Fisher and Paykel DD605SS Stainless Steel 23 in. Built-in Dishwasher

Pros: Nice contemporary look.  Top drawer height good for bad backs.  Quiet.  
Cons: VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS!  Bad interaction with customer service/Fisher & Paykel. 

We bought the Fisher & Paykel M#DD603SS when we remodeled in 2004.  The attractive styling and the idea of not having to bend over to place dishes in the bottom rack was very appealing.  After 5 years of use (doing dishes about 3-4 times a ...

Pros: Looks great.
Cons: It's just unreliable.

I had to post my negative experiences with this dishwasher.  I purchased a Fisher & Paykel DishDrawer DD-603SS back in 2001 and have had to make at least six service calls on it.  It worked fine for about a year, but then the first problem started - one of the drawers would not close all the way.  After four, maybe five, attempts at repairs (over the course of a few months), the dishwasher was replaced.  When the same issue occurred in the new one, I called F&P and was told to shut off the power to the dishwasher via the fuse box. This would apparently reset the workings of the dishwasher and allow it to close.  It worked.  So, all this time, I could have avoided the service calls/headaches if only F&P had told me this in the first place.  Now, in 2009, the top drawer fills up with about two inches of water when the bottom drawer runs - need to run rinse cycle to empty.  Sheesh.

Pros: Good looking and really functional from small numbers to large dinner parties.
Cons: Not as good build quality/materials as earlier years.

I own 2 of these dishwashers.  The first I bought back in 2003 which is now in a rental property and has not missed a beat the whole time. The second one was purchased in 2006 and is noticeably not as well constructed - it is like they changed manufacturing bases or have opted for cheaper plasticy materials particularly around the handle/control panel.  The most recent purchase is also more noisey than the first machine but has also never missed a beat apart from the occassional end of cycle not draining fully.  A clean of the filter and a rinse and everything is fine again.

Pros: This dishwasher looks good and requires little water & dishwasher soap. Very quiet.
Cons: This dishwasher has always been a problem. The drain hose is too small.

Full Review
We remodeled our kitchen in 2004. When I saw Fisher & Paykel's double dishdrawer I had to have it. It was expensive and the worst dishwasher we have ever had. The first problem we had was a leak on our brand new hardwood floor. We have had the repairman come out so many times to repair it, I have lost count. There was no extended warranty offered, so after the 2 year warranty expired, we are stuck with constantly having to pay for repairs. Apparently, the drain hose is smaller than American dishwasher hoses so you must rinse any food particles before loading. Even though we rinse before loading, there still seem to be problems. My last service call was 2 days ago (the washer started flashing F1 & bells were ringing). It cost us $187.00 for a new part and service call. Yesterday the same started happening again. Who knows what the next service call will cost. If we have too many more problems we will just have to junk this dishwasher and buy something more reliable. I wouldn't recommend this one to anybody.

Recommended:
No

Amount Paid (US$): 1300.00
Comments on this Review