We purchased a top of the line stainless steel kitchen-aid dishwasher for almost $1000.

What a mistake. Less than one year after installation, the dishwasher hinges began creaking. Eventually both failed. Kitchenaid fought us noting that the dishwasher was purchased over one year prior to our problem even though it was not installed within that period. Their solution was to supply the first hinge free but make us pay for the labor--which is of course 80% of the repair cost. Two months later, the other hinge failed. Another $250 repair.

Now about two years later, the new hinges are creaking and are failing. Once again Kitchen-aid will not cover the fix. In addition, the cover plastic on the buttons on the top of the door cracked within 18 months. They still function, but its another sign of poor workmanship.

I have owned 3 other dishwashers in my life, each of which were far less expensive than this premium dishwasher. None had any problems in over 10 years of use.

We will have now invested almost $750 in repairs on 3 year old dishwasher. And its almost certainly a product defect, not a fluke, since the hinges have now failed 3 times. I would guess that the hinges are the same on most of Kitchen-aid's models, so you take a major risk in buying their dishwasher.

Avoid this dishwasher unless you want to spend several hundred dollars repairing it in the first few years. Since 4 hinges have failed in 3 years, you can assume this is an engineering flaw and not just an aberration.