Jenn-Air Island Hood Review: Don't Buy It!

Remember back in September when I wrote that I loved my Jenn Air Island Hood...I've changed my mind.

It was great at first.  Not only pretty, but man it sucked up every last ounce of steam and smelly fumes of all kinds from my kitchen.  It rocked.  Seriously. 

Now I bought this way before I was ready to install it, so it sat around for a few months.  Then around a year after it was finally installed, it started working less and less.  You'd hit the button...and nothing.  Or you'd hit it and it would sound like it wanted to start, but nothing.  Or the lights wouldn't go on.  Or they'd go on and wouldn't shut back off. I finally had time to check the User Manual...it only has a one year warranty!  I spend almost $2000 on this and it worked for barely a year?!  I'm not a happy camper.

I emailed Jenn-Air customer service to see what they say.  I know I've had it for over a year, but it hasn't been installed for over a year...not that they'll care. I bet they'll say, tough luck.  But I'm hoping they're better than that. I'll keep you all posted.

UPDATE:  So, basically their response was here's a number for customer service.  Here are numbers for people that service and/or repair Jenn-Air products.  Oh the best was the info on extended warranties. Hmm...not exactly standing behind your products are you Jenn-Air?  I bought this because Consumer Reports said it was great...and it is...when it works.  My advice to you remodelers out there...DO NOT BUY JENN-AIR PRODUCTS!

I will eventually write a post about American Standard...but let me just say this as a comparison...I bought one of their toilets several years ago and had a plumber install it since I was pregnant and couldn't do it myself.  A few months later, I noticed water coming from the ceiling under the toilet.  I called the plumber...he never called back, so I assumed he screwed up.  Well, a year or two later, I finally take the thing off so I could redo the floor and discover that the water was coming from the vent hole in the back of it.  So I write them a letter explaining what happened.  They called me back immediately, didn't request any proof or receipts or anything.  The rep said, I'm really sorry for the inconvenience, what color, size and style do you want?  I'll have one out to you by the end of the week.  And they did.  I will ALWAYS buy American Standard products.

UPDATE 5/6/13: Can you believe this is still going on?  So I looked into the repairmen list they sent...all had horrible reviews.  I asked for more, equally no good.  So I asked around myself trying to find someone to fix it.  But with the baby and school and a million other things, I gave up and just opened the windows when I cooked.  Then I did finally start calling and even double checked on their site who to call and guess what?  Not a single one of them actually fix Jenn-Air island hoods.  Well, I started doing some research and apparently a lot of people had the same kind of problems I'm having.  Something is wrong with the electronic panel...why no recall Jenn-Air?  So I tried ordering it from PartSelect...who I am not linking up, because when I ordered it, they didn't say they didn't actually have any in stock.  Two weeks later and nothing, I email and they say it's coming to the warehouse and will be shipped May 1.  They charged my credit card and everything.  I email today, and told them I emailed Jenn-Air who said they don't make that part anymore and amazingly they "just found out" that it's not available.  They are going to credit my account.  So back to Jenn-Air I go (I am going to post all the emails).  I ask them what can I do now and they want all my info so they can contact me.  Good sign?  They can't sue me for libel, I believe everything I am saying to be true and have documented it pretty well if I do say so myself.  I'll let you know if their reason for calling is another "next time consider an extended warranty" speech again.  And for the record, I've had my Kenmore appliances for a lifetime with no extended warranty and I've never had a problem.  Isn't Jenn-Air supposed to be higher end?  I guess more expensive doesn't mean higher quality...just saying.   I'll keep you posted.

UPDATE 5/8/13: So, I'm going to write a whole new post about this, but if you're here already, the short answer is that they want me to pay for a service call.  Now, if you Google this unit online, you will see that many people have had the same problems I had.  No recall?  Why not, who knows?  To repair this defective product you need a new electronic board.  The problem is Jenn-Air no longer makes it.  So they want me to pay for a service call so they can tell me that the part they no longer make is a problem.  Then what?  Well, then nothing.  Then they can document it.  WTF does that mean?  How does their documenting their defective product help correct the problem?  Obviously, it doesn't.  I'm going to write a new post and include their emails.  Hopefully I can help you lovely people out there not get screwed by Jenn-Air the way I did.