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Updated by user Apr 06, 2014

I should have updated this posting a few months ago to indicate I did get a satisfactory resolution from GE; I'd grade it as a B-/C+ because it was OK but not great. I am convinced I never would have gotten any response from GE at all if I had not posted a complaint on this and another site.

I was contacted by e-mail and telephone by an employee of GE Appliance and Light, whom I presume was in a management position. He agreed to reimburse me $375, which covered the cost of the new control panel ($330) plus $45 of the $155 I paid for repair technician visits. Overall, I was reimbursed for about 77% of my repair costs.

I received the check in a timely manner. The lesson I learned was that valid complaints that are posted online get GE's attention!

Original review posted by user Sep 01, 2013

I purchased an expensive ($800) GE electric clothes dryer for my new home; my builder's records show it was delivered on Sept. 7, 2011, while the home was still under construction.

My husband and I did not actually move in and use the dryer until mid-November 2011. The plastic Power on/off button on the front of the dryer broke off in early August 2013, when the dryer was less than 2 years old, but out of warranty. It cost me $485 to get this little plastic button replaced, which is a totally outrageous repair cost for such a little thing!! A GE authorized repair technician had to replace the whole control panel ($304 plus $26 tax); it had to be ordered, so I had to pay for 2 repair technician visits ($155).

Both of the service people who came to my house recognized that the reason the dryer would not start was because the peg connected to the push button switch that engages the start button had a broken tip, which caused the hinge mechanism on the start button to break. It was clear from looking at the back of the control panel that the pegs connected to the other operating panel buttons were also significantly worn or broken. The control panel buttons were clearly poorly designed and poorly manufactured. An extensive amount of wear had occurred on all the buttons even though I only dried 2-3 loads of laundry a week (our household consists of just 2 adults).

My husband and I were very disappointed that both of the service technicians expressed no willingness to send the defective control panel back to GE engineers for evaluation and assessment of the excessive wear that both repair people acknowledged. My husband subsequently called GE Customer Service to request that we be reimbursed for this exorbitant repair cost for such a new dryer. After talking to 4 different people (3 of whom were not native English speakers) he learned that GE would not do anything, such as rebating the cost of the faulty control panel. I am extremely disappointed with GE's resolution to our customer complaint; it is not fair for us to pay a $485 repair bill on a $800 dryer that is less than 2 years old.

I selected a number of GE appliances for my new home based on the high ratings they had in Consumer Reports, and my perception of the good reputation that GE products have for quality and reliability. However, I will never buy another GE product if I do not get a fair resolution to this complaint!

We have received very poor customer service from GE so far. I hope that this complaint can be successfully resolved in the near future.

Monetary Loss: $485.

Location: Sedona, Arizona

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Guest

SOLUTION: Our power button broke the same way on our 2013 GE Dryer. After we replaced the entire control panel once, I took clear boxing tape and covered the entire control buttons.

It allows you to press the button just enough to activate the control, but not so much that it will break. We have not experienced a broken button again.

Elzie Nrs

I am having the same issue. Although my dryer is a few years older, it is ridiculous the way it was designed. I ram chatting with the parts department now about a replacement and after reading this am not hopeful at the prospects.

I am sure I will be contacting GE customer support very soon.

Guest

I also have a GE front load dryer that I today found out after the cheap plastic power button will cost me half of what the dryer did in the beginning to replace. Whom ever designed this dryer to have to replace the entire control panel needs to be replaced with someone with common sense.

The worse design idea I have ever encountered and I definitely will never by a GE appliance again. I'm not even going to waste my time on the phone trying to get a refund. I'm buying another brand.

I be darn if I'm paying the price it's going to cost to fix a single button. Ridiculous

Guest

I have a 4 yr old Panasonic dryer with the same atrociously poor quality start button. It's attached with a little tiny piece of plastic that is smaller than an earring post.

It has broken 3 times in four years and i have had the front panel replaced three time.

I have a 5 yr warranty and am concerned that the button will break again and again and again. I haven't had any satisfaction from GE.

Guest

Another update I should have posted long ago. The start button on the new panel also broke within 1-2 years.

We removed the panel start button and now I just insert the eraser end of a pencil through the hole in the control panel to directly push the little round black button to turn the dryer on and off. Although it is a Rube Goldberg kind of solution, it works perfectly and I wish I had thought about this to begin with; it would have saved me a lot of money and frustration.

Guest

I bought a GE front loader washer and dryer too. The machines work well but the peg behind the power buttons on the control panel have broken so many time that the extended warranty company is refunding my purchase price.

The serviceman has to come out 4 times for the same repair to the exact same part for this to happen. The first year I was under the manufactuer's warranty and any of the times the repair man came out then did not count toward the 4 times the extended warranty requires.

I have never experienced anything like this. Big mistake for them to use a plastic peg beind the power button!!!

Guest

I have same problem now. I should call for repair or buy new one.....

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-978400

Here is my advice. Contact William.Bower@***.com (who was the person who approved my $375 reimbursement) and request that GE send you a new control panel at no cost.

It is easy to install yourself if you are at all handy. Or, you could contact GE Customer Service at this number that Mr.

Bowers gave me: 1-80*-***-****. Hope you get the problem resolved.

Guest

Yup... We are on our 4th control panel. Really GE, Really?

Guest

I have had the exact same issue. I moved into my home in November of 2011 and purchased the GE dryer (along with washer and all kitchen appliances) for my new home.

For the last 6 months it has continuously gotten stuck and for at least the last 30 days it has been pernamently stuck. I do not want to have to spend an excess amount on repairing this button.

Please advise! Kdickow@***.com

Guest

We have all GE appliances. The dryer is about a year old.

The control mechanism has a skinny shaft with two much tension. All the knobs are a cheap plastic & the *** that turns the control mechanism will easily break.

The newer dryers have been redesigned because of the problem but GE has failed to notify its customers of this defect. If they don't correct this I will never buy another GE appliance.

Kaitlynne Vii

Hello, this is Donna with GE. I am so sorry to hear about your experience with your GE dryer.

If you'd like us to review your situation, please send your details and contact information to to eResponse@ge.com. Thanks.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Kaitlynne Vii

Hello Donna with GE, I already sent "my details" to the GE Appliances Email Team via the GE website link I followed from this site. It was e-mailed on 9-1-13. The reference number I was sent for follow up is #130901-****28.

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