Exract from Consumer Reports
Maytag’s Neptune front-loading washer has proven trouble-prone over the years, with a repair rate significantly worse than that of any other front-loader brand we’ve evaluated, according to our annual reliability survey.
A group of Neptune owners sued Maytag, charging that their washers were plagued by a host of problems resulting in mold and mildew buildup, odors, and poor performance. On Sept. 10, 2004, Maytag announced that it had agreed to settle the suit. A Nov. 22, 2004 court date has been set for approval of the settlement by the Circuit Court for the 20th Judicial Circuit in St. Clair County, Ill. If you’ve owned a problematic Neptune washer but don’t want to be part of the class-action settlement, you have until Nov. 8, 2004 to take action..
The terms of the settlement
Maytag has agreed to reimburse owners of faulty machines for out-of-pocket repair costs, compensate people who replaced their Neptune with another washer with up to $500, or issue a voucher for $200 to $1,000 toward the purchase of a new Neptune Top Loader. Those machines typically sell for $900 to $1,300, according to Maytag. The voucher would be issued only if Maytag could not fix an existing problem, and the actual dollar value of the voucher would be prorated according to the age of the machine. The agreement covers any Neptune front-loaders bought from April 1, 1997, to Aug. 9, 2004.
Aside from obvious trouble signs–mold, mildew, or odor–the settlement covers machines that experience “motor control and circuit board related failure,” a condition that prevents the washer from tumbling or causing it to stop in the middle of the spin cycle. It also covers problems related to the door latch or wax motor, a component that determines when the latch locks and unlocks during a cycle and that stops the door from locking and the washer from advancing to the spin cycle.
Lynne Dragomier, Maytag’s senior director of corporate communications, said that most of the problematic washers were manufactured before March 2000. She said that the company agreed to compensate owners of machines made through August 2004 “to put the risk totally behind us as well as not confuse the consumer.” However, she would not provide figures on the number of Neptune front-loaders sold to date or estimate how many units might be affected.