The 9 Most Overpriced Appliance Brands, According To Customers

Choosing any appliance is an important decision. If you get it wrong, you could end up stuck with something unsuitable for your needs or an expensive piece of junk. It's no surprise that people are often happy to pay that little bit extra for excellent performance, beautiful design, and the latest features. Plenty of brands promise these qualities, but many fall short. This can cause major headaches if you're struggling to cook food in your oven or you're forced to throw away all of your frozen goods due to a faulty freezer.

As a consumer, it's easy to purchase an appliance from a major brand without thoroughly checking the reviews. If it's from a brand you recognize or sold in a major store, there's an inherent level of trust that it will be a good product. Some appliance brands seem to exploit this trust far too often. That's why we've scoured customer reviews from multiple sources to find the worst offenders, and you can have confidence that all our information has been carefully verified. This list isn't necessarily a rundown of brands you should avoid. Rather, it should encourage you to be more skeptical before spending your hard-earned money.

Samsung is one of the global leaders in electronics. It sells more smartphones than any other company in the world and excels at making products like TVs, computers, and cameras. Given its reputation in these areas, you'd expect the brand to deliver the same level of quality in its home appliances. Sadly, this is often not the case. Durability issues are the most commonly cited problem, especially with Samsung refrigerators. This is made worse by a frustrating lack of customer support and failure to honor warranties. These shortcomings have left people with a defective refrigerator for long periods of time, so they're missing a vital cog in the running of any household.

Perhaps even more telling is how one disgruntled customer claimed their repairman said they regularly receive calls about Samsung appliances. It's a shame, because Samsung makes attractive equipment that fits seamlessly into many kitchen aesthetics. Due to the famous brand name, you'll often pay more than you would for competitors' products, but it seems like those higher price tags are rarely justified. You want to be able to rely on your kitchen appliances, as the consequences of them failing can be hugely inconvenient. One reviewer noted that Samsung makes great electronics but terrible home appliances. For such a huge company, it's a problem that could be rectified with higher quality assurance standards. Hopefully, Samsung will start offering the same reliability that is expected from their other products.

It's easy to find negative reviews online for renowned appliance makers such as Electrolux and Bosch. This is because they sell such large volumes, and it's unreasonable to expect every product to be faultless. Generally, their reviews are positive, which is why they aren't included in this list. However, as with Samsung, LG is a brand that is often cited as a serial offender when it comes to reliability issues. It doesn't help that in February 2025, LG had to recall half a million oven ranges. One of the most common complaints is that no only do LG refrigerators break down too easily, but that customers often have to wait a long time for repairs. A lot of the issues around these refrigerators appear to stem from faulty compressors.

Much to the annoyance of reviewers, it appears LG has been slow to address this compressor issue and repair units that have already malfunctioned. Even those who feel LG fridges are more mechanically reliable than Samsung's have complained about the flimsy construction. It leads to a general feeling that some companies are relying on their brand name to sell products rather than focusing on quality. This is made even worse when that lack of quality is compounded by terrible service. One customer complained about how multiple technicians came out to fix their fridge, only for it to break down again soon after each visit. LG even sent a replacement part directly to their home, which had nothing to do with the actual problem.

It seems as though many of today's products lack the same level of durability as those of the past. It also seems like some companies that were once renowned for making durable products are now criticized for a lack of quality. It's an accusation that is commonly aimed toward Maytag. One reviewer went on a passionate rant about the lack of care taken in the manufacturing and delivery of their Maytag stove. They mentioned how they have been buying Maytag products for 40 years, but will never buy from the company again.

You may be less annoyed about a product failing if the company responsible makes amends as soon as possible. Yet Maytag is another brand whose customer service is seriously lacking. Another reviewer complained about their refrigerator compressor making a loud, continuous clicking sound but found Maytag's sales support unresponsive. They, too, vowed never to use Maytag products ever again. One of the best examples of how far the brand's standards have slipped is the person who bought three stainless steel refrigerators from Maytag at the same time, only for all of them to experience the same malfunction. It just goes to show that past performance is not a reliable indicator of current quality.

JennAir is often seen as a luxury appliance brand. Customers are often happy to spend more money if it means getting a stylish product with excellent build quality. Advanced features can be alluring, as long as they work. However, it's a mistake to automatically equate a high price tag with superior durability. Moving into a new house should be an exciting experience, but one customer quickly encountered problems after buying a JennAir wall microwave and oven. Within one month, both appliances started to have issues, which only got worse. And yes, once again, customer service was a hindrance rather than a help.

One reviewer stated they had 14 years in the appliance industry and felt that JennAir products were simply no longer worth the money. If you're on a tight budget, you can appreciate that a cheap product is less likely to last as long as an expensive one. With JennAir still charging high prices, the brand has become overpriced and a consistent disappointment to customers. It's no surprise that more people are turning to second-hand refrigerators instead, because at least they know the appliance has a proven history of working properly.

Like JennAir, Fisher & Paykel is another brand that produces stylish appliances with a sleek, modern design. Aesthetics will always play a role in how people choose appliances for their kitchen, but visual design is meaningless unless the products actually function properly. One reviewer went as far as calling Fisher & Paykel's appliances "expensive garbage." They were referring to their washer and dryer, but many others commented with the frustrations they've had with their refrigerators. A technician also chimed in, claiming that repair techs universally hate Fisher & Paykel products.

Other reviewers were a little more positive about the brand, but opinions are certainly mixed. One person even went as far as stating that buying Fisher & Paykel appliances was the worst decision they made when completing their home renovation. Dishwasher leaks have also been reported, sometimes ruining hardwood floors. It certainly seems that with some brands, all you're paying for is something that looks easy on the eyes.

One of the only redeeming aspects of Frigidaire products is that they aren't as expensive as some of the other brands on this list. It is a subsidiary of Electrolux, but doesn't offer the level of quality that's often associated with its parent company. Even though Frigidaire isn't a premium brand, products will still feel overpriced if they don't perform as they should. There are always going to be appliances that break, so some negative reviews are unavoidable. However, one of the most damning reviews of Frigidaire was from someone who filled their home with appliances from the company. Not only did the equipment break down, but the customer also complained about the brand's poor customer service and failure to honor their warranties.

We can't comment on whether or not claims regarding warranties are true, but there does appear to be a common theme of customers experiencing warranty issues with many of these brands. One of the most telling signs within these negative reviews is that they are not focused on one particular appliance. Ranges, humidifiers, stoves, freezers, dishwashers, and refrigerators all come under criticism. For these customers, buying a Frigidaire appliance may not have been as costly a mistake as choosing one of the more premium brands on this list, but it still resulted in a major headache.

Again, we want to stress that a few poor reviews doesn't make a company bad, which is why some famous brands didn't make this list. To remain fair, we looked beyond a few negative comments to try and get a broader perspective. However, Whirlpool is another brand that gets far too much criticism to ignore. Its refrigerators have consistently come under a lot of heat, with a wide variety of issues being cited. One reviewer even stated that they bought a Whirlpool microwave, refrigerator, and dishwasher, only for each item to break down within three years.

On Reddit, one user asked if Whirlpool was still as reputable as it used to be. While there were a few comments defending the brand, many more agreed that the quality just isn't there anymore, with one reply saying there are many better options for your budget. One reviewer even told the humorous story of how they bought a Whirlpool fridge from Best Buy, and the technician installing the fridge confessed that they'd probably need to have it replaced in the next few years. It wasn't exactly what the customer wanted to hear immediately after buying the appliance and paying the refrigerator installation costs. Whirlpool is still a major player in the industry, but the brand seems to have followed the trend of raising prices while product quality declines. Whirlpool's microwaves are still quite good, but exercise caution when buying larger appliances.

KitchenAid is one of those brands that is really good at making the products that made it famous. KitchenAid's iconic stand mixers and their versatile attachments are still industry leaders, and many other brands have tried to replicate its success. Over time, the brand has expanded into larger kitchen appliances, but the quality found in its flagship products seems to be missing. A couple of reviewers were annoyed they couldn't give KitchenAid a 0-star rating on Consumer Affairs for its refrigerators, reluctantly giving the brand a single star instead.

Many reviewers bemoaned the high price they paid for an appliance that quickly failed. The dishwasher reviews are equally as bad. On top of the poor quality, a common frustration is that the company seems reluctant to address faulty products, even when they're under warranty. A few reviewers have understandably stated they'll never buy another large appliance from the brand. KitchenAid may carry strong brand recognition when it comes to stand mixers, but that recognition doesn't seem to extend to its larger appliances, which often fail to deliver any value.

Viking is a brand that likes to make bold claims. Its website feaures the slogan "Simply Iconic," and states the company has "40 years of innovation, craftsmanship, and being the best". Viking also brags about having professional performance and stunning design. In fairness, the modern aesthetic of its products is impressive. However, for a company that boasts so much about craftsmanship, it's yet another brand that has seemingly let standards slip. One reviewer implored people to avoid Viking at all costs, claiming its standards have deteriorated past the point of no return. On top of their complaint about product quality was yet another criticism of customer service.

While Viking is known for its oven ranges, the company's other products have faced criticism, too. Reviewers of Viking microwaves have reported frequent malfunctions, exacerbated by high repair costs. While myriad issues were reported, it seems the digital screens have been the primary point of failure for these microwaves. Customers have also complained about Viking's dishwashers, commonly reporting leaks. This type of issue is serious, as it can cause costly damage to the rest of your kitchen. It's quite clear that for many customers, buying a Viking product was an expensive mistake. The brand may deliver when it comes to style, but it falls short in the areas that really matter.

When choosing these brands, we didn't want to simply single out appliance makers with a few isolated bad reviews. Instead, we examined multiple sources, including trusted websites like Consumer Affairs and popular forums such as Reddit. This approach helped us to identify consistent patterns of complaints that pointed to recurring issues. To deem a brand overpriced, we considered whether comparable — or even better — quality could be found at a lower price point. We believe that all of these brands meet that criteria. That doesn't mean to say you should never buy from these companies, but it does mean you should research individual products, ensure sure that you're getting real value for money, and insist on a watertight extended warranty.