My experience with a Whirlpool washer

11 years ago

I purchased a new Whirlpool Cabrio washer in October of 2011. It is now less than 1 ÃÂ½ years old and it has started to make a pronounced rubbing noise when it operates. I scheduled a service call on the Whirlpool website and they sent out a repair person next day. When the Ã¢ÂÂtechnicianÃ¢ÂÂ arrived he commented that he also had a Cabrio washer, although his was a higher end model. He listened to the noise and said he had never before heard one make that sound. He attempted to remove the tub, using a special tool, but was unable to get it to release. He said he had never had this happen and his only alternative was to drill it out which would render the machine unusable if I decided not to have it repaired. He also said he might not have the parts on the truck to fix it. And it was likely that doing this would result in a repair cost that was going to be more than the original price of the washer. I told him not to drill out the tub and he packed up and left, after collecting his $72 service call fee.

I called Whirlpool service center and related that I was dissatisfied on several levels. First, that a washer that was less than 1 ÃÂ½ years old had what appeared to be such a serious issue. Second, that the technician was unable to even tell me what was wrong without disabling my machine. And finally, that I was charged for a service call which left me with only the options of not getting the washer repaired or agreeing to an open ended repair cost which could end up being more then just going out and getting a new washer. The only response Whirlpool service had was that I should try another repair company. When I said that it was their repair service that I had the issue with, they quickly stated that they outsource the repairs and were not responsible and that they were sorry. And they thanked me for calling Whirlpool!

To sum up, I might have to try another repair company or I will just run the machine until it dies. When that happens, I will go out and buy another brand and will certainly never purchase any Whirlpool manufactured products again. Sorry Whirlpool, poor quality and poor service do not make for repeat business. I do hope this helps some of you when you're evaluating which brand to purchase.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

dadoes
11 years ago
It's important to state the model number of the machine when relating experiences (good or bad) or asking questions. Cabrio is a marketing name that applies to a range of washing machines produced by Whirlpool, and there are two distinctly different mechanical designs involved.
Earleduke
Original Author
11 years ago
Sorry, Model # is WTW5640XWD.
Related Professionals
Martinsburg Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · East Tulare County Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Shaker Heights Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Sunset Cabinets & Cabinetry · Loveland Custom Closet Designers · Alexandria Flooring Contractors · Apopka Flooring Contractors · ‘Ewa Beach Flooring Contractors · Green Bay Flooring Contractors · Iowa City Flooring Contractors · Mansfield Flooring Contractors · Shoreline Flooring Contractors · Suitland Flooring Contractors · Temple Terrace Flooring Contractors · West Linn Flooring Contractors
dadoes
11 years ago
WTW5640XW0. Zero at the end, not D. :-)

This unit is of the newer mechanical design.

Some problem areas that have come up on them are:

- The bolt that anchors the drive pulley may loosen. Easy fix, remove the bolt, apply some blue LocTite (blue, not red ... red is permanent, blue can be loosened if necessary), tighten the bolt.

- Transmissions have tended toward a little flaky.

- The spin clutch (aka splutch)
Earleduke
Original Author
11 years ago
Update:
I'd like to thank dadoes for responding to my semi rant. His (her?) insights gave me the motivation to spend some time researching the Cabrio washer and based on the research, I decided to see if I could repair it myself.

I learned that the part the tech could not remove was the basket, not the tub. The problem was the hub that attaches the basket to the splined shaft of the gearcase was seized. The tech tried removing the nut on the hub but was unable to get it to come loose and thought he would have to cut it off. I used a gear puller and had the basket free and removed in 5 minutes. I turned the splined shaft and still heard the noise described in my original post. At this point I started to troubleshoot by eliminating components. First I removed the drive belt from the motor. Still had the noise, this eliminated the motor as the cause. Next removed the clutch assembly. Still had the noise. This pretty much left only the gearcase as the source of the noise. I ordered a gearcase online and installed it when it arrived. Ran the calibration, per the included instructions and tested the machine. Runs like new! Total time spent, about 3 hours. $'s saved, about $300.

Still could not recommend Whirlpool, based on the fact that a major component failed just out of warranty and the poor service. But I can highly recommend the folks on this forum. Thanks again.
Tmnca
11 years ago
I had a similar experience with a Whirlpool dishwasher, the motherboard died after 13 months.. just out of warranty. The company did *nothing* for me, did not even offer me a coupon. I will never buy another Whirlpool appliance!