4 Appliance Brands You Should Think Twice Before Buying — A Repair Tech's Warning

Maytag, Dacor, JennAir and Viking all still charge a premium. A retired appliance repair tech with 32 years in the trade explains what happened to each brand, which parts fail, what the repair costs, who will fix it, and what he would buy instead. In this video: Maytag: from Newton, Iowa to the Neptune front-loader, the 2006 Whirlpool sale, and what is inside a Maytag today What went wrong inside the Neptune, and how to keep any front-loader from growing mold Dacor: the California brand behind early wall-oven and convection firsts, and what changed after Samsung bought it in 2016 JennAir: the downdraft range, years under Maytag and Whirlpool, and the 2018 relaunch Viking: the brand that put the pro range in the home kitchen, the CPSC refrigerator recalls, outsourced fridges and dishwashers, and the 2026 sale of a controlling stake to 26North What to buy instead: Speed Queen for laundry, Bosch or Miele for dishwashers, Wolf, Thermador or BlueStar for pro ranges The one question to ask before you buy any appliance Prices are from dealer listings in fall 2026 and will change. Check the model number and call a local repair shop before you buy. Sources mentioned: Yale Appliance, "4 Appliance Brands in Decline for 2026" (Sept 2026); U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Viking refrigerator recalls (2009, 2013).