Dishwashers Discussion Board

Kenmore dishwasher racks rust

Lawrence10 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:18:59 GMT

I forgot to mention, the prongs on my racks did not just start to rust so that a little epoxy could prevent damage. The prongs are rusting from the bottom, under the coating- they just become loose and snap off. The tips are fine. This is a design defect. Some clever attorney out there should look into a class action lawsuit. I'll be happy to be a plaintiff.

Kenmore dishwasher racks rust

Lawrence10 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:12:15 GMT

Jose, I started this discussion and it's happening again. I paid a whopping $75 for a new bottom rack (after Sears agreed to cut the cost in half. I mean who ever heard of a f---ing dish rack costing $150 dollars anyway?), which effectively increased the cost of the dishwasher by $75. And now the prongs on the top rack are starting to rust and fall off. I cannot believe that Kenmore would sell perfectly good dishwashers and stock them with junk racks just to squeeze a few bucks out of their customers. Shoddy business practice if you ask me. All I know is that when the top rack falls apart, I will junk the dishwasher and get a good old GE. My 20 year old GE dishwasher is as good as new and the racks are in perfect condition. If any one is reading this, BEWARE of Kenmore products. The hardware is good, but the parts are meant to become obsolete in a very short time. I guess that's how Sears does business these days.

Kenmore dishwasher racks rust

Jose5000 — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:39:01 GMT

Kenmore Model 655.1663200 Top rack tips on all prongs rusting now - tried to coat with epoxy two years ago (this was suggestion from SEARS rep).

Now bottom rack is starting to rust - I was looking to order another rack, and found this discussion. Wish I would have had a discussion page like this two years ago -

And I was not given the opportunity or offer for replacement two years ago - so, I have not gone back to Sears to replace our refrigerator or oven range. I am not looking for "free" replacement ... just a commnet that Kenmore brand is not what it once was.

Kenmore Elite issues

RazzyBluCru — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:25:15 GMT

BigMike4511 said…

RazzyBluCru said…

If it's never worked, why didn't you return it?

<p style="display: inline !important;">The idea that a customer can easily unhook and return a dishwasher (something that most consumers have to pay to have installed) seems a bit ludicrous to me, and comments like this, even if not intended to do so, seem rude and uncaring to the customer’s problem.

The customer paid for a product, the product has not done the job and the “service” staff has basically told them to live with the issue. Telling a customer that they need to wash the dishes by hand before they use the dishwasher, or telling them not to use certain features on the product (which were selling points when the product was purchased) is not fixing the issue, nor is it respectful to the customer.

If it seemed to be uncaring and rude, I do apologize - The post wasn't quite clear on the issues, and whether or not the dishwasher 'didn't work' as in it broke down often or it 'didn't work' in respect to your rubber saw blade analogy where it turned on but didn't do the job right. There is a difference between the two, and it is an important one to understand. That's what I was looking for. Maybe should have been worded differently, I'll give you that. :)

I completely agree with you though, the service staff has definitely let this customer down. None of their 'excuses' really holds any water (pardon the pun!) - And to consistently be servicing a product, and NOT offer a refund is ludicrous. Did this item have a service agreement on it? Any 1yr period with more than four repairs would make this a 'lemon' model. Regardless though, something should be done, there should not have been that many repairs made on this type of product.

Kenmore Elite issues

BigMike4511 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:35:57 GMT

RazzyBluCru said…

If it's never worked, why didn't you return it?

From reading the customer’s post, I would say that it has never worked properly, and the customer has had many service calls where the problems have not been solved. The customer states that it has never worked, but in reading the entire post you can see that it has never worked as it should.

If you were to have a circular saw with a rubber blade, the saw motor would come on, and the blade would rotate. When you tried to cut a piece of wood, it would not cut. Technically the saw would “work” but it would not do the job that was expected.

The idea that a customer can easily unhook and return a dishwasher (something that most consumers have to pay to have installed) seems a bit ludicrous to me, and comments like this, even if not intended to do so, seem rude and uncaring to the customer’s problem.

The customer paid for a product, the product has not done the job and the “service” staff has basically told them to live with the issue. Telling a customer that they need to wash the dishes by hand before they use the dishwasher, or telling them not to use certain features on the product (which were selling points when the product was purchased) is not fixing the issue, nor is it respectful to the customer.

Kenmore Elite issues

RazzyBluCru — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:52:05 GMT

If it's never worked, why didn't you return it?

Kenmore Elite issues

SearsCares-Tim — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:59:46 GMT

To unhappyinslc,

I'm very sorry that you are unhappy with your dishwasher and for the numerous issues that you have with Sears Home Services. I can understand how frustrating and inconvenient it is to not have a working dishwasher. We value you as a Sears customer and we'd be happy to discuss the options that are available to resolve this issue. Please send an email with your contact information (preferably a phone number) to SMAdvisor@searshc.com. Please include your screen name (unhappyinslc) for reference to your issue and please send to my attention.

Thanks,

Tim H.

MySears Community Moderator

Kenmore Elite issues

unhappyinslc — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:04:51 GMT

I just posted this on Facebook too so that all my friends can share my story with their friends, etc. Someone's got to take responsibility and make sure others don't make the same mistake as I.

Kenmore Elite issues

unhappyinslc — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:40:32 GMT

I bought a Kenmore Elite in 2009. DO NOT BUY ONE!!!! Mine has NEVER worked. Sears has sent so many techs to my house over the last few years that I have lost count. They have told me everything from "it's really only designed for an extra rinse but you'll have to wash your dishes by hand" to "you can't use the buttons like SmartWash or Delay Wash or Sanitize" or ANY of the features which are supposed to make it energy-wise!! The last guy even told us that our 20 year old/$250 dishwasher would be better than this one!! They've blamed the problems on everything from my hard water to the detergent to the plumbing but NEVER the dishwasher! You would think that years ago they would have been too embarrassed/humiliated to keep coming to my house without suggesting a replacement, but NO! At this point, they should give me $2000 to go buy a dishwasher of my choosing elsewhere because they should admit that they should have dealt with the problem properly years ago!!!! NEVER EVER buy one!!!! I wouldn't suggest buying ANYTHING from Sears at this point. I have told all of my friends about this for all of these years and they can't believe that Sears hasn't taken responsibility for it yet. Shame on them!!!!

Kenmore dishwasher racks rust

RazzyBluCru — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:36:09 GMT

One question to ask - What material are the racks made out of? Are they nylon coated, PVC coated, or vinyl coated? Nylon performs leaps and bounds better then PVC or vinvyl, and nylon racks rarely rust.

- Lawrence, do you have a model number by chance?

- Kristie, a model number by chance?

- Mike, model number?

I sound like a broken record, and I agree racks should last longer then 1-2 years. I'd like to do more research into this, and part of that would be finding model numbers and trying to find a connection. Any more information would be greatly appreciated, and I'd be more than happy to share the findings of my research.

Now Mr.Icbruce - If your dishwasher is 8 years old, and the prongs went bad within a year or two, isn't it a bit late to be demanding a replacement from Sears? The whole stance, "If Sears refuses to replace this for free, I will never shop at Sears again," doesn't make much sense if this issue wasn't addressed when it happened, and is only being addressed now, 8 years after purchase and (by your admittance) 6 to 7 years after the issue.

Kenmore Dishwasher Rack Rust

SearsCares-Robert — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:23:15 GMT

Dear Icbruce,

We are truly sorry for all the hassle you've experienced with your dishwasher. There's no question that it's not easy to be without a dishwasher. Please keep in mind that even the highest quality and most expensive products can have manufacturer defects. We would like to have the opportunity to offer our assistance with the Kenmore Elite. Our team is part of the executive & corporate customer relations team. At your convenience, please send us an email containing your contact information (preferably a phone number) to SMAdvisor@searshc.com to the attention of Robert. And please provide your screen name (icbruce) for further assistance.

Thanks,

Robert B.

Social Media Moderator

Sears Social Media Support

Kenmore Dishwasher Rack Rust

lcbruce — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:29:38 GMT

I have problem with a defect with my rack on my Sears Dishwasher. I spent over $1,200 on Kenmore Elite Stainless Steel Dishwasher. It is only 8 years old. Within a year or two the prongs on the rack started to rust and fall off. I have a 17 year old G.E. basic dishwasher in a rental unit I own and the rack is good as new. Never in my life have I seen a rack go bad. If Sears refuses to replace this for free, I will never shop at Sears again. I don't understand why Sears can not admit there was a manufacture defect somewhere in their process and fix this problem. Is there anyone at Sears who can help me?

Thanks, Mr. Bruce

Kenmore dishwasher racks rust

lcbruce — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:27:39 GMT

I also have had the same problem. I spent over $1,200 on Kenmore Elite Stainless Steel Dishwasher. It is only 8 years old. Within a year or two the prongs on the rack started to rust and fall off. I have a 17 year old G.E. basic dishwasher in a rental unit I own and the rack is good as new. Never in my life have I seen a rack go bad. If Sears refuses to replace this for free, I will never shop at Sears again. I don't understand why Sears can not admit there was a manufacture defect somewhere in their process and fix this problem. Is there anyone at Sears that can help me?

Thanks, Mr. Bruce

Kenmore Elite Ultra Wash 665.1397 door will not close or latch

terryf — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:59:49 GMT

The door latch on these new Dishwasher springs /snaps closed with the lightest touch, then the latch hits on the door strikewith a clunk sound/. look carefully at the strike (top middle of the tub. it has a small square opening the latch snaps into that hole. pulling the door closed tightly. I think you can take an old wire clothes hanger, bend it to the shape of the strike. (front edge and each side) get a small flashlight look carefullt at the latch assembly. You shoould see the catch,slide the new tool you made in at a upward angle get behind the catch, then level it out and pullu straight out. this resets the latch to be ready for the next closing. BE VERY CAREFULL. I ordered a new latch before 2 weeks beforeThanksgiving am still waiting

Kenmore Elite Ultra Wash 665.1397 door will not close or latch

msbrown51 — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:34:43 GMT

I have the same problem with a dishwasher that is 2 weeks old.

Kenmore Elite Ultra Wash 665.1397 door will not close or latch

1982 — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:42:23 GMT

Dishwasher is one week old and has done 3 loads. The striker is correctly aligned with the receptacle in the door, but the moveable piece in the receptacle does not go down when the striker contacts it. How do I fix this? Is there a reset procedure that will unlock the moveable piece or is it something else? The wahser has power because the cycle buttons light up.

Thanks

Kenmore Model: 363.15121100 - Not draining - need help.

terryf — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:00:31 GMT

remoe the service panel, there are 4 screws the need to be remover, a 1/4 socket or nut driver will work. There are 2 located between the bottom of the door panel and the top of the service panel, and 2 underneath the service panel then you can see the motor and pump assembly. the is a drain solenoid to the left of the motor. It has a plunger that connects the drain gate with a small attaching lever. when the motor is running the solenoid energizes for the drain momentarily pulling the plunger down and opening the gate. The water pressure in the pump will force the gate wide open and the Dishwasher should drain. If the plunger will not go down inside the solenoid it may have melted and can't be pulled down. if that is the problem you will need a new drain solenoid. If the gate is forced open there is water pressure and if it still wont drain you may have a plugged drain hose. If someone happened to change the disposal and that is when the Dishwasher stopped working they may have forgot to remove the Dishwasher drain plug.Some states require a air gap to prevent back filling from the disposer/sink and that air gap if present is the first place to look. That is a small chrome domed device about the size of a D cell battery at the back of the sink you should have noticed the sound of water running through that during drain cycles before you had any problems.

Kenmore Model: 363.15121100 - Not draining - need help.

laskdjflaskdjf — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:38:30 GMT

I have searched through these forums and all over google, and I can't get a sense of what I'm looking for that is wrong. I have a feeling that the solenoid is what has faulted, as the dishwasher cycles, fills with water and sprays it around, but when it would normally make a clicking noise and then you would normally hear the draining, nothing happens. The timer keeps going, but nothing happens. I'm prepared to take the panel off and get into this thing, but i have no idea what I'm looking for. can anyone show me somehow what to expect when I get into the nitty gritty? I greatly appreciate it.

Dishwasher leaks and unknown warranty

Samuchan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:36:49 GMT

The seal for the shaft of the diverter valve actuator is leaking. The entire tub basin had to be ordered to obtain the seal. The tech also ordered a new diverter valve actuator motor. $300 in parts plus labor. Which is covered under the service agreement that I purchased. The seal is covered under the Ultra-Wash warranty. However, labor is not covered. The actuator has corrosion on the terminals and doesn't look to be in good condition. I was left between choosing the service agreement or receive the parts free and be charged for labor. It was $30 more to stay with the service agreement and receive a 1-year warranty on the work or have a 90-day warranty. I chose the longer warranty. I don't like the design. Well, parts on order, two-more weeks without the dishwasher. Overall, this has been a bad experience with a Kenmore Product. I know that the dishwasher is made by Whirlpool. Looks like I won't be purchasing Whirlpool or Kenmore!!! Thanks to all for the comments, responses, and information. This is a good website with some good people!!!

Dishwasher leaks and unknown warranty

terryf — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:50:41 GMT

The factory seems to be using a new type of hose clamp, it is put on and fastened by a special tool, these clamps are crumy. you made need to purchase a good ol' screw type clamp that any hardware store carries. remove to factory clamp, clean the port outside area for a good seal when you clamp it down with a new clamp.