Over the years we have purchased, almost exclusively, all of my large appliances from Sears. Overall, we have been happy with the quality of the Kenmore Brand. However, it is with regret that we feel compelled to write this letter of complaint about my Kenmore Elite Dishwasher.
We purchased a white model number 66513112K701 approximately 2 years ago We've been very happy with the dishwasher as it cleans well and is relatively quiet, however, over the past year the plastic around 4 of the control panel buttons has cracked, causing the buttons to fall off.
This model has a set of membrane switches on the front. It's a flexible plastic covering over the metal contact button underneath. It's cheaper than separate buttons and is supposed to offer a worry free experience.
So the plastic cracked almost 360 degrees around itself exposing the switch underneath. We understand that this membrane can wear out over time, however it shouldn't wear out in only a couple years of normal use. We estimate that this button has been pressed 500 times. The mean time between failure (MTBF) should be on the order of 10,000 presses on this type of button. Typically it takes 10-15 years for the plasticizers to gas out and the plastic to become brittle. Here it seems neither condition is true and a defect in design has occurred. At this point we don’t even know what cycle is being used due to the missing buttons.
The button panel is not a separate part than can be ordered, but comes as part of the Control Panel which costs $100. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a manufacturer’s defect, and we are actually surprised it has not been recalled. We do not feel that we should have to pay the $100 to replace this.
We would like to be able to have confidence in my future appliance purchases from Sears and not worry that problems like this will not be taken care of
We would appreciate hearing from you regarding how this situation can be rectified.
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