Drum bearings failed after 30 Months

[daddyc]

Hi All,

When I bought a (integrated) washer dryer 30 months ago, I chose to shell out extra (£600) and buy what I thaught was a reputable brand - AEG. Several weeks ago the machine has started to make grinding sounds during the spin cycle and having spoken to 2 independent engineers over the phone, they both suspect it is the bearings.

The model appears to have a welded drum assembly which means the entire drum will need to be replaced. Parts alone will cost £190... and by the time I have paid labour, I suspect the final bill will be closer to £300...

There are only 3 people in my household. However, with a 5 year old, the machine is probably in use everyday if not 5-6 times a week. I still do not expect the bearings on the machine to be shot after 2.5 years of use! The machine came out of warranty 6 months ago so I am now left with the option of a very expensive repair, or a brand new unit.

Is there any recourse with AEG, in particular from a sale of goods perspective?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Grinding sounds are more often caused by obstructions inside the machine, "rumbling" is more often the way drum bearing noises are described but we often tend to describe sounds using differing words. If it is the drum bearings they should make a similar sound to this when you take off the drive belt and spin the drum by hand what do noisy drum bearings sound like?

If the drum bearings have failed then as AEG are one of the increasing numbers of manufacturers who now weld their drums so they can't be repaired it makes drum bearing repair virtually fatal to the machine as it just costs so much it's not worth doing.

If the washing machine is beyond economical repair after just 2.5 years and cost £600 I would think it hasn't lasted a reasonable amount of time. However, AEG do not have any responsibility, you can only claim against the retailer who sold it to you under the Sale of goods act. They are likely to just tell you there's nothing that can be done because it's out of guarantee but this is not true if you have valid claim under the sale of goods act. Whether you have or not might depend on a small claims court judgement but I would think they ought to agree that a £600 washing machine should last longer than 2.5 years.

Check out my articles here for more information -

Out of guarantee – even by a long time doesn't always mean you should pay

Is manufacturer or retailer responsible for faulty appliances?

Sale of Goods Act gives us 6 years to claim for faulty appliances?