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yoyopa

Liebherr - Freezer problems

yoyopa
13 years ago

I have a built-in 30" Liebherr. I've had it for a little over a year. First, the ice maker malfunctioned. It took a few service calls to fix it. Now a short time later a wall of ice appeared on the back wall of the freezer. The temp rose suddenly and the alarm went off. I adjusted it, shut off the ice maker, but it happened again. Ice Maker is off, freezer empty and I can't get a service call until 8/23. Probably the ice maker again but the Liebherr rep. Jerry, insisted it was a control panel problem - how interesting that conclusion was reached before anyone looked at it - is it because he doesn't want to admit that once again the ice maker is malfunctioning? That he wants to run the warranty time? It doesn't matter what the problem is, it's that there is a problem(s) with such an expensive refrigerator in such a short time. I want a new unit - one without an ice maker. Actually, I wish I could trade for another brand but I doubt that will happen. However, Jerry says that a replacement won't happen. They'll fix this one. I feel this machine is a lemon. Is this the customer service one should accept from an appliance that costs $5,000? I have a Sunbeam in the basement that hasn't presented one problem in the years I've had it. It cost less than $400. Should my experience taint the reputation of the entire brand? Maybe all Liebherrs aren't defective but when one is, one should get better customer service than what I am getting. I've read many blogs (the Alternative Consumer, e.g.,) that address problems others have experienced with the Liebherr freezer(from 2007 through to the present - wish I had seen prior to buying). It's a wonder that there isn't a class action out there. But I'll wait to see what Liebherr does to remedy this situation. I don't think getting a new unit is an unreasonable request. Two malfunctions in this short a time is too many for such an expensive item that is supposed to be so well engineered. To all potential buyers, I would be wary of this product - if I am proven wrong about their customer service and that they stand behind their product and, more importantly, their customers' satisfaction, I'll report back. Actually, I'll report back whatever the outcome.

Comments (22)

  • yoyopa
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Don't think so. Contractor followed manual. But we'll see when service comes over. Thanks for replying.

  • lori55
    13 years ago

    Do Not buy a Liebherr! My 30" Liebherr is only 2 years and 1 month old and it has a defrosting problem in the freezer. Ice was building up on the back wall and it stopped defrosting itself a few weeks ago. Now the repair man is here. When I called for service, they seem to know what the problem was and immediately ordered the parts. The estimate for the repair job is $500! He has spent 45 minutes defrosting the unit with a steamer....... And only one month out of the 2 year warranty! How convenient!

  • PRO
    Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
    13 years ago

    Do you know what parts were ordered by the service guy ?

  • biggs
    10 years ago

    We had various problems with our appliances over the years has well and different engineers who are all contractors by the way nothing changed and has we later found out the company liebherr contacted the work out to in the uk has now gone into administration by a stroke of luck i got the details of a company who service the london area www.agsrefrigeration.co.uk they came and i could'nt believe why i was having trouble all along the light switch was faulty thats why the fans were burning out however he did say that liebherr appliances might look good and fine when working but when they give problems they can be a pain in the arse to repair due to the many sensors. Fingers x still working fine.

  • jay faust
    6 years ago

    We've had similar problems with ours.We have twin side by side 24" units and have continued problems with water forming on the (inside)back of fridge and freezing there.Also,any food placed near the back of the fridge compartments freezes and thus has to be regularly thrown out.Both of the door handles on the right hand unit have broken(the door and handles are metal but the brackets that connect them are cheap plastic)but Liebherr refused to cover them under the 2 yr unconditional warranty claiming they were 'cosmetic'! Now our ice maker has broken just three weeks out of warranty(not that it would have mattered). Dealing with these people has been a nightmare! We would never again buy anything associated with them and are sorry we didn't go with the Fisher Paykel,which was cheaper.

  • steph0410
    3 years ago

    I’m having this same problem with my Liebherr HC 2082. Ice maker not working and frost on back freezer wall. Unplugged it for two hours and defrosted with a dyson hair dryer. But to no avail. Also replaced ice make water filter. Did nothing. Service coming in two weeks. Ugh.

  • safemommy
    3 years ago

    I have the 2062 and am in the process of defrosting the freezer to remove a layer of ice that has formed along the bottom and back wall. I need to remove the freezer tray in order to clean up the melted ice. After reading the freezer compartment container removal instructions, I don't have enough clearance to get the drawer out even at an angle and wondering how far this drawer should open? I only get 13.5" on the drawer glide (pic attached), anyone else?



  • Vito Vena
    3 years ago

    I have a 30” unit and I went through all the issues that you did, if we search the internet for this brand we can conclude that these appliances are expensive junks

  • Gina Covington
    3 years ago

    I have the same issues and honestly it never worked correctly. The icemaker never worked the freezer now doesn’t work at all and mold is building up throughout the entire unit. This is the worst appliance I have ever had. Do not ever buy this brand. My daughter-in-law is it architect designer and her clients I’ve never had luck with this brand and hate it

  • Steve G
    2 years ago

    Our Libherr is horrible. Ice maker is constantly jammed and now I can't even shut off just the freezer to thaw it... Garbage.

  • Vito Vena
    2 years ago

    Steve take all the food out and transfer it to another freezer, then unplug it for a couple of days to thaw all the freezer. Do not rely on your ice maker. I took mine out and purchased two containers to make your own ice like the old days. The freezer ice maker will become a money pit if you don’t.

  • Steve G
    2 years ago

    Vito, I did just that, although it only took about 8 hours to thaw. This is the second time in three years of ownership that I've had an internal jam.... Not ready to make ice by hand yet though.

  • Vito Vena
    2 years ago

    At the bottom of the freezer evaporator there is a drain hole, and as a timed feature the heater melts the ice from the evaporator which drains by means of a flex tubing in a container or small reservoir on top of the freezer compressor At the rear. The freezer compressor is the one on the right side facing the rear. To access the freezer evaporator drain hole I had to remove the bottom freezer plastic panel and once I accessed the drain hole I poured some water by means of a small funnel and made sure it drained at the back on top of the compressor to evaporate. mine has been running for 3 months now and no ice build up. This has nothing to do with your ice maker but tons of people like myself are having issues with the freezer compartment freezing up.

  • safemommy
    2 years ago

    YES! Exactly what Vito Vena said--I had mine serviced, but this was the exact problem. The tech cleared out that area and it has been completely fixed ever since. He said something about it backing up and I asked if it was something I could prevent/was doing wrong and he said it just can sometimes back up and needs to be cleared. Seems crazy for a $9000 machine but it is what it is.

  • Mary Miller
    2 years ago

    I am having the same problem as well. Ice has built up on the back of the freezer compartment and the ice maker has not worked in 2 weeks. It never worked very well when it was working. I have just finished clearing the ice and have restarted it. Hope it works because of course it is just out of warranty. The refrigerator looks nice but is junk and costs $5000+

  • Delores Duckett
    2 years ago

    I have a CS2062 purchased new in 2013. The ice maker was purposely never activated, and the built-in unit was installed per specifications. In September 2019 I had a malfunctioning freezer with severs ice buildup at the back of the freezer. The Liebherr certified service person cleared the ice and replaced the inverter for $479. He refused to leave the defective inverted but said he would return it to me in three months. He never returned it. Three months later I again had an ice build up problem. The same service person cleared the ice at no charge as a part warranty, and said that the defrost feature of my unit periodically fails. Yesterday, twenty one months after the last service, I personally cleared the ice from the freezer in a manner similar to the service person's procedure. I conclude that the inverter replacement was bogus, and that the Liebherr refrigerator is not frost free as advertised. Also, the freezer problem is not connected with the ice maker problem.


    George Duckett

  • Hamlet Wong
    2 years ago

    Absolute garbage of an appliance. Run from this brand unless you want big headaches like I've had.

  • Stanley SF
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Has anyone had any issues with the freezer running continuously? I recently installed a fully integrated unit (HCB1580)- for the first few months the unit was nearly silent. Eventually had ice build up in the back and had to replace a faulty thermostat. Three months later the fan inside the freezer compartment runs continuously, it doesn't seem to cycle off. The unit is definitely not operating as quitly as is it did and it's still less than 1 year old. Any suggestions or input would be appreciated.

  • ps5078
    last year

    Hello Vito - I have the same unit and same problem . The technician came out and is blaming the heater for the ice build up problem . I would like to try your solution . Where do I find the evaporator and hole you are speaking of so I can try to clean it out ?

    Any help much appreciated.

    These things are junk . Expensive junk .

    Paul

  • Vi Ven
    last year

    Paul as you know the freezer section is at the bottom, therefore you need to unplug the refrigerator and pull out all the drawers in the freezer section and you will need to place some towels at the bottom to absorb excess water from the thawing process. allow the freezer to thaw out, you could speed up this process by using an hair dryer. All the plastic panels will need to be removed because that’s where the evaporator is located and also the evaporator heater is located like your technician suggested. The heater can be unplugged from it’s connecting terminal and tested with an ohmmeter for continuity before condemning it and purchasing a new one. When I tested mine the heather was good. The water drain hole is located below the evaporator and if it is plugged due to food particles then you will need to unplug it, I also used the help of my air compressor to clear the drain hole and to make sure that’s when I used a small funnel to pour water in it and make sure it drains at the back of the refrigerator on top of the right compressor where there is a small container where water eventually evaporates due to heat generated by the freezer compressor during it’s operation. Now you can put all the panels together in the freezer section and all your drawers and you’re done. This is what I did and the Refrigerator has been trouble free for the last 1-1/2 year. But I removed the ice maker because it was a constant problem. COSTCO has a countertop ice maker for $89 and you’ll never runout of ice .

  • ps5078
    last year

    Vito -

    Thank you I’ll try this out this weekend . The technician never tested with an OHM meter for continuity but called Lehbier and tried to turn the heat on with a code from the control panel . Said the heator is shot and it will cost about 2k to fix .