'Smart' appliances have more complaints of service, reliability, study says.

Show Caption

More home appliances are "smart" – like refrigerators that suggest recipes – but consumers have challenges with that technology, according to a J.D. Power study.Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-enabled appliances had an average of 87 problems per 100 appliances, while non-enabled appliances had an average of 63 per 100, according to J.D. Power which gave USA TODAY an exclusive first look at the study.The inaugural study of more than 14,000 people measured the reliability of appliances bought within three years and the overall service visit experience.Are smart appliances easier?"They don't make them like they used to. They make them very complicated," Michael Taylor, senior managing director of retail practice at J.D. Power told USA TODAY.Customers with problems were "far less loyal" to the brand. Fifty-two percent of users who did not have problems said they would stick with that brand while that number dropped to 32% for users who had problems.Front-load washers had the most problems while dryers and cooking appliances had the lowest.But some issues aren't the appliance's fault, Taylor said.Some consumers don't want the smart technology or don't know how to use it, he said.For instance, a phrase people used to say was "'We want to set it and forget it. ... I want to put the clothes in, turn the thing on, and then when I come back, it's all done,' "Taylor said.Smart technology, however "does introduce a level of complexity," he said. "The more things that you have that can go wrong, the more things that will go wrong."Taylor's dryer is connected to his water line and has a steaming function, for instance, but he doesn't know how to use it and isn't interested.The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers told USA TODAY that it had nothing to add about the report.How did appliances do?GE ranked first in reliability in all categories except dishwasher reliability, which KitchenAid topped:Clothes dryer reliability: GE, followed by Whirlpool.Front-load washer reliability: GE, Samsung, Whirlpool.Top-load washer reliability: GE, Maytag, Whirlpool.Dishwasher reliability: Kitchenaid is first and Bosch and GE are tied.Side-by-side refrigerator reliability: GE, Whirlpool, LG.French door refrigerator reliability: GE, Whirlpool, LG.Top-mount freezer refrigerator reliability: GE, Frigidaire.Cooking appliances (wall ovens, ranges and cooktops) reliability: GE, Frigidaire, Whirlpool.Service experience: GE, Samsung, Whirlpool.Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY.