What Appliance Brands Have the Best Warranties?

You thought you were covered. Then your brand-new refrigerator stopped cooling. It is under warranty. That is what warranties are for, right?

You call the manufacturer. They route you to their “best” local servicer.

The first available appointment is three weeks out.

Three weeks later, the technician arrives without the part. “I’ll order it and come back next week,” they say. They do not.

If this feels familiar, you are not alone. This guide shows you how to avoid it.

In this article, you will learn:

• Which appliance brands have the best warranties
• What a 10-year warranty really protects
• What more than 33,000 service calls reveal about how this industry works

Let’s get started.

📌Skip Ahead:

• Why Service Matters
• Which Brands Offer Full Coverage?
• 5–10-Year Warranties Explained
• Why Many Stores Don’t Service
• Self-Servicing Dealers: Pros & Cons
• Massachusetts Stores with In-House Service
• How to Buy for Real Protection
• FAQs
• Resources

Looking for answers about Appliances?

Short on time? Download our free Appliance Buying Guide.

My 39 Years in Appliance Service

When I started at Yale in 1986, we didn’t offer service.

Not because we didn’t want to; we simply couldn’t. We had no service team.

For the first seven years, my job was calling outside service companies, begging them to help our customers.

Most of those companies are gone now. Every single one went out of business trying to fix appliances under warranty.

Why? Because they lost money on almost every call. (I’ll explain why in a minute.)

In 1993, we built our own service department. Today, it’s the largest part of our company: more than 100 people focused solely on fixing appliances.

So let me give you the inside view of this industry:

• Many retailers don’t have service teams. If something breaks, they hand you a phone number and step away.
• Independent service companies are disappearing because manufacturer warranty rates don’t cover their costs.
• Self-servicing dealers (stores that sell, install, and repair) are rare, but they might be your best chance at actually getting service… maybe.
• A long warranty from a brand without local service partners is a false safety net.

Key takeaway: Choose a retailer who can fix what they sell, but check reviews first. Without in-house service, even the “best” warranty may be worthless in practice.

If you’re buying soon, start by shortlisting brands with full parts and labor coverage. Here’s how the top manufacturers compare.

Which Brands Offer Full (Parts & Labor) Coverage?

Quick answer: Several brands provide 1–3 years of full coverage (parts and labor), with promos or certified-installer bonuses adding time—always confirm the exact terms and timing.

Some appliance manufacturers offer true full coverage (meaning both parts and labor are covered for a set time, not just the parts).

Here are the brands with the strongest standard or promotional full warranties:

What This Means for You:

• Full coverage means parts and labor are covered; you’re not paying out of pocket for diagnostics, trips, or repairs during the warranty term.
• Promotional coverage can be as good as standard coverage, but only if you buy during the promo period; always confirm dates and requirements.
• Certified installation bonuses are worth asking about. Brands like Miele, Wolf, and Sub-Zero often add a year of full coverage if installed by a certified dealer (if you can find one).
• Service availability still matters: even the best warranty on paper won’t help if there’s no qualified local technician to honor it.

Key takeaway: The brands above offer some of the strongest full warranties in the industry, but they will truly protect you only when paired with reliable local service.

Use full coverage to build your shortlist. Then review the long warranty terms below to see where labor and trip charges still apply.

What Do 5–10 Year “Long” Warranties Really Cover?

Quick answer: Many are parts-only after year one or two, so you still pay labor and trip charges, which can exceed the cost of the part.

Some brands advertise long warranties (5, 10, even 12 years), but these are often parts-only. That means you’ll still pay for labor, diagnostics, and trip charges.

In some cases, that bill is larger than the part itself.

Here are examples of limited coverage terms:

What This Means for You:

• Parts-only coverage means you’ll still be paying for the labor, often hundreds of dollars, to install the “free” part.
• Longer coverage can create false confidence: year nine of a 10-year parts warranty could still mean a $500–$800 labor bill.
• Availability matters: brands like Samsung may honor parts coverage, but finding a qualified local technician can be difficult.

Key takeaway: A long warranty doesn’t mean you are in the clear. Focus on full coverage and the ability to get quick, competent service in your area.

You now know what "10-year" warranties really cover. Next, here is why service can still be slow or unavailable and why many retailers do not offer it.

🔍Read more: Are Appliance Extended Warranties Worth It in 2025? Here’s the Truth Nobody Tells You

Why Do Most Retailers Skip Appliance Service?

Quick answer: Warranty reimbursements rarely cover the true cost of service, so many stores hand you the manufacturer’s number instead of sending their own technicians.

Here’s the part no one tells you: Appliance service is hard, and it’s expensive.

If you’re doing it right, you’ll lose money, especially on warranty repairs.

That’s why most retailers don’t offer any service after the sale, including none of the big-box stores.

They hand you a phone number and move on. It’s way cheaper.

Earlier, I mentioned how all the service companies I relied on in the ’80s and early ’90s went out of business.

They were good companies, but they couldn’t make the math work.

Mostly because it can’t work.

🔍Read more: Why Doesn’t Every Appliance Brand and Store Offer Service?

Why Don’t Warranty Payments Cover the Real Cost of Repairs?

Quick answer: Typical payments (~$85–$100) don’t cover dispatch, tech time, vans, parts handling, and follow-ups. Big repairs lose money, so availability suffers.

Manufacturers typically pay about $85 to $100 for a warranty repair. Some of the better companies pay more.

But consider what that has to cover:

• The dispatcher
• The technician
• The van and fuel
• The time to order parts
• The follow-up trip (if needed)
• Three different types of insurance

Now imagine a compressor repair. That’s not a simple job. The reimbursement never covers the real cost.

What This Means for You:

• Many retailers avoid service entirely because it’s not profitable.
• Warranty repairs don’t pay enough to cover the true cost of sending a qualified tech.
• Even the best brands can be a headache if there’s no one local to do the work.
• Look for a good service agency or self-servicing dealer before you buy.

Key takeaway: A warranty won’t matter if no one will show up to honor it. Buy from a retailer with an in-house service team.

🔍Read more: What Should You Pay for an Appliance Service Call?

Why Can a “10-year Warranty” Still Cost You?

Imagine you’re a competent appliance technician. You’ve been doing this a long time.

Now you’re asked to fix a Samsung compressor in year nine of its “10-year warranty.”

The part? Covered.

The labor? Not covered.

So what happens? You have to charge the customer.

Not because you’re greedy, but because it’s the only way you get paid.

And here’s the other reality: the customer can’t find anyone else to do the job this month.

There’s a shortage of qualified technicians.

That labor bill? It’s going to be high.

Now flip the scenario. You’re the customer.

Your warranty says “10 years,” but what it really guarantees is that you’ll still be paying, just later, and probably more than you expect.

What This Means for You:

• Parts-only warranties shift the real cost to labor, which can be $500–$800 for major repairs like compressors.
• The longer the warranty, the more likely you’ll hit a “parts-only” phase where the brand’s responsibility ends and yours begins.
• Tech shortages make labor more expensive, and waiting weeks without a working appliance is common.
• A long warranty doesn’t protect you from inconvenience, lost food, or high out-of-pocket repair bills.

Key takeaway: Don’t mistake a long warranty for total protection; most only cover parts after the first year or two, and you’ll be paying for everything else.

Are Self-Servicing Dealers Actually Better?

One possible remedy?

Buy from an independent store that services what they sell.

Of course, that still depends on the store, but at least they’re on the hook to help you.

A self-servicing dealer can’t hide behind the phrase:

“We didn’t sell it to you.”

That’s the line you’ll hear from almost every independent service company if you didn’t buy from them.

When you buy from a retailer with in-house service, you’re far more likely to be treated well if something goes wrong.

They know you. You’re their customer. They’re accountable.

At least in theory.

What This Means for You:

• Self-servicing dealers sell, deliver, install, and repair. In theory, they are more responsible.
• Stores without service departments leave you dealing with slow manufacturer networks or unresponsive third-party repair companies.
• Being “on the hook” for the repair means a good self-servicing dealer can control scheduling, parts, and technician training.
• Accountability is higher because your relationship is with the store, not just the brand. Once again, in theory.

Key takeaway: Consider choosing a retailer that services what they sell. It’s your best chance for fast, competent warranty work when it matters most.

🔍Read more: What To Do When Your Appliance Purchase Goes Horribly Wrong (From a Retailer Who’s Seen It All)

Which Massachusetts Dealers Offer In-House Service?

Massachusetts has several appliance dealers that offer in-house or supported service. Ratings below are based on Google and Yelp reviews at the time of writing.

What This Means for You:

• In-house service is available from several Massachusetts retailers, but each store’s coverage area and scheduling process can vary.
• Check both Google and Yelp ratings to get a balanced view of customer experiences.
• Larger service teams can often respond faster and maintain more parts inventory locally.
• Confirm service policies before buying so you know exactly what’s covered and how repairs are handled.

Key takeaway: In Massachusetts, buying from a dealer with in-house service gives you the best chance for fast, reliable warranty support.

🔍Read more: The Best (and Worst) Places to Buy Appliances

Final Advice: Which Warranty Actually Works?

Quick answer: The best protection is the combo of a reliable brand, full parts-and-labor terms, and real local service. Buy from a store that can sell, install, and repair.

A warranty on paper is one thing.

A warranty you can actually use is another.

The brands with the best protection combine three things:

• They make reliable products.
• They back them with meaningful warranty terms.
• They have real service support, either through a factory team or a self-servicing dealer.

Key takeaway: In the real world, the warranty doesn’t fix your appliance; a qualified technician does. Buy from a store that can sell it, install it, and repair it.

That last point matters most.

At Yale, we’ve handled more than 33,000 service calls in the past year alone. We know which brands stand behind their products, which ones delay, and which ones leave you chasing phone numbers for weeks.

Additional Resources

Download our Appliance Buying Guide with features, specs and inside buying tips to every major brand. Well over 1 million people have read a Yale Guide.

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