Most and Least Reliable Refrigerator Brands of 2026
Consumer Reports’ newest survey results rank refrigerator brands, including GE, LG, Samsung, Sub-Zero, and Whirlpool, for every style of fridge
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When you buy a new refrigerator, you might expect it to last about a decade. But based on our most recent ratings, we estimate that 31 percent of refrigerators with icemakers will have a problem by the end of the fifth year of ownership, making them one of the least reliable products we analyze in our large surveys of CR members.
The two most commonly reported refrigerator problems involve icemakers and water/ice dispensers. Issues like broken compressors and an inability to maintain cool temperatures matter more, but fewer CR members say their refrigerators have experienced those problems.
- Common Refrigerator Problems
- Reliability by Refrigerator Type: Top-Freezers Bottom-Freezers French-Doors Side-by-Sides Built-Ins
Common Refrigerator Problems
Refrigerators break down more than many other products in people’s homes. Among all new refrigerators purchased since 2015, 49 percent have experienced a problem, such as an inability to make ice or a broken compressor.
A few years ago, Samsung refrigerators were cited in hundreds of complaints to the Consumer Product Safety Commission because of malfunctioning icemakers and temperatures that were too warm, which can lead to spoiled food. Many of the complaints involved Samsung French-door refrigerators, which receive poor ratings for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in CR’s survey results.
Our surveys also reveal that LG French-doors, side-by-sides, bottom-freezers, and built-ins are more likely to have compressor problems than models made by most other brands. The same goes for Kenmore French-doors and side-by-sides, many of which have compressors manufactured by LG.
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