Your membership has expired

The payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.

Re-activate

    Which Brands Make the Most Reliable Appliances?

    CR's reliability rankings can help you avoid repair costs on appliances purchased between 2013 and 2023

    washer with red fabric blowing off of it
    Whether you’re paying hundreds or thousands of dollars, CR’s reliability data helps you pick out appliances built to last from trusted brands.
    Photo: Justin Metz

    When it’s time to invest in a new refrigerator or dishwasher, you want to get one that will work well and stand the test of time. The best way to make sure you’re not shelling out for another replacement too soon? Buy from a reliable brand. Factoring in predicted reliability—based on exclusive data from CR’s member surveys—will save you money over the long haul and keep refrigerators, washers, and other appliances out of the waste stream and landfills.

    In this article Arrow link
    More on Appliances

    CR’s sixth annual Appliance Brand Reliability Rankings show how reliable a brand is relative to another across multiple appliance types: refrigerators, dishwashers, over-the-range microwaves, ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, washing machines, and dryers. The results are based on survey data we collected from our members on 417,629 kitchen and laundry appliances purchased new between 2013 and 2023.

    To calculate predicted reliability, we ask members whether their appliances broke or stopped working as well as they should. We use that data to estimate how a given brand’s new models will hold up over the first five years of use. The chart includes only brands for which we have reliability ratings in at least two categories of major appliances.

    The predicted reliability ratings for appliances from each brand are an average of the ratings for all types of that brand’s appliances (for example, front-loaders, top-loaders, etc., for washing machines).

    For each brand, the average predicted reliability score has been adjusted to account for differences among types of appliances. A brand that earns relatively high marks for its French-door refrigerators, for example, will get a bump in its score because French-door models are typically less reliable than other refrigerator types. Without this statistical adjustment, a brand that makes only top-freezer refrigerators—the most reliable type—would have an unfair advantage over brands that make multiple types.

    Appliances and Electronics Should Be Easy to Fix—Not Just Thrown Away

    Sign CR’s petition for right to repair in your state.

    Yet again, Speed Queen sits atop our rankings and is the only brand to achieve a top Overall Score (though it makes appliances for only two product categories, washers and dryers—see chart below). And once again Viking landed at the bottom of our chart, joined this year by another elite brand, Dacor, which also received an unfavorable Overall Score.

    The luxury appliance brand Gaggenau debuted on our chart in 2024, tying with two other brands for second place (LG and Wolf/Sub-Zero). Gaggenau has three product categories in our brand reliability ranking calculation: dishwashers, cooktops, and wall ovens.

    Fisher & Paykel saw the largest advance between last year’s and this year’s rankings, moving up seven spots from last year and adding seven points to its Overall Score. Like Speed Queen, it makes products in only two categories, but Fisher & Paykel makes refrigerators and dishwashers. 

    Kenmore and Bosch experienced the biggest drops, falling nine and eight places in rank, respectively. Kenmore managed to retain its middle-tier ranking, but Bosch slipped from a favorable ranking to one that is just midrange.

    Keep in mind that our predicted reliability ratings are not an indicator of performance. So even when you settle on a reliable brand, you’ll want to check our full appliance ratings to find a specific model that performs well in our rigorous lab tests. In our ratings of washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers, look for our Green Choice designation, which identifies appliances with a lower environmental impact.

    CR members can read on for our exclusive chart that tracks reliability for 26 appliance brands that include Frigidaire, KitchenAid, LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool.

    Become a member to read the full article and get access to digital ratings.

    We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.