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Consumers have been subject to the costs of a leaky dishwasher, along with repairs to property caused by resulting water damage, according to a new class action lawsuit filed against Whirlpool.
Lead plaintiff, Elisabeth Cleveland, contends that the company, along with its subsidiaries, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, and Kenmore, knew or should have known about the defect that causes dishwashers to leak water all over consumers’ floors and cabinets.
The Whirlpool class action lawsuit says that Whirlpool has known of the defect for a minimum of eight years, in fact, but has failed to remedy the problem.
Cleveland alleges that she purchased a Whirlpool Model WDF760SADW2 in 2016. She says that she spent more money on what she thought was a high-end appliance in the hopes it would last longer and not need many repairs.
However, a few short years later, Cleveland says the dishwasher began leaking so badly it had to be taken out for repairs. In addition to discovering the defect that causes the leaks, Cleveland claims that the grout under her appliance was damaged.
“The dishwashers were and are equipped with a pump motor diverter shaft seal…oriented incorrectly, accelerating degradation of the seal and creating a buildup of debris that prevents the shaft seal spring from properly sealing the diverter shaft and sump,” explains the Whirlpool class action lawsuit.
The diverter shaft is located at the bottom of the dishwasher tub and is a part of its sump assembly. This piece of the dishwasher is responsible for holding and spraying water while the device is running, further notes the plaintiff.
“Whirlpool designed and manufactured the sump and diverter motor pump assembly with the seal affixed in an inverted position, which exposes it to hot soapy water and debris,” alleges the Whirlpool class action lawsuit. “As the debris builds and the seal degrades, water begins to leak between the sump and the tub, eventually leaking through the entire unit and onto floors and inside cabinetry.”
As a result of this defect, a leaky dishwasher can lose a substantial amount of water through the seal, causing damage to a consumer’s property.
The class action lawsuit points out that Whirlpool, along with its subsidiaries, sells a number of models affected by the alleged defect. The leaky dishwashers are reportedly sold as “high end” models and run from between $500 and $700 each.
Further, the company touts the long service life of its dishwashers, claiming that most do not need a repair for the first 18 years of service. However, the allegedly defective dishwashers often fail within the first four years of service, contends the class action lawsuit.
In addition, the plaintiff says that Whirlpool fails to honor the terms of its warranty when consumers are faced with property damage and other repairs caused by the defect. The complaint points out that Whirlpool’s express warranty states that the company will pay for replacement parts and repairs related to defects in its dishwashers; however, Whirlpool has refused to pay for damages caused by the defective dishwashers within the warranty period.
According to the Whirlpool class action lawsuit, after initial consumer complaints about the defective dishwashers, Whirlpool offered to replace a seal at the cost of less than $10. However, the company has continually upped the cost of repairing the dishwasher for consumers. Indeed, the company stopped selling the seal and instead began offering the entire sump assembly at a cost of $60 to $75, not including installation.
Now, contends the class action lawsuit, consumers are offered a full sump assembly with a new diverter shaft seal at a cost of more than $200, including installation costs. This can amount to one-third of the cost of the dishwasher, points out the complaint. Further, many repair companies are hesitant to replace the sump assembly, alleges the complaint, because of concerns that the defect is still present in the new parts, leaving consumers with a dishwasher that still leaks.
The Whirlpool class action lawsuit argues that consumers had no way of knowing that the high-end dishwashers they purchased were defective and that they faced not only the cost of repairing the machine, but also property damage.
The plaintiff says that she and other consumers would not have purchased the product had they known of the defect and the problems it would cause.
Cleveland seeks to represent other consumers who purchased Whirlpool’s defective dishwashers. She is seeking damages for the defective machines and related repairs.
Did you purchase a leaky dishwasher? Tell us what happened in the comment section below!
The plaintiff is represented by Michelle J. Looby and Raina Borrelli of Gustafson Gluek PPC, Harper T. Segui and Daniel K. Bryson of Whitfield Bryson LLP, Gregory F. Coleman, Rachel Soffin, and Lisa A. White of Greg Coleman Law PC.
The Whirlpool Leaky Dishwasher Class Action Lawsuit is Cleveland v. Whirlpool Corp., Case No. 0:20-cv-01906-WMW-KMM, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
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99 thoughts onWhirlpool Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Leaky Dishwasher Defect
I have a whirlpool dishwasher that is leaking and causing damage to the cabinets and the floors in my kitchen. Whirlpool average cost for repair is $250-$400. I refuse to use the dishwasher at all at this point because I do not want to further damage my home. This appliance was placed in my home in 2017 when it was built. No reason it should be leaking the way it is. Very dis-satisfied as all of my home’s major appliances are WHIRLPOOL. Would like this addressed.
Yes my Dishwasher leaked so manytimes. I have serious mold and Mildew. Cabinets are ruined with water leakd
Bought the kitchen aid dishwasher in 2017. The motor assembly starting but it took us a long time to identify it. Floors underneath are ruined. Would love to be added to the class action lawsuit.
We have one of the dishwashers in question (only 3 years old), and just yesterday discovered a leak. After pulling it out, we will be paying $2500 for moisture and mold remediation, $1500 more to install new flooring in a best case scenario (potentially upwards of $10k+ if we have to redo all of our floors), and an additional to be quoted amount to fix the mold that grew on our cabinets after the leak. New dishwasher of a different brand is already on the way (another $1600 with install). Still waiting on quotes for the remainder of the work.
I purchased from Home Depot a Whirlpool Gold dishwasher (Model WDF775SAYM1 for $573.98 including tax) delivered Feb. 21, 2013, and replaced it with a new Whirlpool dishwasher for $588.49, including tax, on Jan. 2, 2020 (Model WDTA50SAHZ purchased from Costco) because we noticed the Home Depot Whirlpool dishwasher was leaking on our tile kitchen floor. It was out of warranty, and we felt that given that the plastic around the control panel also had melted, loosening it, it wasn’t worth spending what likely could have been upward of $200 for a repair company to track down the leak and repair it.
I have a whirlpool dishwasher we purchased in 2017. I had the entire sump assembly installed in 2019 and was a Whirlpool OEM part replaced for the very reason listed, the little black seal in the sump was dripping water out. The technician that worked on the unit, not a whirlpool employee, told me this was a common issue and about every 2 years that seal would begin to leak. Guess what, September 2021 now and have a leak there again for a 5 cent seal and the repair cost about $200 to get done. I am sorely disappointed in the dishwasher lifespan especially if this has to be done every 2 years as was suggested and appears to be correct. Why won’t they just sell the rubber washer or come up with a different sump replacement so the repair is not so expensive. I understand routine maintenance but this is ridiculous. I have tried to find a seal replacement but do not have the time or patience to uninstall and reinstall the dishwasher over and over to find something that will work. That washer was about $800 and does a super job cleaning but a 5 cent seal makes it to be a piece of crap.
Replaced defective diverter shaft seal with $15.00 seal I found on the internet. That a few years ago. So far so good
I just had the same issue with my KitchenAid dishwasher leaking out the bottom and damaging the floor. Have owned it for about 5 years.
I purchased a KitchenAid model KDTM404ESS in 2015. I have had the motor replaced 3 times due to leaking. This has also damaged the floor.
Purchased a Kitchen-aid KDTE104ESS3 in August 2017. Had to buy a new dishwasher and replace my kitchen floor due to water damage in July 2021.
My KitchenAid dishwasher (purchased in 2016) leaked; ruining my flooring and subfloor. The diverter motor was changed, but neither KitchenAid nor Lowe’s covers property damage caused by their faulty products. This dishwasher needed repaired numerous times; including needing the control board replaced twice. It presently is broken down once again with a faulty control board. I am interested in being added to the class action lawsuit.