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Jenn-Air Complaint - Jenn-Air Electric Downdraft Range - CPU Has Failed Repeatedly - Jenn-Air Electric Downdraft Range - Model #JES 9860BAS
Jenn-Air Electric Downdraft Range - Model #JES 9860BAS - Complaint
BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN -- Here is an update to the post below: After repeated phone calls to Jenn-Air (Whirlpool) Customer Service, and lack of success in achieving a reasonable offer, we contacted the Better Business Bureau in the locale of Whirlpool Corporate Headquarters. This complaint was then directed to "Executive Staff - Whirlpool Executive Office", where the representative had the additional leeway to give us a fair, pro-rated exchange under much more acceptable terms. Our old machine has been removed and a brand new one installed, and it is clear that some of the design faults have been remediated in the replacement model.
While I cannot say we were given a brand new machine for no cost, I believe we were treated fairly and with consideration. So my recommendation to anyone with a similar problem is to get your complaint escalated to Corporate Headquarters customer service team. If you have difficulty making this happen, log your complaint online with the BBB and do not give up until you have been put in contact with them.
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We purchased a Jenn-Air Electric Downdraft Range from Lowe's in May of 2006. Almost immediately, the control knobs began to get caught on everything, fall off and break. Then in 2008, the electronic control panel (CPU) malfunctioned. The part was replaced under warranty with the labor at our cost. This happened again in 2009 and it was replaced once again under warranty and with service at our cost. It has now happened a third time in early 2010. The electronics of the machine will be under warranty now only up until May of 2011, and we have little faith that the problem is permanently resolved. With a 4-1/2 year history of three (3) bad CPUs, it seems highly that this problem will recur, and the machine will be out of warranty at that point.
We contacted Jenn-Air, and they offered to pay for the service to replace the CPU a third time. Our response was that this was unacceptable, given that the machine would be completely out of warranty in a few months following. They then offered us a pro-rated exchange, if we would pay $822.15, plus $150.00 for installation and removal of the old machine. However, we have already paid $1,898 for the range, $314 for the elements, and paid for service twice at (approximately 2 x $250 or $500). Therefore, for use of this stove, we have already paid out about $2,700, and they are now asking us to pay another $1,000 for a replacement for this range. We also raised a complaint to the Better Business Bureau local to Jenn-Air (Whirlpool) Corporation in Western Michigan, however, this yielded nothing additional.
We are not unreasonable people, and understand we have had use of this machine – tho limping at half-function a good part of the 4-1/2 years. However, we are not inclined to invest another, almost-thousand dollars in what seems to be a poor quality product. In our last contact with Jenn-Air, we asked that they replace the CPU a third time with part and labor at their expense (as they had offered). But given that the part seems to fail repeatedly, it seemed a reasonable request that they also extend the warranty on the CPU only for the five year warranty usual assigned to the electrical parts. They flatly refused to do this. We maintain that this is a reasonable and logical compromise, but they did not agree.
Compiling the average lifespan from several generic appliance info websites, and using the low end figures, an electric range should be good for 14 years. This range has been good only for half of its 4-1/2 years. This is quite unacceptable from our point of view.
While I cannot say we were given a brand new machine for no cost, I believe we were treated fairly and with consideration. So my recommendation to anyone with a similar problem is to get your complaint escalated to Corporate Headquarters customer service team. If you have difficulty making this happen, log your complaint online with the BBB and do not give up until you have been put in contact with them.
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We purchased a Jenn-Air Electric Downdraft Range from Lowe's in May of 2006. Almost immediately, the control knobs began to get caught on everything, fall off and break. Then in 2008, the electronic control panel (CPU) malfunctioned. The part was replaced under warranty with the labor at our cost. This happened again in 2009 and it was replaced once again under warranty and with service at our cost. It has now happened a third time in early 2010. The electronics of the machine will be under warranty now only up until May of 2011, and we have little faith that the problem is permanently resolved. With a 4-1/2 year history of three (3) bad CPUs, it seems highly that this problem will recur, and the machine will be out of warranty at that point.
We contacted Jenn-Air, and they offered to pay for the service to replace the CPU a third time. Our response was that this was unacceptable, given that the machine would be completely out of warranty in a few months following. They then offered us a pro-rated exchange, if we would pay $822.15, plus $150.00 for installation and removal of the old machine. However, we have already paid $1,898 for the range, $314 for the elements, and paid for service twice at (approximately 2 x $250 or $500). Therefore, for use of this stove, we have already paid out about $2,700, and they are now asking us to pay another $1,000 for a replacement for this range. We also raised a complaint to the Better Business Bureau local to Jenn-Air (Whirlpool) Corporation in Western Michigan, however, this yielded nothing additional.
We are not unreasonable people, and understand we have had use of this machine – tho limping at half-function a good part of the 4-1/2 years. However, we are not inclined to invest another, almost-thousand dollars in what seems to be a poor quality product. In our last contact with Jenn-Air, we asked that they replace the CPU a third time with part and labor at their expense (as they had offered). But given that the part seems to fail repeatedly, it seemed a reasonable request that they also extend the warranty on the CPU only for the five year warranty usual assigned to the electrical parts. They flatly refused to do this. We maintain that this is a reasonable and logical compromise, but they did not agree.
Compiling the average lifespan from several generic appliance info websites, and using the low end figures, an electric range should be good for 14 years. This range has been good only for half of its 4-1/2 years. This is quite unacceptable from our point of view.
Comments:
Posted by Slimjim on 2010-12-22:
The average life expectancy of an appliance is ten years( i always figured 12-14 but ten gets thrown around a lot in the industry). If 10 were used, the prorated number is pretty inline. Tough call, but Jenn-air downdrafts are not historically problem ranges, unless something has changed recently. I think I would consider their offer. Your unit is problematic on the other hand. Perhaps a newer model will not be prone to the unusual failures yours keeps incurring.
Posted by 2cent-er on 2011-03-22:
Glad you were able to get something out of this nightmare. too bad for all the other consumers that didn't have your persistence. they know when there's a problem with something yet they'll try anything to get you to go away. usually they succeed....as to life expectancy-who says?? for actuarial purposes things need to be quantified, so they just do surveys on how old was the appl you replaced. or, how many units were shipped v to # of established households. neither # tells what % actually failed; which is what most people think life ex' is. that # just drives sales-10 yrs old-replace=silly, if that's the only reason.
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