Almost half of all new refrigerators sold since 2015 have had at least one problem. That’s not a typo. About 49 percent of fridges break down in some way, whether it’s a busted icemaker, a failing compressor, or temperatures that won’t stay cold. With price tags often running well over a thousand dollars, that’s a rough deal. So which brands should you trust, and which ones should you skip entirely?
Samsung has a serious reliability problem
If there’s one brand that keeps showing up in complaint after complaint, it’s Samsung. Hundreds of people have filed reports with the Consumer Product Safety Commission about Samsung refrigerators. The most common issues? Icemakers that stop working and temperatures that climb too high. When your fridge can’t keep food cold, you’re not just dealing with an annoying repair bill. You’re throwing away groceries. Samsung French-door models in particular receive poor marks for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in large consumer surveys.
Samsung does manage decent scores in some refrigerator categories. Their top-freezer models earn an 89 reliability score, which is pretty solid. But their bottom-freezer and French-door models tell a very different story. Samsung bottom-freezers, French-doors, side-by-sides, and even built-ins are all more likely than other brands to have icemaker problems. If you’re set on a Samsung, stick with a basic top-freezer. Otherwise, think twice before spending big on one of their fancier models.
LG fridges perform well but compressors fail
LG is a tricky brand to rank. On one hand, their refrigerators often perform beautifully in lab tests. Temperature control, storage space, and everyday usability are all strong points. Their top-freezer models earn a near-perfect reliability score of 99. That’s the highest score of any brand in that category. On the other hand, LG has a well-known compressor problem that affects French-door, side-by-side, bottom-freezer, and built-in models. A compressor is basically the heart of your fridge. When it dies, the whole thing stops cooling.
In 2020, LG settled a class-action lawsuit over these compressor failures. There have also been newer lawsuits since then. Despite all this, LG’s overall reliability is still better than many competing brands. That might sound strange, but it shows just how unreliable some of the competition really is. LG makes good fridges that work well day to day. Just be aware that the compressor could become a headache down the road, especially in their pricier French-door and side-by-side styles.
Kenmore shares LG’s compressor issues
Here’s something a lot of people don’t realize. Many Kenmore refrigerators actually use compressors made by LG. That means the same compressor problems that plague LG models also show up in Kenmore French-door and side-by-side fridges. What makes it worse is that the 2020 LG class-action settlement didn’t cover Kenmore models. So Kenmore owners with the same exact failing part were left out in the cold — literally. Newer lawsuits have tried to address this, but it’s still a frustrating situation.
Beyond compressors, Kenmore also has higher-than-average rates of icemaker problems in their top-freezer, French-door, and side-by-side models. Their French-door refrigerators are also more likely to stop keeping food at the right temperature. The reliability scores for Kenmore top-freezers come in at just 77. That’s not terrible, but it’s far from great. If you’re shopping at Sears or looking at Kenmore online, make sure you know which models use LG parts before you buy.
Frigidaire and Maytag fall in the middle
Frigidaire and Maytag are two brands that most people consider safe, dependable choices. And they’re not bad — but they’re not great either. Frigidaire top-freezers earn a reliability score of just 67, which is the lowest in that category. Their French-door models also show higher-than-average icemaker failure rates. Maytag does a bit better in most areas. Their bottom-freezer models earn a solid 84 reliability score. But Maytag side-by-sides are more likely to have icemaker trouble than many other brands.
Both brands offer affordable options that won’t empty your bank account. And honestly, neither brand is a disaster. They just don’t stand out in any particular way. If you’re comparing Frigidaire and Maytag to something like Whirlpool, Whirlpool tends to edge them out on reliability in most refrigerator types. Think of Frigidaire and Maytag as the C-plus students of the fridge world. They’ll get the job done, but don’t expect to be impressed.
Whirlpool is a solid and boring pick
Sometimes boring is exactly what you want from a major appliance. Whirlpool earns strong reliability marks across multiple fridge types. Their top-freezer models score an 84. Their bottom-freezers score an 85. Neither number is going to blow anyone away, but Whirlpool consistently lands in the upper half of every category. That kind of steady, dependable performance is worth a lot when you’re spending $800 to $2,000 on something you’ll use every single day for the next decade.
Whirlpool doesn’t get a lot of love in the owner satisfaction department, though. People seem to view their fridges as fine but not exciting. There are no flashy features, no fancy touchscreens, and no Instagram-worthy finishes. But if your main goal is a refrigerator that keeps your food cold and doesn’t break, Whirlpool is one of the safest picks out there. It won’t win any beauty contests, but it probably won’t end up on the curb in five years either. For bottom-freezer reliability, it’s among the best.
Bosch offers premium quality that actually lasts
Bosch is a name that a lot of Americans associate with dishwashers, but their refrigerators deserve attention too. In owner satisfaction surveys, Bosch earns a “very good” rating for their bottom-freezer models. That’s better than almost every other brand in that category. Bosch fridges also tend to hold temperatures with impressive consistency. The Bosch B36FD50SNS French-door model, for example, hits nearly perfect marks for both fridge and freezer temperature accuracy in hands-on lab testing.
The catch? Bosch refrigerators cost more than average. The B36FD50SNS runs about $3,000. That’s a significant investment. But you’re getting a French-door refrigerator with excellent storage, a through-the-door water and ice dispenser, and crisper drawers that hold humidity perfectly. The only real downside testers found was that the shelves only have a spill-capture lip on the front edge. If you can afford the price tag, Bosch is one of the most satisfying brands you can buy.
Hisense is the surprising newcomer worth watching
Most people wouldn’t think to put Hisense at the top of a refrigerator list. The brand is better known for budget TVs. But in recent testing, Hisense models have outperformed some of the biggest names in the business. The Hisense HRM260N6TSE French-door model earned the top spot in one major review, beating out Bosch, Samsung, and Café. Testers praised its steady temperatures, roomy storage, LED lighting, and through-the-door water and ice dispenser. And here’s the real kicker — it costs around $1,600.
The Hisense HRB171N6ASE bottom-freezer is another standout. It requires some initial calibration, but after that it delivers remarkably consistent temperatures in both the fridge and freezer compartments. At this price point, it’s one of the best values on the market. The only downside is that it has just one crisper drawer. Hisense is only sold at Lowe’s, which limits where you can shop. But if you’re open to a less familiar name, these fridges punch way above their weight class.
French-door fridges break down more than others
So why do so many people complain about their refrigerators? A big part of the answer comes down to the type of fridge they bought. French-door refrigerators are the most popular style in America right now. They look great, offer lots of space, and have that modern, wide-open feel when you swing both doors open. But they also break down far more often than simpler models. About 31 percent of refrigerators with icemakers will have a problem within five years. French-door models with all their extra features make up a huge chunk of those failures.
Top-freezer models, on the other hand, are the most reliable refrigerators as a group. They have fewer parts that can go wrong. No fancy dispensers, no dual compressors, and no flexible temperature zones. They’re also the cheapest fridges you can buy. The trade-off is that they look plain and don’t have the storage layout most families prefer. If reliability is your number-one concern, a top-freezer from LG or Whirlpool will give you the fewest headaches.
Icemakers cause more problems than anything else
If you’ve ever had a fridge that suddenly stopped making ice, you know how annoying it is. According to large-scale surveys covering more than 71,000 refrigerators, icemaker and dispenser problems are the two most common complaints. They happen far more often than compressor failures or cooling issues. The brands most likely to have icemaker trouble include Samsung, Frigidaire, Kenmore, Maytag, and Electrolux. Samsung models across nearly every style — bottom-freezer, French-door, side-by-side, and built-in — show higher icemaker failure rates.
Does that mean you should skip the icemaker entirely? Not necessarily. Many people consider it a must-have feature. But it’s worth knowing that this one feature is responsible for a huge share of fridge breakdowns. If you buy a model with a water and ice dispenser, choose a brand with better icemaker track records. LG and Whirlpool tend to have fewer icemaker issues than Samsung or Frigidaire. A fridge without an icemaker will almost always last longer, but most people aren’t willing to give up that convenience.
Buying a refrigerator doesn’t have to feel like a gamble. The data is pretty clear: stick with brands like Whirlpool, Bosch, or LG’s top-freezer models if reliability matters most. Watch out for Samsung and Kenmore French-doors, and think carefully before paying extra for features that are more likely to fail. A little research now can save you years of frustration and a lot of money on repairs.
