No brand is completely immune to problems, and a brand’s quality can fluctuate over time due to changes in design or production. But our survey reveals that dishwashers from certain brands are significantly less likely than others to experience problems during their first five years. Using our reliability ratings, you can increase your chances of ending up with a dishwasher that will last a long time, without expensive repairs.
Our predicted reliability ratings are based on data on approximately 77,000 dishwashers across 27 brands. All of the machines in our survey were purchased by CR members between 2015 and 2025. They include models from popular names such as Bosch and Samsung, lower-cost brands like Ikea, and high-end companies like Miele and Thermador. We combed through the responses for any reports of performance problems or breakdowns to predict how reliably a dishwasher from a given brand will hold up in its first five years of service.
According to our survey, around 21 percent of the dishwashers owned by our members have broken down or stopped working as well as they should. A dishwasher that’s no longer cleaning properly is the most frequently reported problem, occurring in 9 percent of the dishwashers. Other common problems include the dishwasher not drying properly (7 percent) and not draining (7 percent).
CR members can read on for a summary of the brands that we expect to be the most reliable, as well as the five least reliable brands in our surveys. Members can also explore our comprehensive dishwasher ratings of over 130 models, which are based on extensive testing for washing, drying, noise, energy consumption, and ease of use, along with our survey results. To learn more about shopping for a dishwasher and selecting the one that best suits your needs, visit our dishwasher buying guide.
