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nlion

Viking fridge: didn't last 4 months

nlion
11 years ago

We bought a Viking French door refrigerator in late September 2012. We noticed yesterday (Sunday) that it didn't sound right and then noticed the interior temps rising. The technican (actually he was the owner of the appliance service) just left. He said it needs a new compressor. To make matters worse, he said he's had the same part on order for another customer and it's taken 3 1/2 weeks to get the compressor. He recommended we contact our retailer and request a new refrigerator. We obviously can't wait 3.5 weeks to get the new compressor. I'm going to call the retailer in the morning and request we get a new refrigerator. Has anyone have a similar experience and success in getting their unit replaced?

Comments (41)

  • katy-lou
    11 years ago

    I believe KA makes the fridge - FD counter depth?

  • nlion
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've heard it was made by Amana which was taken over by Whirlpool, although I am not sure about that. Based on Gary's recommendation, I called Viking directly. They said I need to deal with Milestone Distributors. I then called Milestone (I believe they're in Houston?) and they said they'd get back to me. I reminded them that we currently have NO refrigeration and I am literally sitting by the phone awaiting their call. This is not fun at all. Nearly $4K for a refrigerator and I'm looking at a camping cooler holding our milk and other essentials.

  • nlion
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Gary and Katy-lou for your input. And yes, it's French door, counter depth.

  • dodge59
    11 years ago

    If You do not get a call SOON, from Milestone, invite them to read this thread, or better yet, get their Email address and Email the posts to them!

    There are a lotta folks watching this thread, if outcome is
    not positive and fast, how many of them do you think will buy Viking Fridges, or any Viking product, for that matter, (Or even take Viking up on their offer of a Free Fridge or whatever, if one buys the whole Viking Suite)!

    I have to go to San Diego, or I would get the part number of the compressor for you and where Viking can buy it.

    Post the fridge model # here, perhaps one of our other "Gurus" here, (especially the appliance guys), can find the compressor.

    Gary

  • nlion
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Fridge is Viking model # VCFF236SS002. Thanks for the support, Gary!

  • alex9179
    11 years ago

    Viking is shooting themselves in the foot with this one.

    I have never ordered from the business I've linked below, but the part is available and can be rushed. No excuse for making you wait.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Part available with rush delivery

  • katy-lou
    11 years ago

    I believe KA makes the fridge - FD counter depth?

  • llaatt22
    11 years ago

    That is a problem with rebadged customized high end low volume stuff.
    At least with Sears they take ownership of almost all appliances they sell
    so there is only one organization trying to hide from you.

  • nixit71
    11 years ago

    This concerns me as I purchased the Viking D3 RDDFF236SS back in Sep 2012. I've been told these are the same refrigerators except "the difference between the Professional unit and the Designer is the door handle and the logo." And yes, both are manufactured by Whirlpool are are mechanically identical to the KA KFCP22/KFCS22 and Jenn Air JFC2290 models. But Viking had the better warranty (for what it's worth), which is why I chose it. No problems thus far .

    Side note: I paid around $2600 out the door for the D3 frig. I would ask your retailer as to why he/she felt the Professional series carried a $1K+ premium over what's basically the same frig.

  • nlion
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Update: We are getting a new refrigerator delivered this afternoon. Per Gary's suggestion, I sent Viking a link to this discussion...could that have been the catalyst that caused them to act so promptly? I guess we'll never know. :-) Thanks so very much to everyone here for their suggestions and support.

  • alex9179
    11 years ago

    Thank goodness it's getting resolved quickly. Too bad it took a vague threat of poor reviews to get action. You shouldn't have had to do that in order to get good customer service!

  • ctnluvsnm
    11 years ago

    I live in Houston and wondering how Milestone responded. We are considering the D3 fridge at the moment. Do you have regrets?

  • nlion
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I have no regrets about buying the Viking. Admittedly, I pulled out all the stops after the tech told me I should request a new one. I contacted everybody I could think of, plus I posted my issue here on GW. As a result, I had a new one in my kitchen within two days. The only thing that's different with Viking is that when you call Viking, they ask where you're located, then they direct you to a distributor (in my case, Milestone) for service. My new fridge is working fine...38 degrees in the fridge, 0 degrees in the freezer!

  • sprtphntc7a
    11 years ago

    glad they resolved it for you to your satisfaction.
    that has got to be the worse feeling to pay all the money and then have it break down...

    good job Gary getting the ball rolling!!!

    hope this one lasts all long time, best of luck to you :)

  • nlion
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks, sprtphntc! :-)

  • firstmmo
    11 years ago

    Nice to know a little strong-arming can work....I had been considering that same french door refrigerator and am still a bit wary.

  • VikingRange
    10 years ago

    I'm so sorry that you had problems with your Viking Freestanding refrigerator. If there is anything I can do to help please email me at lgault@vikingrange.com.com.

    Thanks so much for choosing Viking. I'd like to make this right.

    All best,
    Leanne

  • dodge59
    10 years ago

    Well, i'm impressed by the Viking Post, it does appear they "Give A darn".

    One does wonder what happened to Chris Poll, (Electrolux).
    It's not a pretty story about the Elux Induction Ranges, but I digress!

    Gary

  • nlion
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I'm a bit puzzled; I posted the original comment in early January. Ms. Gault, whom I spoke with in January, posted her comment on May 16th. Evidently she did not read my follow-up comments to see it had been resolved.
    Further update: we're pleased with our replacement Viking fridge. No problems to report.

  • susanlynn2012
    10 years ago

    Thank you nlion for this post as I was looking at the Jenn-Air model that I see is the same as this Viking model and is the same as the Kitchen-Aid Model. I will see which one I can get the best price for if I can find a way to fit it under my cabinets that I am not keeping anyway as soon I will have new cabinets. I loved the bottom freezer and the overall look of this model. So glad Viking acted quickly and took care of you. Thanks for sharing.

  • jmorris3924
    9 years ago

    I am having a similar issue with my Viking fridge. Just emailed lgault@vikingrange.com. I hope she will be able to help me.

  • kbfriend
    8 years ago

    My 2013 french door freezer is filling up with water and leaking on the floor,as well as,the refrigerator temp won't stay constant.

  • christenartino
    8 years ago

    Hey all, we have a very used top freezer refrigerator by Whirlpool that just stopped making things cold, so we have been considering getting the Viking rvrf336ss at our local Pacific Sales home center. We currently have a Viking double oven (gas) and warming drawer in white and stainless that we feel would be complimented with this Viking fridge (rvrf336ss). Has anyone been able to find anything GOOD about Viking? I rarely use my gas oven because it seems like the baking is uneven, although cooking meals is ok with respect to thorough heating, and it seems to use a lot of gas to cook :-/ (my bill usually spikes)

    I know that there are a ton of negative reviews out there about Viking, and I am very concerned about investing 3000+ on this fridge. The sales rep just told us that Electrolux is making the Viking free-standing fridges these days and to stay away. Viking apparently still makes their own built-in models, but not their "lower end" freestanding ones.

    I was originally in the store to purchase the latest KitchenAid pro-series refrigerator, but of course I brought my husband and he was drawn to the matching Viking. So, can anyone advise me on making a purchase on a Viking refrigerator? I would hate to make the leap and find out it was the worst choice. I hate the idea of getting something that will be a problem, but we truly can't avoid that with the way the refrigerators are made these days with all the bells and whistles. So, do you think it is relative? Possibly that we take that risk with any fridge we purchase?

    I must be honest and admit that a Viking fridge does sound nice...

  • hvtech42
    8 years ago

    Last I knew Whirlpool was making the Viking freestanding units, not Electrolux. That may have changed recently, I'd have to check. I would say Whirlpool is a safer bet than Electrolux for french door fridges, though most of Electrolux's issues have pertained to external dispensers, not the actual cooling functionality.

  • christenartino
    8 years ago

    Thanks hvtech42, I will try to find out more about the manufacturing. Apparently Middleby owns Viking (?), another company I haven't heard of. From memory, I believe the KitchenAid only had a one year warranty, but Viking has 3 years, 6 years and 12 years, each for different parts of the unit. 3 years I believe is comprehensive, 6 is for cooling, 12 is for the sealing, but again-this is just from memory so I could be wrong.

  • hvtech42
    8 years ago

    I checked, you're right. Viking did switch to Electrolux for their freestanding fridges.

  • deandean1
    8 years ago

    My 3-yr-old Viking RDDFF236SS stopped cooling on Oct. 20, 2015. We lost everything in the fridge and freezer. The Viking authorized repair shop can't come out until Oct. 28!! Like others above, we are "camping" in our own home with coolers and daily runs for ice. If the repair person can't fix it on the visit tomorrow, I'm raising h--- with Viking and Pacific Sales, which I had to do about our Viking stove a year ago, after the oven failed THREE TIMES, two of those on successive Thanksgiving Eves--not the holiday tradition I want. I finally insisted, on the third failure, that they buy the stove back at full price, which they grudgingly did. Now I have a Wolf range and couldn't be happier. I will NEVER recommend Viking to anyone--in fact, I actively tell people NOT to buy Viking. Hey, Viking--if you are reading this thread, please get me a refrigerator that works.

  • enzaenza
    8 years ago

    Viking RVRF336SS

    How is everyone learning who makes the actual fridge? I see mention of appliance being rebranded so and sos. Im considering the CD FD Viking RVRF336SS but am very leery based on this thread.

  • kirving161
    8 years ago

    I'm also looking at the same Viking RVRF336SS. Any recent reviews?

  • PRO
    J Freitas
    8 years ago

    The RVRF336SS is a decent refrigerator. It is built by Electrolux for Viking since they do not have a production line for freestanding refrigerators. Prior to that they used the Kitchenaid built VCFF236SS like others have mentioned. I actually think that the RVRF336SS is an overall improvement in the features and finish of the refrigerator. It now has LED lighting, better/deeper interior shelving, and more spacious vegetable bins. They also changed the toekick to stainless which looks way better.

  • kirving161
    8 years ago

    thank you so much!

  • Kelly Orr
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Purchased Viking frig last year (July 2015) RVRF336. It was serviced 3 times in the first 11 months as it keeps getting ice buildup on the back side of freezer and the fruit/veg drawers. Also, had issues with ice machine and had it replaced. Eventually I found a crack in the freezer (6/2016). Viking has been 100% on top of issue. Once they found out it was cracked they replaced it immediately. Replaced with RVRF336SS5. Within 24 hours of getting new frig I am getting ice build up again on the back side of freezer and the fruit/veg drawers (same issue as before). I literally pull 4 in ice sheets off of back of drawers. Having it serviced again. Wondering if anyone else is having this problem.

  • lascatx
    7 years ago

    Only opened this because while going into our Best Buy store yesterday, I noticed they had among the floor display clearances a Viking FD fridge, range and DW. It would be a beautiful kitchen package for someone at a great price -- but not if they have problems with them. Well, at least Best Buy offers their Geek Squad protection on the floor display units. I hope whoever buys them takes a little of their savings and buys it. Kellyorrt17, so disappointing you are having the same problem with the replacement. Stay on top of it. Hope you get it resolved quickly.

  • emptym
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Hmm. I looked at the Viking RVRF336 yesterday and am thinking of getting it as a package w/ the new 36" open burner range and a hood. The FDW103 diswasher is included free. I'd really appreciate any reviews of the fridge or other appliances. Since they're all pretty new, there's a lot that I could find on the internet. There's certainly a lot of bad reviews for their older fridges and dishwashers though.

  • emptym
    7 years ago

    If we didn't get that, I'd probably go with a 36" Bluestar RCS, Bosch diswasher and maybe LG fridge.

  • ellencoughlin65
    6 years ago

    Brought a Viking Bev Cooler VUAR1441FRSS RevB. Had trouble from the start. Called Viking and a repair man came and it lasted a short time. My bev. cooler has been on /off again since I purchased it. Viking has sent parts, sometimes for free, other times I have paid and I have also paid for the repair man. Paid $1877. in 2011 for the bev cooler. Just about to give it up and make it an extra place for storing dishes. At the same time I brought a Viking French door refrig with water on the outside. I learned that it had broken when I found the water pooling on my new hard wood floors. Had to have 2 different repair guys. (My last one is on speed dial, he is good but the boards that are sent aren't) anyway the refrig, which is VCFF136Dss3 cost $3799 decided to shut down in late October and the part I had to order is $900. is not available and one part that I paid $400. didn't work. It is suppose to be here on the 19th, which is Sunday. Why do I think I am in trouble?? So, I now using a cooler to store my milk and juice. Thanksgiving is next week and I don't dare buy any food because where can I put it? Two very expensive pieces of appliances do not work. The kids are arriving and there is nothing I can do. I hope some person at Viking is reading this. You need to come and take these broken Vikings out of here. I see where you have discontinued my refrig, now I know why. I thought by buying Viking I was buying the best but you guys are not standing behind your products. When I hear "that part is back ordered" I now know it means I am in deep trouble. I have sent copies of many of my bills, not all, since I didn't think I would need to keep a record but since 2015 I have learned, Anyway your phone in people have been understanding but they can't e-mail the parts that I need. Too bad you haven't perfected that technology.

    Ecoughlin 11/16.17

  • Jerry Jorgenson
    6 years ago

    FWIW, my experience has been that when an appliance breaks, unless it's a very simple DIY fix, you're better off just getting a new one as I've yet to have an appliance repair last more than a few weeks. Unfortunately, this applies to brand new appliances as well.

  • Heather Rosales
    5 years ago

    Against my better judgement, I bought Viking over SubZero and what a HUGE mistake that was. I should have just spent the extra couple of thousand dollars and got something that actually works!


    Within two months, the microwave was broken. It must have been mishandled leaving the factory or during delivery because the third party appliance repairman stated that the clips holding the circuits together were broken inside the metal housing. It's been two weeks and I'm still waiting for the third party company to receive the parts and complete the repair.


    More importantly, my refrigerator! A little over a week ago we woke to the freezer stating that it was above 40 degrees. Needless to say, everything was defrosted and my ice bucket was now cold water. We salvaged what we could and hurried to eat all of the defrosted meats during the week. The repair service company wasn't able to schedule an appointment for over a week, so they are supposed to come in two more days.


    The refrigerator side seemed to still be working, so of course, we continued to use it. How are we supposed to live without a fridge for more than a week?! This morning I awoke to my refrigerator stating that the temperature was 67 degrees inside and my meat being questionable. I had just shopped on Saturday for the week and had my week's worth of food inside. When I called the service lady, she rudely said, "You put more food inside the broken refrigerator?" To which I informed her that the fridge side SEEMED to be working fine, and then asked her how I'm supposed to live in my house without a refrigerator for more than a week while I wait for their third party contractor to even come diagnose the problem. I also pointed out that my microwave has been broken for weeks and that I'm still waiting for parts. She said that she could possibly expedite the parts when the problem has been diagnosed, but that the service people would need to see what's going on first.


    I highly suggest you stay away from the garbage these people are pulling from the assembly line and spend the extra money to get products that actually work. There is no good reason for either product, let alone both products to be broken less than 3 months from installation. The fridge cost more than $10,000 and the "free" microwave was priced at $1,300.


    Mark my words, I will NEVER purchase anything from Viking again and I will buy SubZero/ Wolf from here on out. A couple of thousand dollars isn't worth the aggravation. If my item isn't working in three months, how bad will it be in three years when the warranty is long expired?


    Texas Lemon Law states that four fixes on the same appliance meets the requirements for Lemon Law. I'm keeping careful records and intend to follow through should there be more issues, if they ever get these issues fixed.

  • Lisa Shea
    5 years ago

    I completely agree with Heather Rosales. I too purchased a Viking built-in all-refrigerator in 2010 against my better judgment. My first problem was that I took delivery of a unit with a bent compressor, so I had to fight to get a replacement unit. In retrospect, I suspect that they replaced it with a refurbished unit because since then I have had ongoing issues. Almost all of my friends make jokes about my fridge issues because they have been following the saga.

    I had one or two warranty visits to address temperature issues during the coverage period. The warranty was also a problem because I purchased the unit almost a year prior to it being installed due to a renovation that needed custom cabinets that went on way too long. So, I lost a year of warranty time.

    Since then I have spent over $1600 in service fees (with an authorized service company to try to get it not to deep freeze all my food. I was given multiple reasons for why it was not working properly all of them completely hypothetical while each theory costing me money. The most recent episode involves the same authorized dealer deciding it needed a new door seal/gasket which took almost 3 weeks to deliver due to it being supposedly back ordered @ $700 cost. I am not sure if the seal was or was not the issue because the seal doesn't keep the door closed at all! There is absolutely no suction whatsoever in the door. In fact, the door looks open all the time now.

    Now they installed some type of temperature measurement device to monitor the temperature for the next 3 days. This experiment seems futile to me if the door doesn't close properly. It would be like trying to test air conditioning with all the windows and doors open.

    I am going on 26 days without a functioning refrigerator this time around.

    The other thing to be aware of it the quality of the crispers. They break very easily and the cost to replace them makes it impossible to replace. Of the 5 crispers, 4 are broken. I was quoted $700+ to replace 2 of them. Even the service company doesn't recommend replacing them due to the cost.

    I have had two other homes where I inherited Sub-zeros and I NEVER had one issue with those units. One of them was ancient but it was a beast; never failing me.

    I called Viking Range LLC and they don't seem to be interested in assisting. They have a customer care team that provides the token empathic statements but they don't seem willing to do more.

    In Canada, I noticed that even the authorized distributors listed on the Viking site don't actually carry Viking products despite being listed as Canadian distributors. This is a very telling sign!

    I would be happy to just trash this unit and caulk it up to a super bad consumer purchase but not only would I have to spend money to replace the unit, it will also require a new custom panel and custom trim work.

    STAY AWAY FROM VIKING!

  • Jennifer Kearney
    3 years ago

    Have had our 10,000 Viking fridge for 6 months and it has been out of service for the last 5 weeks. Dealer tries new things, nothing works. Now waiting for new compressor. What a piece of junk,. Give me back my sub-zero!