Is the GE Warranty for Appliances Your Best Option?

If you’ve purchased a GE appliance, you may have noticed a registration card in the box. Before you jump online or run to the mailbox to register your new appliance, know what’s included in your GE warranty and the other options available to you. Many homeowners don’t know that a home warranty can be more cost-effective than product registration for GE appliance repairs.

Use this guide to determine if registering your GE appliance is worth your time, and how you can benefit from a home warranty. The protection of a home warranty from Choice Home Warranty is your best bet for keeping your appliances up and running.

To learn the cost of a protection plan for your GE appliances and more, get a free quote from Choice Home Warranty. Call 848.256.4658 or type in your zip code to talk to a representative.

What to know about GE warranties

GE creates products for a wide range of industries that go far beyond the home—just a few include health care, lighting, aviation, nuclear power, and renewable energy.

You can also purchase a variety of home and kitchen appliances from GE.

Most new major appliances come with a manufacturer’s warranty. The GE appliance warranty covers repair or replacement costs for your new appliance if the fix is due to a faulty product.

This warranty starts on the purchase date. If that date is unknown, the manufacturing date—which is part of the serial number—becomes the start date for the warranty.

How long a GE warranty lasts depends on the type of the appliance and the particular model. To understand the full warranty details for your product, read your specific contract. Here are a few example warranties for GE appliances:

GE refrigerator warranty

A GE refrigerator warranty is a limited one-year warranty on any refrigerator part that fails due to material or workmanship defects, including labor and related costs. Some models are covered for two years.

Your warranty may also include:

• A 30-day water filter cartridge replacement and coverage for related parts.
• A five-year warranty that includes any part of the sealed refrigerating system (compressor, condenser, evaporator, and connecting tubing), as well as labor and parts
• A limited additional seven-year warranty, which protects the sealed refrigerating system parts
• A lifetime warranty for the full extension slides

GE washing machine warranty

GE washing machines have a limited one-year warranty on any factory part that is faulty due to material or workmanship defects, along with a 10-year motor warranty. Labor and related services are included.

Your warranty may also include these features:

• Two years after the purchase date, parts are covered, but labor is not.
• Three to five years after the purchase date, the suspension rod, spring assembly, and main electronic control board are covered. A rusted washer lid or cover replacement is also included.
• Two to 10 years after the purchase date, the outer tub and transmission or Harmony washer Direct Drive are covered.
• Three to 10 years after the purchase date, the outer tab or driven pulley on a front-loading washer is covered.
• Lifetime warranty on the basket (or inner wash basket). Some models are only covered 20 years instead of the product’s lifetime.

GE dryer warranty

This product has only a limited one-year warranty that covers all defected parts, including labor and related service costs.

Look up your GE dryer warranty here or see a sample warranty here.

What’s not covered under GE warranties

Many repairs aren’t included in GE appliance insurance, or some actions may void your warranty, including:

• Labor and related service fees after one year (unless specifically noted)
• Dents, scratches, paint chips, and other small damages that aren’t critical to the operation
• Service trips to your home to learn how to use the product
• Damage caused by improper installation, delivery, or maintenance
• Damaged from floods, fires, accidents, and related events
• Repairs needed due to normal use (wear and tear)
• Product abuse or misuse (using the product for something other than the intended purposes)
• Damage from replacing house fuse replacement or resetting circuit breakers

What is GE appliance registration?

If you’ve purchased a GE appliance, it may have come with a registration card. The card encourages you to register your product either by returning the card to the company by mail or going online to fill out a registration form. Most of the form includes information about your new product, including the serial number, model, installation date, and other identifying features of your product.

Sometimes, registration cards ask for personal information such as annual income or even hobbies in addition to product information. Appliance registration, sometimes called product registration, is a method of collecting marketing information about you the consumer. Registering an appliance provides marketing statistics to the manufacturer.

When you create a GE Appliances Account and register your appliance, you have access to:

• Information about your product
• Owner’s manual and warranty
• Service scheduling
• Ordering GE appliance parts

GE appliance warranty registration also gives the manufacturer your contact information for important safety recalls on your product.

It’s important to note that you do not have to register your appliance for the GE warranty to be active. In fact, US consumer laws protect consumers from misleading product registration cards in regards to full warranties. According to the US Federal Trade Commission a “requirement that the consumer return a warranty registration card or a similar notice as a condition of performance under a full warranty is an unreasonable duty.”

GE extended warranty

An extended warranty is a service contract that you can purchase outside of your standard GE warranty. It provides continued coverage when your manufacturer’s warranty expires. GE refers to their extended warranties as Service Protection Advantage plans, which are offered through Assurant, Inc. Each of these plans cover a GE appliance for one year and cost an average of $53–$76 per appliance. For example, the GE refrigerator extended warranty costs an average of $76 a year and only covers repairs for that one appliance.

Common GE appliance repairs and costs

Even the most reliable appliances need repairs, especially when they’ve been used regularly for many years.

GE dishwasher problems

Some of the most common issues noted by GE dishwasher owners are leaking, the handle coming off, and the door not staying shut. Other common dishwasher issues include standing water, water not draining, or the dishwasher not starting or cleaning well.

Average dishwasher repair cost: $150

GE refrigerator problems

Owners of GE refrigerators across several models (including GE Profile versions) reported these issues:

• Refrigerator handle broke off
• Freezer handle broke off
• Ice maker door builds up frost so the door won’t close
• Temperature lights blinking
• Loud noises

Average refrigerator repair cost: $310

GE microwave problems

With several GE customer service complaints, GE microwaves are reported to have these problems:

• Internal fuse blowing every few days
• Inside paint peeling
• Failed touchpad
• Stop working mid cycle
• Vibrating

Average built-in microwave repair cost: $125

Unless the repair or replacement is covered by the GE warranty, you’ll pay for these appliance repairs out of pocket. The trouble is that many of these issues happen once the limited warranty has ended.

If you decide to opt in for the GE extended warranty from Assurant, you may still be paying several hundred dollars for just a few appliances.

Another option is a home warranty. With a home protection plan, you can cover multiple appliances and systems—from GE or other manufacturers—for a low monthly fee or a one-time annual payment. When you have a repair, all you pay is a low service fee of about $75.

Home warranty coverage for GE appliances

A home warranty is not the same as home insurance or a product warranty. It offsets costs associated with repairing or replacing your household appliances or systems for a set period of time (usually 12 or 13 months). Homeowners insurance, on the other hand, provides coverage for major home accidents or disasters.

Through a home warranty, new appliance owners can get protection that’s more comprehensive than a GE warranty. Service contracts from reputable warranty companies like Choice Home Warranty lead to less worry and more time enjoying your home.

The table below details some of the major advantages of a home warranty from top-rated companies.

What to look for in your home warranty company

Choosing a home warranty company is an important step in getting the most out of your protection plan. Be sure to ask home warranty providers questions regarding their requirements for warranty coverage on appliances. It may be best to avoid warranty companies that aren’t up front with service call costs or do not offer quotes for yearly costs.

Before signing a warranty contract, take the time to find out important information about your potential provider. When looking for a home warranty company, verify your provider can offer these important features:

• Efficient professional appliance repairs—Appliances have a habit of breaking when we need them most. You need a warranty company that provides quick, expert service to get your appliance up and running again.
• Coverage for all major appliances—Choose a home warranty company that covers the appliances you rely on most. If a warranty covers dishwashers but not heating units, and you don’t have a dishwasher, it’s probably not a great fit.
• Friendly local professionals—You want to feel confident that the service providers entering your home are trustworthy and experienced. Make sure your warranty company works with local, trained professionals to service your appliances.
• Affordable service calls—Home warranties are supposed to save you money on expensive appliance repairs. A warranty that has expensive service call fees may not be saving you much money in the long run.
• Top-rated company—Take the time to research top-rated home warranty companies. You want to work with a company that has great customer feedback. Manufacturer service centers, such as GE appliances customer service, may not provide the friendly customer experience you expect from a highly rated company.

House Method reviews the best home warranty companies and checks for these qualities in providers for you. Read our home warranty reviews and compare plans for yourself.

Choice Home Warranty: House Method’s pick for GE appliance coverage

As our highest rated company, Choice Home Warranty provides warranty customers all of the valuable features listed above, in addition to these benefits:

• Work with only the most qualified and trustworthy local repair technicians
• Quick responses to service calls with 24/7 availability**
• Exceptional value for some of the most comprehensive home warranties available*
• Plans start at about $1 a day
• A nominal service fee of $75
• Most customers pay between $29 and $42 a month, which is lower than the industry average

Choice Home Warranty protection plans

With two great plans and optional coverage options, Choice Home Warranty covers the GE appliances at an affordable price. See the table below to find out what is covered by the Total Plan and Basic Plan.

In addition to the Basic Plan and Total Plan, Choice Home Warranty lets customers select additional coverage. Optional appliance coverage provides home warranty benefits for less common home appliances and systems.

With multiple home protection plans, Choice Home Warranty can provide your home with appliance coverage on nearly all of your appliances. Compare this to the GE warranty, which covers just one item and is limited in scope. Only your new appliances are covered, and GE appliance registration does not necessarily provide additional protection to your appliances.

Don’t rely on a GE warranty as home appliance insurance. You can protect your appliances as they age with a home warranty from Choice Home Warranty.

To cover expensive home appliances and repairs with a home protection plan, get a free quote from Choice Home Warranty by calling 848.256.4658 or providing your zip code.

* Terms and conditions apply. Review complete limits of liability and any exclusions. CHW offers service contracts which are not warranties.
** See policy for specifics on response times.
***CHW reserves the right to offer cash back in lieu of repair or replacement in the amount of CHW’s actual cost (which at times may be less than retail) to repair or replace any covered system, component or appliance.
**** In the event a claim is denied, and a customer seeks to have Us review that denial, We have the right to request routine maintenance records in reviewing its decision.