The Whirlpool Corp. is facing a new class action lawsuit filed against it by a customer from Illinois who says a dishwasher defect, which the company refuses to correct, has damaged his home.
Complaints about the diverter shaft seal, which comes installed in several of Whirlpool’s brands and models, have been made for at least the last several years, but the company has done nothing to change the design, issue a recall or extend the warranty, the class action lawsuit says.
Among the brands that have the allegedly faulty diverter shaft seal are Whirlpool, Whirlpool Gold, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag and Kenmore.
“Since at least 2015, as part of its marketing campaign, Whirlpool has boasted to consumers about the durability of these ‘high-quality’ dishwashers, claiming that ‘No One Has Fewer Repairs 18 Years in a Row,’” the class action lawsuit says. “However, Whirlpool designed, manufactured, distributed, marketed, and sold the dishwashers with a uniform defect that can and has caused [them] to leak and damage consumers’ cabinetry, flooring and other property.”
Lead plaintiff Christopher Redmon says he purchased a KitchenAid dishwasher in 2017 for $799, and in June of this year it began to leak, sending water running across the kitchen floor and pooling under his kitchen island.
“When Mr. Redmon inspected the dishwasher, he discovered that the water had soaked the insulation, caused rust and corrosion underneath the dishwasher, and discolored the grout of the ceramic flooring below,” his class action lawsuit says.
Lawyers for Redmon say Whirlpool has to have known about the dishwasher defect that caused the leak in Redmon’s home because customers have been complaining about the same malfunction online for at least eight years.
The class action lawsuit contains numerous citations of posted complaints on websites, including AppliancePartsPros.com and Shopyourway.com. But Whirlpool has continued to manufacture the dishwashers with the defective seal assembly and, rather than recall it or extend the product warranty, sells replacement kits for owners to do repair it themselves, Redmon claims.
The core of the dishwasher defect problem, according to the class action lawsuit, is the appliance’s pump motor diverter shaft seal is “oriented incorrectly.” The seal is part of the dishwasher’s sump assembly, which is housed at the bottom of the tub and collects and disperses water during a wash.
The way the dishwashers are manufactured exposes the seal to hot, soapy water, which degrades the seal over time and leads to increasing leakage, the class action lawsuit claims.
Whirlpool, Redmon claims, refuses to replace or repair the defective dishwashers “and instead offers to sell a full sump assembly with a new diverter shaft seal attached to it to the customer.” The cost of the replacement kit is between $60 and $75, but the cost to have it installed by a professional costs about $200, Redmon says. Those costs are left to the customer to pay, the class action lawsuit says.
Redmon is seeking the court’s approval to pursue the case as a class action lawsuit. Though he does not specify how many potential Class Members could join the litigation, he claims thousands would be eligible. The Class would be limited to customers who purchased one of the dishwashers in Illinois.
The class action complaint accuses the Whirlpool Corp. of breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, violations of the Illinois state consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices law, negligence and fraudulent concealment.
Do you have a Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag or Kenmore dishwasher that’s had a faulty diverter shaft seal? Has the leaky seal caused damage to the flooring or cabinetry in your kitchen? Tell us about it in the comment section below.
Lead plaintiff Redmon and the proposed Class Members are represented by Edward A. Wallace and Tyler J. Story of Wexler Wallace LLP; Gregory F. Coleman and Rachel Soffin of Greg Coleman Law PC; and Harper T. Segui and Daniel K. Bryson of Whitfield Bryson LLP.
The Dishwasher Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Christopher Redmon, et al. v. Whirlpool Corp., et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-06626, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
48 thoughts onWhirlpool Slapped With Class Action Lawsuit Over Dishwasher Defect
I have an affected model that I purchased new. The first time, this seal failed right outside of the warranty period. I was shocked to find out that the $8 part was no longer available for a model that wasnt even that old. I had to buy the whole $90 bottom sump/drain assembly just to get a fancy O-ring that had dried out and cracked due to heat. The o-ring on the OEM replacement sump assembly failed again a year or two later. This time, I was able to find a generic replacement o-ring on amazon that as of today, still works. Even if you want to repair your appliance, the OEM doesnt make the part that fails. Very frustrating.
Bought our dishwasher in 2018 and in March of 2023 we have had leakinf out the bottom of the front of our dishwasher door. Very disappointed as it has been only 4 years since we’ve been using it and diswashers are supposed to last on average 10 years. Won’t be buying whirlpool again.
I am having the exact same issue with my dishwasher. I am tied of getting the run around. Between my dishwasher and refrigerator, I will never order whirlpool ever again. It is pretty sad that us as customers have to go through this.
Very mad customer!
This concerns a major hazard that could result in serious injury or (in the case of a child) could cause death. The product that had the safety failure is a Whirlpool gas range, Model WFG540HOES1. It was a harmful failure of the oven door at 450F.
WDT970SAHZ0 less than 3 years old leaking and damaging floor. looking to find a repair company.
I bought the kitchen Aid dishwasher May /18/2018,model no. KDTE104ESS-1, SERIAL NO F54957457 ,FOUND OUT IT HAD BEEN LEAKING FOR QUITE AWHILE,,DAMAGE TO KITCHEN FLOOR,,
Kenmore dishwasher was leaking and caused major water damage to kitchen cabinets and wood flooring. Over $20000.
Model 10698637A Massive leak, some damage to floor hardwood floor as didn’t discover for a while. Currently without a dishwasher and replacement supply is very limited.
We had a leak from in our 6 year old Whirlpool dishwasher this past December. Fortunately, we discovered it after one load leaking before it did any major damage to the floor. We had the repairman out and he said the whole motor had to be replaced as it was leaking from the motor seal. It took 2 weeks for the part to arrive over the holidays and we paid $365 for parts and labor to have it installed.
Count us in damaged our house after first use it sits in my garage and we are waiting for whirlpool to pick up I know this machine was defective cause we pulled it out and saw the water leaking out of the bottom. I thought it was interesting that the GE was wet inside because it had been tested the whirlpool was dry as a bone. I always bought whirlpool so this is so disappointing and they yet to send a adjuster out
Same here. Leaking, but caught it right away. Repairman said trash it. We can’t afford nor even find a decently rated dishwasher to replace it with. Ours leaks from INSIDE the front door, where the insulation is.
Repair call of $149 down the drain because he said it would cost more to fix than to buy a new one.