For two consecutive years, Bosch has ranked highest in the dishwashers segment and LG has ranked highest among clothes washers, while Samsung has earned an award in a refrigerator segment for three consecutive years.

For the second consecutive year, LG ranks highest in customer satisfaction with clothes washers and dryers according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Major Home Appliance Study released today. LG performs particularly well in four of the six factors: ease of use; operational performance; styling and feel; and operational features. GE Profile and Kenmore Elite, respectively, follow LG in the washer rankings. Samsung and Maytag take second and third place in the Clothes Dryer category. See more appliance rankings below.

Despite a high degree of reliability, 25% of consumers percent report purchasing an extended warranty for their home appliances. Peace of mind, rather than actual service issues, seems to be the deciding factor when consumers purchase extended warranties for appliances.

According to the Appliance Study, during the first two years of ownership, only one in 10 consumers report a problem with their major appliance and many of these problems are resolved by following instructions in the owner's manual or on the manufacturer's Web site. Relatively few problems actually require a service visit. "Extended warranties certainly provide a degree of peace of mind," said Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates.

In satisfying customers with major kitchen and laundry appliances, Bosch, GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG, Maytag, Samsung, Whirlpool and Whirlpool Gold rank highest in various segments.

"Particularly strong performers include Bosch, LG and Samsung, which have achieved consistently high satisfaction levels in consecutive years," said Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "For two consecutive years, Bosch has ranked highest in the dishwashers segment and LG has ranked highest among clothes washers, while Samsung has earned an award in a refrigerator segment for three consecutive years. This is especially impressive considering the high levels of quality and reliability that many appliance manufacturers attain."

J.D. Power and Associates Consumer Rankings of Major Home Appliances:

Dishwashers
For a second consecutive year, Bosch ranks highest in customer satisfaction with dishwashers, performing particularly well in the areas of operational performance (which includes dishwasher noise level and energy efficiency); styling and feel; and ease of use. Following Bosch in the rankings are KitchenAid and LG, respectively.

Free-Standing Ranges
Maytag ranks highest among free-standing ranges (defined as units containing both a range and oven that are not built into a kitchen countertop), and performs particularly well in ease of use and operational performance. Kenmore Elite and KitchenAid follow Maytag in the rankings, respectively.

Freezer-On-Top Style Refrigerators
Whirlpool ranks highest in customer satisfaction with freezer-on-top style refrigerators, and performs particularly well in all six factors. Following Whirlpool in the segment rankings are GE Appliances and Frigidaire, respectively.

Side-By-Side and French Door Style Refrigerators
Performing particularly well in price, Samsung ranks highest in satisfying customers with side-by-side and French door-style refrigerators. 2007 marks the third consecutive year that Samsung receives an award in a refrigerator segment. Whirlpool Gold and Kenmore Elite, respectively, follow Samsung in the segment rankings.

Over-the-Range Microwave Ovens
Among over-the range microwave ovens (defined as built-in units that contain both a microwave oven and a ventilation hood), Kenmore and Whirlpool Gold rank highest in customer satisfaction, in a tie. Kenmore performs particularly well in the price factor, while Whirlpool Gold performs well in the operational performance and warranty factors. Following Kenmore and Whirlpool Gold in the rankings is GE Appliances.

Countertop Microwave Ovens
GE Appliances ranks highest in the countertop microwave ovens segment, performing particularly well in ease of use and operational performance. Following GE Appliances in the rankings are Sharp and Panasonic, respectively.