Bosch fridge – 2nd compressor failure?

[GL_NorthEast]

My Bosch fridge (KSR3421GB/03) has failed – compressor does not fire up, and it trips the house’s main RCD circuit breaker when I power on the fridge. Bought it in 2001 and the compressor was replaced by a Bosch appointed service engineer in 2005, so this appears to be the second compressor failure. I would appreciate any advice on the following:

a) is it fair to assume repair is not economical with compressor alone costing £200?

b) I’m beginning to lose faith in Bosch; washing machine failed last month after only four years, and two compressors failing in 8 years seems like they’re not built to last. I had 6 appliances that were Bosch – wash machine, oven, hob, extractor hood, fridge and freezer but as each one fails I’m now reluctant to buy Bosch again and decided to replace the washer with Miele because they seem to be the only manufacturer who makes any claim to reliability and longevity. Can anyone reassure me that Bosch and/or AEG is any more reliable than cheaper brands?

c) For the replacement, I’m thinking Liebherr or Miele – will the added cost bring longer life and peace of mind, or just more expensive repairs when they go wrong too? Or should I go AEG…or Zanussi…or Beko (!)

I’d be very grateful for any help.

[admin]

Re: Bosch fridge – 2nd compressor failure?

Hi

For the replacement, I’m thinking Liebherr or Miele

These both come out of the same factory.The only difference will be cosmetic and aftersales service.

Bryan

[GL_NorthEast]

Re: Bosch fridge – 2nd compressor failure?

Thanks for that clarification.

Does anyone have thoughts on the other questions above – basically do you get better reliability and longer life if you pay more, or should I work on the basis that none can be relied on to last more than about four years nowadays so treat them as disposable and don’t pay too much?

[Penguin45]

Re: Bosch fridge – 2nd compressor failure?

A read through the articles in THIS SECTION makes it pretty clear what repairers think of cheap appliances.

Penguin45.

[GL_NorthEast]

Re: Bosch fridge – 2nd compressor failure?

Here’s an update in case others find it useful.

Yesterday I took delivery of a new Liebherr fridge after much research and already it’s been a great experience.

Everything’s been in line with the views shared within this forum and the supporting articles, so thanks to all the contributors who’ve shared their time & experience.

– A good independent retailer was a great place to buy. I bought from an established local independent retailer. The service was great, they were knowledgable, responsive and helpful. The fridge was delivered exactly when they said it would be. And the price was lower than the best I could find from the internet-only vendors. (It seems what they save on showrooms they have to spend on search engine listings). The local guys will definitely get my business from now on – and to be honest now I know I can trust them I’d shop there even if I had to pay a reasonable premium to do so.

– Liebherr is not the easiest web site to deal with, to the outside observer their UK operation for domestic units is not as slick as some others, and to be honest this nearly put me off because I was wondering whether the after sales support would be difficult to get hold of. But having purchased less than a day ago I have already had two email questions answered comprehensively by return from Liebherr – which indicates they’re accessible, knowledgeable and that the people there care about their customers. It sounds simple, but we all know it’s not typical nowadays.

It seems I was unlucky in having two compressors from Bosch fail in relatively short succession, but having made a change I’m glad I went for a manufacturer that invests in quality and where the people seem to care.

[Author]

Posts