GE : They Bring Bad Things To Life

Rather than spew on for paragraphs about how bad GE's top-of-the-line appliances are, I'll just list for you all the problems I've had with them. We've lived in our house for 5.5 years. The house and its appliances are 7 years old. Ready? Let's go!

1. The control board on the GE Monogram wall ovens has been replaced twice. Every time I run the self-clean cycle on both ovens simultaneously the control board sounds an error code.
2. The control board on the GE Monogram dishwasher with custom cabinet insert blew 4 years ago on the morning of the day I was hosting a big dinner party for 12 friends. That part took over a week to come in. This control board has since been replaced once more.
3. About 2 years ago, the transmission on my GE washer blew twice in 6 months. After the second time it happened, the service company paid me to get rid of the GE washer. I bought a Whirlpool-made Kenmore washer, which I hate. WineGuy loves it b/c it's simple. It holds about 4 beach towels and is entirely too small.
4. My $4000 GE Monogram side-by-side refrigerator blew its thermostat once. Now, the refrig. freezes the eggs and mushrooms and leaves the ice cream soft.
5. My GE Monogram warming drawer switch broke and had to be replaced about 18-24 months ago.
   
6. My GE over-the-range microwave blew its magnetron and control board twice in the last 18 months. Of course, every time the serviceman came to diagnose and fix the problem, the micro worked fine. He finally told me his company would no longer cover control boards and to just buy a new micro, which he would install. I did, and he did this week.
7. The motor on y GE dryer burned out the week before we went to Boston. The first replacement motor was defective, but the second one was successfully installed this week. It works fine, but it sounds like a dump truck is driving through my laundry room. I want to replace both the washer and the dryer now, but WineGuy and I are at an impass. I want a front-loading washer that will hold the equivalent of a dead body. He doesn't want to bend his butt to load the washer. I would compromise on a super-capacity top loader, but its open lid is too tall for my wall cabinets. Time to move them up the wall, I think.
8. This morning, the GE monogram dishwasher died again, with both racks completely filled with dirty dishes and glasses. There aren't expletives enough to express my anger and frustration. When I called the service co. to request an(other) appointment, the owner laughed at me and said, "I'm going to have to raise your rates." Haha. Who does he think he is ... State Farm? They're coming tomorrow to see what's wrong.

I don't need a psychic friend to tell me that this dishwasher will need a new control board. Since the service co. no longer covers control boards under their contract, I'm either going to have to pay $300 for a new one or just get a new dishwasher. Guess what? I'm doing dishwasher research on the 'Net tonight. Guess what else? I'm not going to buy a GE.

I cannot believe what crap GE appliances are. Nor can I believe the retail prices they charge for these things. I am fairly certain that they are kicking back money to builders who put GE appliances in their homes. Otherwise, they're wholesaling these machines for pennies.

And, BTW, I'm not dealing with Sears anymore either. The closest store is 20 minutes from me, while Lowe's is merely 5 minutes away. Sears prices on their appliances are no bargains. I do like their vacuums and toasters, though.

If GE's household appliances are this bad, I wonder how accurate their breast-imaging machines are. Kind of makes me worry about that digital mammogram I had earlier this year.

Update (9/2/06): Yes, it was the control board on the dishwasher. When the technician opened up the front panel, the motherboard sparked twice and nearly caught fire. I flipped off the breaker so the repairman could remove it: it was burned to a crisp, and the surrounding insulation had a big black hole in it. I spent all day Friday shopping for a new dishwasher. I ended up getting a great deal on a KitchenAid from Lowe's. They have it in stock, and I sure hope they'll deliver it soon. Washing everything by hand is tedious.

The dryer is still not working right. It screeches and scrapes metal on metal. The noise was unbearable. The service co. tried to send out a repairman late on Friday night, but he could only fix air conditioning, not appliances. I have to wait until after Labor Day to call for more service. The dryer is the next appliance that goes out the door, along with the washer. I'm going to buy the new Whirlpool Cabrio set: 4.2 cu. feet of tub space in that washer. I'll have to raise my cabinets on my laundry room wall for the washer to open up all the way. I don't care. I am so DONE with mediocre appliances.