If you’re like most Americans and have gone shopping for appliances recently, you might have been surprised by not only the weird and silly features some appliances boast, but also their ridiculously high price point. You might be considering putting off replacing your refrigerator, and you’re not alone.

GE (NYSE:GE) has a big reputation in the United States. Started by Thomas Edison himself, it is considered to be as American as apple pie, union busting, and baseball. One of the highest-rated models is the GE Profile 27.9 Cu. Ft. Smart 4-Door French Door Refrigerator that runs for $2,794 and the GE 21.9 cu. Ft. Top-Freezer Refrigerator that runs for around $800. Does GE deserve its reputation? And should you buy one? Here are some reasons that might give you some pause.

#1 Not all are U.S. Made

Haier is a Chinese company that holds about 8.5% of the global market share of appliances. Most GE refrigerators are U.S.-made, but some models are still made in China and Mexico. Typically, GE mini refrigerator models are manufactured in China, and some of the electric components are often manufactured in Mexico. This isn’t an inherently bad thing, but this could increase the price of some refrigerator models, considering the blanket 10% tariff (A.K.A. consumer tax) on all Chinese-produced imports.

Not all are U.S. Made

“U.S. Made” products can be a label that is important to consumers, as American-made products can have a reputation synonymous with supporting the local economy, guaranteed quality, and adherence to labor laws. That being said, because of globalization and the global supply chain, something can be labeled as “Made in America” if it is assembled in America, even if many parts are produced overseas. If GE strictly only produced in America, it could cause supply delays, higher costs, and longer lead times.

#2 Ownership Changing Hands

When you think of General Electric, do you think of Boeing Airplane engines, lightbulbs, and hospital equipment? If so, you are thinking of the other GE. As of 2016, GE Appliances is owned by the Chinese company Haier. Haier was able to retain the trademark GE name and owns the rights to the brand name until 2056, but the appliance sector is another segment the parent company had to amputate like a gangrenous limb during its decades-long fall from capitalist aristocracy.

Ownership Changing Hands

GE Appliances produces the products of six brands: Monogram, GE Profile, GE, Café, Hotpoint, Haier, and Bodewell. So, does the brand name even matter? What does the changing hands of ownership mean in terms of quality and reputation? These questions are mostly rhetorical. Brands are just the pretty lipstick on the pig of capitalism, but should we make our decisions based on just a brand name alone?

#3 Declining Performance

According to Yale Appliance, GE Appliance’s GE line is more basic, less feature-packed, generally cheaper, and has higher service rates than Café and GE Profile lines. This company, which boasts 40 technicians and up to 200 service calls each day, keeps extensive data on which brands get called to be serviced the most. GE Appliances had a 9.5% service rate in 2024 compared to 7.3% in 2023.  

Declining Performance

We’ve seen an upheaval as manufacturers have had to scramble to find new suppliers between 2020–2023 when demand was overwhelming and quick solutions had to be made.

Another factor could be that energy standards might play a role in longevity, but the trade-off in your electric bill far makes up for the cost. New models might cost about $50/year in energy costs, while older refrigerator models can cost up to $500/year. When looking at longevity and quality, energy costs can’t be overlooked.

#4 Expensive Price Point

GE Appliances tend to have higher price points, even for its most basic models. GE attributes the higher prices to its manufacturing location (in the USA), rigorous testing, high-quality control standards, and investments in premium materials and innovation. Of course, appliance distributors often have discounts and deals that may bring those price points down to a palatable amount, and purchasing second-hand is always a planet and budget-friendly option.

#5 Sub-par Warranty

GE offers a standard one-year manufacturer’s warranty on all of its refrigerators, with some having a five-year warranty. This warranty is supposed to cover the cost of labor and the cost of parts. All refrigerator water filters only have a 30-day warranty. After that, you can purchase an extended warranty, which can range from $402–$847, in the form of an annual fee usually up to $250 per year. The extended warranty is offered through Assurant, which is a third party.

Third-party warranty is something that is unique to GE Appliances. On the surface, a $300 spoiled food warranty might seem like a good deal, but there are some factors that might cause a consumer to pause. Unlike other warranties, your GE refrigerator must be serviced by a GE-approved technician, and transportation costs aren’t covered.

Sub-par Warranty

There are also many exclusions, such as “acts of God,” consumer abuse, cosmetic damage, unsafe water that damages a water filtration system, computer virus damage, and defects that exist before the contract is signed.

Another caveat that may give you pause is that the extended warranty plans have coverage limits. The repair/replacement absolutely can’t exceed the original purchase price, and select systems have lower caps than that. If your refrigerator is still under the standard 1-year warranty, the extended warranty will only cover what the standard one won’t.

#6 Poor Customer Service

Data from Consumer Affairs rates GE Refrigerators give 88% of about 2,000 reviews a 1.1 star. Several stated that customer service was mostly unhelpful. Simon from Lake Providence, L.A. said, “GE has no services in my area, so they had to set me up with Titan Appliance and Solutions, which never answered their phone, and then their voicemail is full… so you cannot leave a message.” As this review mentioned, this is how a warranty that only allows GE-approved technicians can severely delay responses.

Poor Customer Service

Another reviewer, Matthew from Hayward, CA, said, “Terrible customer service experience. My four-year-old refrigerator broke down. It failed in such a way that the GE technician deemed it non-repairable. Four years old and going to the scrap heap is not a very environmentally friendly product. Worse, though, I’ve been waiting two weeks to get any sort of meaningful update on my complaint to GE at this point.” If the technology is so advanced that it can’t be fixed, the energy savings don’t really outweigh the overall cost.

#7 Expensive Repairs

If your GE refrigerator happens to break outside of the warranty, or the damaged piece falls out of warranty coverage, you will probably be saddled with a large bill for the repairs. Using the highest quality materials and most sophisticated technology in a refrigerator makes it much more expensive to fix. Replacing a technical part like the circuit board or compressor could cost upwards of $3,000 (probably much more now with Trump’s tariffs starting to cause price surges ). The repairs might end up costing more than the appliance in the first place.

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