-WJLA Script-

Anchor:
NOW TO A SEVEN-ON-YOUR SIDE INVESTIGATION.

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER AND MANY OF YOU ARE FINDING OUT THE HARD WAY.

WASHERS, DRYERS, YOUR FRIDGE, EVEN OVENS... TONIGHT OUR TEAM REVEALS THE MORE YOU SPEND ON THEM... THE MORE LIKELY THEY'RE GOING TO BREAK DOWN.

ROSS WHAT'S GOING ON?

Story:
Ross: "This is it right over here?"

Dan Rayburn/Whirlpool Microwave: "It's on the counter here."

HIS NEW MICROWAVE.

Dan Rayburn/Whirlpool Microwave: "It doesn't work."

HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE.

Dan Presler: "I expect quality, you know...reliabilty."

BUT HE DIDN'T GET IT WITH HIS NEW FRIDGE.

THIS GUY'S HAVING TROUBLE WITH ALL HIS APPLIANCES.

Johnathan Demarest/Viking Kitchen:"Lights won't work at all. This is burning stuff...the microwave won't do anything."

THREE DIFFERENT CONSUMERS. MULITPLE PROBLEMS AND IT'S NOT JUST THE BREAKDOWNS THAT FRUSTRATE THEM.

Dan Rayburn/Whirlpool Microwave: "Sometimes they just don't show up."

WHIRLPOOL HAS SCHEDULED 9 SERVICE VISITS.

DAN PRESLER'S FAMILY HAS LIVED OUT OF COOLERS FOR WEEKS, BECAUSE OF SEVERAL BREAKDOWNS WITH HIS KENMORE ELITE REFRIGERATOR. AND JOHNATHAN DEMAREST'S DREAM KITCHEN?

Johnathan Demarest: "Everything just started dying."

HAS BECOME A NIGHTMARE. ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORTS IT'S THE GADGETS ON TODAY'S APPLIANCES THAT MAKE THEM MORE LIKELY TO FAIL. HIGH END APPLIANCES TOPPED CONSUMER REPORTS REPAIR SURVEY'S...LIKE 33 PERCENT OF VIKING GAS RANGES BREAKING DOWN. SUB ZERO TOPPED THE LIST FOR REFRIGERATOR TROUBLES AND MAYTAG KEPT THE REPAIRMAN BUSY WITH FRONT LOADING WASHERS.

Dan Rayburn/Whirlpool Microwave: "I've never heard of so much trouble with appliances."

WE HAVE AND WE'VE ALSO LEARNED THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS...WHICH CAN LEAD TO LONG DELAYS.

Johnathan Demarest: "I'd like to get this stuff fixed."

EXACTLY. WHICH IS WHY WERE HERE. WITHIN DAYS OF CONTACTING ALL THREE COMPANIES...VIKING STARTED AN INVESTIGATION.

WHIRLPOOL DELIVERED THIS NEW MICROWAVE.

Ross: "Does it work?"

Dan Rayburn/Whirlpool Microwave: "Works great!"

AND SEARS STEPPED ON REPAIRS ON THIS REFRIGERATOR.

Dan Presler: "Thank you so much."

Ross: "You're happy?"

Dan Presler: "Yeah!"

Ross McLaughlin:
3 DOWN BUT THERE ARE DOZENS OF OTHERS WHO'VE COMPLAINED. WE'VE LET THE MANUFACTURERS KNOW ABOUT THE INCREASED COMPLAINTS WE'RE HEARING.

TO HELP YOU SHOP, WE'VE POSTED ALL THE REPAIR SURVEYS AND THE LATEST RATINGS ON NEW APPLIANCES ON OUR WEBSITE.