The Popular Refrigerator Brand That's Prone To Leaking

Refrigerators are complicated machines with wires, tubes, coils, fans, valves, and many other components. A lot can go wrong, which is why a reliable model can put your mind at ease. When a part of this complex machine breaks down, there can be serious consequences, from food spoiling to water damage. Not every appliance company seems to be able to make this complex, modern wonder well. Samsung is one brand that draws frequent complaints about leaking, sometimes with hefty repair bills attached.

We were already aware of Samsung's refrigerator issues with reliability, and reading some of the leaking horror stories posted on Reddit only makes us more wary. "We just had a leak in a Samsung fridge that caused 20k [in] damages to our home," wrote one poster. On another Reddit thread, the poster specifically called out the fridge's French doors for leaking. The poster owned model number RF4267HARS, which another commenter wrote was in a style of Samsung fridges that were prone to leaking. A class-action lawsuit was filed in 2017 over myriad problems with the models with French doors — including the ice makers freezing over, loud fan noises, and water leakage. The case was dismissed after some of the customers were offered individual settlements.

According to USA Today, Samsung refrigerators are the appliances with the most reported complaints to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2023. An especially dangerous issue for consumers has been the fridge not maintaining the correct temperature. WRTV reported consumers setting the temperature to below the required 40 degrees Fahrenheit to keep food safe, but the fridge maintaining a temperature well above safety limits. We recommend that you set your refrigerator somewhere between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit; anything at or above 40 degrees Fahrenheit is considered by the USDA to be a "danger zone" where bacteria can rapidly grow. If you have a Samsung fridge already, you may want to buy a fridge thermometer to ensure that your appliance is at the temperature it displays.

Are there any Samsung refrigerators you should buy? Consumer Reports scores Samsung refrigerators at or near the bottom for all the company's designs except for one: top-freezer refrigerators. Top-freezer designs are older, simpler, more space-efficient, and cheaper. If top-freezer isn't your thing and you still want that French door design, instead of Samsung, Consumer Reports has three brands with good scores: Bosch, Fisher & Paykel, and Thermador.