Consumers may be able to get up to 75% back on their Whirlpool fridge due to a class-action settlement.
According to a settlement website, Whirlpool reached an agreement regarding certain side-by-side refrigerators with in-door ice makers, ice dispensers and water dispensers manufactured from 2018 to 2021. The refrigerators can include certain branded Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid and JennAir models.
Settlement class members may qualify for a cash reimbursement or free or discounted repair to remedy past or future broken refrigerator wires if wiring issues affect the appliance’s indoor features, such as the icemaker, ice dispenser, water dispenser or control panel, according to the settlement website, authorized by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed on Feb. 12, 2024, against the Whirlpool Corporation, alleging that the class refrigerators are defective because the wires that run through the appliances’ doors are too brittle to withstand repeated flexing caused by opening and closing, triggering the wires to break and certain door features to fail.
What Options Are Available for Class Members?
The following options are available for class members with pre-existing wire harness failures as of May 5, 2026:
- For more than seven years of failure, class members can get 30% of the original purchase price or a free replacement door.
- For six to seven years of failure, class members can get 30% of the original purchase price or a free replacement door.
- For five years of failure, class members can get 40% of the original purchase price or a free replacement door.
- For four years of failure, class members can get 40% of the original purchase price or a free replacement door and labor.
- For two to three years of failure, class members can get 50% of the original purchase price or a free replacement door and labor.
Reimbursements for class members who previously paid to repair a wire harness issue before May 5, 2026:
- For two to four years of failure, the percentage of repair cost reimbursed with prior notice to Whirlpool or a retailer is 75%. If no prior notice was given, the amount is 65%.
- For five years of failure, the percentage of repair cost reimbursed with prior notice to Whirlpool or a retailer is 60%. Without notice, the amount is 50%.
- For six to seven years of failure, the percentage of repair cost reimbursed with prior notice to Whirlpool or a retailer is 45%. With no prior notice to Whirlpool or the retailer, the amount is 35%.
As part of this option, class members may also be entitled to a free replacement door, including labor, if the failure occurred in years two to four, or a free door if the failure occurred in years five to seven.
Reimbursements for class members who previously paid to replace a class refrigerator due to a wire harness issue before May 5, 2026:
- For two to four years of failure, the percentage of the original purchase price to be reimbursed, if prior notice was given to Whirlpool or a retailer, is 50%. If no prior notice was given, the amount is 45%.
- For five years of failure, the percentage of the original purchase price to be reimbursed if prior notice was given to Whirlpool or a retailer is 40%. If no prior notice was given, the amount is 35%.
- For six to seven years of failure, the percentage of the original purchase price reimbursed, if prior notice was given to Whirlpool or a retailer, is 30%. The percentage of the original purchase price to be reimbursed, if no prior notice was given to Whirlpool or a retailer, is 25%.
Anyone seeking future coverage in years two to seven after purchase for wire harness issues that occur after May 5, before undertaking any repair or replacement, must contact Whirlpool at 1-844-667-2929 or [email protected] within 90 days after first experiencing a wire harness issue to receive the repair benefit. A customer may also contact the settlement administrator at [email protected] to receive a cash benefit.
How to Submit a Claim
To receive relief, a customer must submit a claim. The deadline to submit a claim for past wire issues is Nov. 2, 2026.
The deadline for eligible future wire harness issues is 90 days after the discovery of the wire harness defect. Consumers can submit a claim on the settlement website.
How to Exclude Yourself From the Settlement
The deadline to exclude yourself from the settlement is June 2. Customers may choose to opt out if they wish to pursue a separate lawsuit against the company.
Consumers also have until June 2 to object to the settlement.
