'The Door Won't Open At All' — Shoppers Aren't Happy With This Costco Microwave

Imagine buying a microwave from Costco, putting your food in to heat for the first time, and then realizing the door won't open. You've tried everything, from reading the manual front and back three times to watching every YouTube video you could find on the issue. Nothing works, and you're getting hungrier by the second. That's what's happened to many unhappy shoppers who purchased the Panasonic 1.2 cu.ft. countertop microwave (Model NN-SN68QB), which is similar to a model we ranked as one of the worst kitchen appliances to avoid at Costco. 

It boasts fancy features such as Inverter and Genius Sensor tech to ensure your food is heated to perfection. But its new child lock feature, which is required by law for all microwaves now, is giving users more headaches than it's worth. In theory, the lock prevents you from opening the door while cooking unless you press the "Door Open" first, but many reviews claim that the door won't budge even after following instructions to the letter. While it may have an average 4.0 rating out of 5 stars on the Costco website (out of 263 ratings), these complaints shouldn't be taken lightly. Still, many have stated that they're happy with the microwave and had no issues with the door getting stuck, despite being wary after reading the comments. If you like the microwave's design and tech inside, you can take your chances and hope you're one of the lucky ones who gets a functioning unit.

Panasonic usually gets it right with microwaves, which is why we ranked it as one of the best microwave brands, but this time, it missed the mark. And it's not just an isolated issue, either. Countless reviews state that the door becomes stuck after just a single use. "Pressing the Open Door button turns off the lock indicators, but the door is still locked," states one reviewer. Another gave up on trying to open the door and just brought it back to Costco to return — with the food still inside.

And some even state that the child lock is essentially useless. "Thinking that this lock makes it safer for kids shows a lack of knowledge of children, [since] kids can press more than one button to open the door," explains one reviewer. They may be onto something, especially since the "Door Open" button is toward the bottom, right near the door release button — which may make it easier for your curious tyke to reach. Aside from the common complaint about the door jamming, others have said that despite its sleek design, the microwave's functions are not very user-friendly. For example, unlike other microwaves that start up as soon as you hit the 30-second button, this one requires you to press the 30-second button and then the start button. And this is just one example of its clunky functions.

So, now you're stuck with a microwave that's holding your lunch hostage. What can you do? Fortunately, if you bought it from Costco, the solution is simple. Costco's hassle-free return policy lets you get a full refund, although there are a few things to keep in mind. For electronics, like microwaves, Costco accepts returns within 90 days from the day you received it. If the issue pops up after that window, you'll need to go through Panasonic's manufacturer's warranty.

Panasonic offers a 1-year warranty on parts and labor, and an additional 4 years on the magnetron (parts only) component that generates the microwaves to heat your food. In response to several complaints about the door issue on the official Panasonic website, the brand has said that this "feedback is valuable" and will help them to improve product reliability. For now the issue doesn't seem like it'll be going away anytime soon. You're better off looking for a different microwave or getting your money back.