator. Last week the door starting rusting and it's spreading. Poor quality. Rust isn't covered under my warranty.
According to several sources, the average lifespan of a refrigerator is 14-17 years, assuming proper care and maintenance. Our Kenmore refrigerator, model number 596.69312010, lasted less than six years. Over a two months' time span, the Main Control Board for our fridge needed to be replaced three times. We work with a reliable appliance repairman who has always done A+ work for us. I have no doubt that the installation of the replacement control board was done correctly, but within a few weeks it died again.
On the third occasion, we gave up. We're not investing any more time or money in trying to extend the life of a sub-par appliance. I'm not an expert but my guess is that there are issues with the entire cooling system of this fridge, which leads to the quick death of main control board. Whatever the cause, we're done. I'm leaving this review to warn other consumers before they got stuck in the same situation. Refrigerators are expensive. Even with "bargain" pricing you're looking at several hundred dollars for the most basic models. If they last as long as they should, the cost per year makes the expense bearable. When they die early, less than halfway through their expected lifespan, it's very frustrating.
Our 3 year old refrigerator stopped working 29 days ago. It has been a nightmare trying to get an appointment and order the part. When I first called they tried to hard sell me on the extended warranty. I refused the warranty because the part is covered under a 10 year warranty. Now every time I call I’m told that the order is “in process” and I will be contacted in 3-5 business days. It has been a month without a refrigerator. This is absolutely unacceptable.
I am feeding a family of four with a mini fridge, that we had to purchase on top of the food we lost when the fridge stopped working and the local repairman we had come out who charged us but couldn’t work on it because it’s under warranty, and then we had to pay the Sears technician for coming out. I could handle most of this except that I have been given zero information as to how long this will really take and am getting to the point where I feel like it could be months until this is fixed, if ever! We purchased Kenmore based on their high quality and reliability. The quality is terrible and the customer service is terrible. So many time I have been told that the part was on its way only for it to not arrive and then we lose our appointment and still don’t have a working fridge! I can’t get through to anyone that is helpful. I don’t know what to do, but I do know I will NEVER purchase a Kenmore or anything from Sears ever again.
We bought a Kenmore fridge, model 61205, we wanted something big, without an ice maker and easy for the kids to get their own snacks. When they brought it home we waited the 24 hrs till it was ready to use. I disconnected the old fridge, moved it out of the way for the new one, when I plugged the new fridge it wouldn't cool, took over 2 hours to start blowing cold in the fridge, the freezer worked just fine but I was scared all the food would go bad so I took everything out again to the old fridge and called Sears. They will be bringing in a new one and hopefully it's not a thing with all of them.
I purchased this refrigerator (Kenmore Elite French Bottom Refrigerator) in November 2014 at Sears. I also bought a three-year warranty since it was an expensive item. After about six months the refrigerator stopped working and I called for service. It took almost 2 months to get it replaced after many phone calls and aggravation.
Now in 2018, the refrigerator and freezer is warm. I called for service and I have an appointment for two weeks from today. This is crazy. After many attempts to contact corporate I got nowhere. I called a local appliance store who handles Kenmore which is an LG refrigerator and he told me that the compressor is gone or you have a Freon leak of which both are expensive to repair and not worth the money. It is very labor intense due to the design. They said they see this all the time with this model. I expected to get more than four years from an expensive appliance. The tech told me that they are made very cheap (South Korea) and parts go very easily. My opinion is this is consumer fraud. You can't expect us to buy a new refrigerator every four years. I know things go wrong but this is a manufacture defect in the design of this refrigerator and the consumer shouldn't have to pay for it.
I believe LG will replace the compressor but the labor is at least $1000 and that's if there aren't any other parts that need to be repaired. It also needs to be done by an LG tech and this can't take 6 weeks at best. This also doesn't give me a guarantee that it will last another year. When I called Sears all they were interested in getting my appointment scheduled and to sell me another warranty and then ask about my home-improvement. What help can I get. I will file a complaint with BBB and the Attorney General and Consumer Protection and I will try to get the news media to investigate. What a rip off. I hope someone reads this and responds to do the right thing.
We have a Kenmore fridge model number 106.59702993 serial number SK3956975 manufactured in 10/2000, last Thursday night we were awaken at 2 am by the smoke alarms. The fridge compressor electrical connector was smoking filling the room. We unplugged the fridge which hasn’t been plugged back in, we have found several videos online of this type of fridge fires. Yes the fridge is 17 years old, but we would never expect the fridge to catch on fire, but simply stop working.
I have had a Sears Kenmore refrigerator ever since I started buying refrigerators and that has been about 50 years, give or take a year or two. They have always been reliable and I have never had a refrigerator that did not perform as promised. The value for an enduring refrigerator and as long as I keep a refrigerator, that is until it dies, is great.
Buy the insurance if you get a Sears Kenmore. Three years and 1st year the fan broke. That would have been $300.00. 2nd year it wasn't getting cold enough. Afraid to use door shelves. Someone came a few times and finally adjusted some lever in freezer making it cooler in fridge. 3rd-year ice maker broke, they replaced it. Very unhappy with this and really can't afford to buy another. Be careful buying this smaller fridge. My insurance is out now and wonder what will go next. Save your money, Kenmore supposed to be good but it isnt.
My Kenmore lasted me for 20 years. I only got another Sears Kenmore for bigger size. The only problem was that ice cube distributor stopped working a few years ago and was too costly to repair. Otherwise it still made ice and water.
I have had Kenmore and two other Sears refrigerators over the last 30+ years. This Kenmore Elite side by side has been very good. I had one small maintenance problem a few years back and Sears come to my small town 83 miles from their service center and did the repair at no expense to me. The only problem I've had since is the fridge door handle is getting loose and I have emailed and spent quite some time online trying to see how to fix this. No luck to date.
I have had Kenmore refrigerators for over 50 years. They have always been reliable and gave me good service. I will purchare another Kenmore when it is time for this one to be replaced. The service department is reliable as well.
Kenmore Elite 74043: I purchased this in 2015, on April 6 I realized neither the fridge nor the freezer were cooling. I had purchased the extended warranty. A Sears repair technician came out April 12 and ordered 4 parts. A dryer assembly, 2 evaporator coils, and a compressor. Today is May 3 and 3 of the parts have finally arrived but one of the coils was very poorly packed and I believe it may be damaged. If you call the 1-800 number you get someone overseas and they can't tell you anything about where your parts are. I was first given repair date of April 18, then 24th, then 26th, then May 4. When the Parts Dept. calls I'm not planning to reschedule the repair, I'm planning to purchase another fridge and we will discuss how Sears is going to reimburse me for my new fridge. No wonder they are in trouble!
I have a Kenmore Refrigerator (model 253.6000), purchased 11 months ago by my husband for our garage. It has quit working twice, thawing all of the food in the freezer. There is no garage kit for this model and no information in the owner's manual that informs the consumer that the unit will stop working in the summer and winter during extreme temperatures. I have been informed that it was manufactured by Frigidaire.
I have the Kenmore Elite French door model. It has more room in it than I have ever had in a refrigerator. You can see everything without having to move stuff around. Temperature controls are digital and show up on the top door frame. It will alarm if the doors are left open or if the temperature begins to rise. Great refrigerator.
Have a Sears Kenmore refrigerator with double doors and a bottom freezer. Very easy access to all shelves and very easy to clean. Freezer also easy to access.
We bought a Kenmore elite fridge about a year ago. We're very pleased with its performance and features. The fridge is very quiet and energy efficient.
This is a side by side Kenmore which is 10 years old or more (inherited from a family member). Works just great. But I find the side by side less able to store both frozen and fresher foods than my previous refrigerator, which had the freezer compartment on the bottom. Side by side seems to offer less space than top and bottom refrigerators of same overall size.
Of course, another consideration is ease of access. If you're older, and have more difficulty getting down, then side by side makes sense. (I'm older, and I just used to pull a chair over to open the bottom freezer and scrounge around to get what I wanted out of it.) Side by side is easier to reach into, but the shelves are so narrow, I have to pull out multiple items to reach what I'm looking for. Consider how much you keep in your freezer compartment - if a lot, top and bottom may work better for you. If not so much, and you don't want to bend down (or pull over a chair like I did) for access, then side by side may be your best choice.
Ice Maker is 'horrible' and drops ice everywhere. ALSO, They did not make any money on this one as they had 4 service calls from nearby cities and expensive parts to replace because it would not cool the refrigerator side. I am 86, in the past refrigerators would last many years. Not so with today's model of Kenmore Elite.
Kenmore Appliances expert review by ConsumerAffairs
Kenmore is a recognized brand in the appliance industry and has been around over 100 years. Kenmore offers high-quality refrigerators in a wide range of sizes and models at affordable prices.
Variety: Kenmore offers a huge selection of appliances, from mini-refrigerators to giant, commercial appliances.
Price: Kenmore has products at a number of different price points, including discount and luxury items.
Warranties: Kenmore refrigerators are protected from damage or defects up to one year from the date of installation. Defective items will receive a full repair or replacement.
Luxury models: Kenmore offers many top-of-the-line luxury models and options, such as french-cut doors with stainless steel construction and GeniusCool technology.
Commercial products: Kenmore offers commercial products for restaurants and consumers who are in need of extra-large refrigerators.
Best for: Homeowners, businesses and restaurants interested in purchasing a refrigerator.
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