in this case
- Victoria Evans’ Frigidaire refrigerator started showing “HI temp” freezer errors just seven months after purchase, with multiple warranty repairs replacing the thermistor, step valve, and main control board, yet the error kept returning within weeks, spoiling her frozen food each time.
- After six service visits since January, two separate technicians declared the unit unrepairable, but Frigidaire instructed one to “try again” and dismissed the other’s assessment because the unit had reset itself during the visit.
- Despite having an unreliable freezer for seven months (half the time she’d owned it) and losing food repeatedly, Frigidaire refused to replace the refrigerator or provide a refund with compensation for her losses.
Victoria Evans thinks she made a smart purchase when she buys a Frigidaire refrigerator. But within 7 months, her appliance starts flashing temperature warnings and spoiling her food. Multiple repair visits under warranty fail to fix the recurring problem, and technicians twice declare the unit unrepairable. Yet Frigidaire is giving her the cold shoulder.
Question
I bought a Frigidaire refrigerator last year. Seven months later, we started having issues with the freezer showing a “HI temp” error. We’ve had several warranty repairs done — they replaced the thermistor, the step valve, and the main control board. Every time I thought it was fixed, the error came back within weeks and I lost our frozen food.
I’ve had six service visits since January. One technician told Frigidaire the unit couldn’t be fixed, but the company told him to “try again.” Another technician said the same thing, but because the unit had reset itself during his visit, they still won’t replace it.
I haven’t had a reliable freezer for seven months — half of the time I’ve owned it. I’m asking for a replacement unit or refund, including compensation for the lost food. — Victoria Evans, New Egypt, N.J.
Answer
You shouldn’t have to beg for a replacement refrigerator. When multiple technicians declare an appliance unrepairable under warranty, the manufacturer should step up and make it right — not play games with technicalities.
The data on this is typical for a failed supply chain and service model. When you have six service visits in two months and multiple technicians flagging the hardware as unrepairable, the system has reached a terminal failure point.
Expecting a customer to endure seven months of spoiled food because a unit “reset itself” during a five-minute visit is a complete failure of technical logic. Frigidaire’s parent company, Electrolux, clearly has a bug in its warranty fulfillment protocol that prioritizes cheap, repetitive repairs over honoring the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
Read more insightful reader feedback. See all comments.
As I’ve noted in previous appliance cases, a business has a choice when an appliance breaks down — a repair, replacement or refund. And it almost always goes for door number one, the repair. That’s because it’s much cheaper to send a technician to your home to swap out the refrigerator. And a refund is a last resort.
After the second failed repair attempt, Frigidaire should have offered you a replacement or refund under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which requires manufacturers to provide reasonable remedies when products fail to conform to their warranties. The fact that technicians repeatedly told the company your freezer was beyond repair should have triggered an immediate replacement. (Related: My milk frother quit just after the warranty expired. What are my rights?)
You documented every service visit and kept detailed records of the recurring problem. Good job! You also tried contacting Frigidaire through multiple channels, including their Facebook page. However, you could have escalated this sooner by contacting Frigidaire’s executive team. The names and contact information for Electrolux executives (Frigidaire’s parent company) is available on my consumer advocacy site, elliott.org.
One more thing. Most manufacturers have a lemon policy for major appliances, though they don’t always advertise it. When a product requires multiple repair attempts for the same issue within the warranty period, you’re typically entitled to a replacement or refund. It sure looks like Frigidaire was trying to run out your warranty clock — a tactic I see far too often.
I contacted Frigidaire on your behalf and explained the situation. The company reached out to you directly and agreed to replace your refrigerator.
Your voice matters
Victoria Evans’ Frigidaire refrigerator failed repeatedly for seven months, with two technicians declaring it unrepairable. Yet Frigidaire refused to replace it, instructing one technician to “try again” and dismissing the other’s assessment due to a technicality.
- Should appliance manufacturers be legally required to replace or refund products after two failed repair attempts for the same issue under warranty?
- When a certified technician declares an appliance unrepairable, should manufacturers be prohibited from overruling that assessment and forcing additional repair attempts?
- Have you had an appliance that required multiple repairs for the same problem, only to have the manufacturer refuse to replace it?
What you’re saying
Readers slammed Frigidaire for trapping a customer in a seven-month repair loop, debating whether the constant service visits were a sign of incompetent technicians or a deliberate corporate strategy to exhaust the buyer.
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A strategy of exhaustion?
737MAXPilot and M.C. Storm argued that an endless cycle of repairs is a calculated tactic designed to wear down consumers until they simply give up and buy a new appliance out of pocket. The Brown Crusader and Blues Traveler agreed, criticizing the company for prioritizing cheap, repetitive service calls over honoring its warranty and replacing a clearly defective unit.
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Questioning the technicians
Some readers, including former technician Don Shirah, pointed out that repairmen are not infallible and sometimes declare a unit unrepairable simply to avoid a difficult job. Jason Hanna suggested the refrigerator probably could have been fixed, but the local technicians lacked the advanced training required to repair today’s complex “smart” appliances. However, GradUT countered that when multiple manufacturer-supplied technicians declare a product dead, the company must accept that verdict.
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The collateral damage
Beyond the broken hardware, readers focused on the human cost. Laura highlighted the massive stress and emotional toll of living without a working kitchen for seven months, while AJPeabody questioned why the company offered no compensation for the ruined groceries. To avoid this fate, Tina advised readers to skip the frontline phone representatives entirely and escalate disputes straight to executive contacts.
