Appliance Repair Wisdom for the Ages

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Mailbag: Do Maytag Neptune Washers Still Suck?

Russell T wrote:

Greetings oh wise and great samurai. Got a question about front-loading washers. I want one, but don't want to deal with all the difficulties they have had. Has Maytag fixed the problems with the Neptune, or have they just washed their hands of the problem? It seems that most of the complaints center around moisture (which leads to the electrical problems and mold). It also seems that if the door is left open, there's no problem. I've always left the lid open on my top-loader to prevent the moldy smell.

At any rate, I'm curious to know if a newly-purchased Neptune has got all the fixes, or if there's a better front-loading option.

Thanks,
Russell

_______________________________
Message sent from IP: 68.55.61.81

You're on the right track thinking about getting a front loader (more properly called a horizontal axis washer). But you're going down the wrong road in looking at the Maytag Neptunes. Yes, they still suck.

You should be thinking about the Whirlpool Duet or the Staber. Both are great machines, but the Staber has several things going for it that edge out the Duet. Read more about the Staber vs. the Whirlpool Duet.

Samurai Appliance Repair Man cast these pearls at 23:15 ET.  [permalink]

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13 Comments:

My Neptune washer has worked fine, since I spent over $300 on a new controller about a week before they offered to replace mine for free. Did they offer me a refund? No, but I took the new controller, boot and door anyway.

I still leave it open periodically to dry, but it doesn't have any mold yet.

By  LouieInSeattle, at April 01, 2005 4:36 PM  

Ain't that the pitts? You spend $1,200 on a washer that was supposed to be the cadillac of washers and you have to turn around and spend another $300 on the damn thing because of crappy engineering. It's not always true that you get what you pay for; sometimes you get more when you pay less. Ommmm.

By  Samurai Appliance Repair Man, at April 01, 2005 8:59 PM  

Is anyone else out there having problems with the Maytag Neptune washer not washing out all the detergent? We are using the HE detergent, and still have to put it through 3-4 cycles before the soap disappears. It's only 1 month old...

By  Anonymous, at June 20, 2005 4:24 PM  

I've had my Maytag Neptune front load washer for 7 years and it just broke for the fourth time. One motor replacement, two control boards and whatever it needs this time is enough. It is out of here this afternoon to be replaced with a reliable top load Whirlpool. I can't wait.....and I certainly couldn't wait for four more months to see what, if anything, Maytag was going to give me as part of the class action suit. No more Maytag in this household!

By  Anonymous, at July 02, 2005 4:16 PM  

Maytag management ought to be ashamed of themselves. They have destroyed a brand that was exceedingly well known for quality and reliability when the introduced the Neptune series. I was so happy with the Maytag washer and dryer that I purchased in the early 1980s that when it came time to replace them I knew that I would buy Maytag again. But guess what? I bought the Neptune in 2001 and I have been regreting it ever since. We have probably had 6 or 7 service calls two under warranty the rest out of my pocket. And we have spent close to have the cost of the two machines in repairs. Every time the repair man shows up it's at least $200.

What a disappointment! And does Maytag stand behind the product? No. I have made numerous calls to Maytag and they tell me the that the problems are normal wear and tear. OK, then if that's the case I know this product is crappy and I will not buy it again!!!!

Do not buy a Neptune or any other Maytag product. You will be sorry!!!

The Big Kahuna of Cleveland

By  Anonymous, at October 01, 2005 5:26 PM  

Well said comment from the Big Kahuna!

By  Samurai Appliance Repair Man, at October 03, 2005 2:01 AM  

Ditto. It is a piece of crap. We just can't get the smell out of ours. We've had it for 6 years. Have had somewhat of a smell problem for the last
two.

By  Anonymous, at October 05, 2005 1:36 PM  

We have a top loading Neptune washer which we are considering junking after about a years worth of use. This very expensive washer has presented us with problems from the first month of purchase. The spinning cycle sounds like a train is coming through the laundry room. We called the service guy who said he didn't see or hear a problem. A year and a half later it is even louder. Also, the lid has begun to rust and drips rusty water onto the clothes. Maytag said it would cost $150 to replace to the lid. Piece of crap! Also, I've notices mold is growing on the inner gasket. What next! I also started to check in between cycles and agree with the other person who suspects the washer does not adequately rinse out detergents. I end up washing clothes twice in addition to the extra rinse cycle. Maytag has gone to the dogs in quality and customer service. I will not buy Maytag ever again.

By  jkoki, at November 04, 2005 5:43 AM  

Sadly, an all too common story among Maytag Neptune owners.

By  Samurai Appliance Repair Man, at November 04, 2005 8:53 AM  

We purchased a Maytag Neptune set 14 months ago. 2 months after the warranty ran out the dryer started making squeeking noises (sounds like a loose fan belt). I wish I'd seen this website BEFORE I bought.

By  dlux72@yahoo.com, at February 18, 2006 4:12 PM  

D'OH!

By  Samurai Appliance Repair Man, at February 19, 2006 7:26 PM  

I agree with you on the Neptune washer. I like the concept of the front loader, but we have also had endless problems on our Neptune. My current problem is the door is not locking in the cycle and therefore not spinning correctly. Any suggestions or warnings on what it will take to fix this problem?

By  Anonymous, at March 08, 2006 5:46 PM  

I'd check R-11 on the machine control board. If it's burnt out, then you need to replace both the machine control and the wax motor in the door latch assembly. Tons of help on this in the laundry forum. Do a search, you'll find lots of reading.

By  Samurai Appliance Repair Man, at March 08, 2006 9:02 PM  

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