Best Refrigerator Warranty (2023 Guide)

There’s no getting around it: refrigerators are expensive. This major appliance can be expensive to buy and fix. However, a refrigerator warranty can help cover some or all of the costs related to refrigerator repairs.

A refrigerator warranty can refer to one of several things, including a manufacturer’s warranty, an extended warranty, and a home warranty. The first two usually apply exclusively to one appliance, but a home warranty covers multiple home systems and appliances. We’ll break down the different types of refrigerator warranties and explain how to get the most for your money when it comes to buying and maintaining your refrigerator.

Best Home Warranty Companies for Refrigerator Coverage

Which Refrigerator Has the Best Warranty?

Manufacturer’s warranties are offered by the refrigerator manufacturer. They typically cover the first year of the refrigerator’s use and cover breakdowns due to manufacturing defects. Essentially, these limited warranties only cover repairs or replacements if the refrigerator arrives with defective materials or workmanship. Most cover both parts and labor for repairs, but some only cover parts.

When choosing a refrigerator brand, make sure that it has a comprehensive warranty and that the appliance itself is reliable and unlikely to break down. Here’s a table comparing top refrigerator brands, how often their products need to be serviced, and what kind of refrigerator warranties they offer.

Nearly all refrigerator brands offer a one-year warranty that covers parts and labor due to defects in materials or workmanship. Beko offers this for two years. It only covers parts in its five-year sealed system warranty.

A refrigerator’s sealed system typically refers to the compressor, evaporator, condenser, dryer, and connection tubing. Most companies cover both parts and labor for this system for five years. Miele and KitchenAid extend this sealed system warranty for an extra five years. Note that years six through 10 cover parts only.

LG and Samsung extend coverage for certain types of refrigerator compressors for 10 years. For fridges with water dispensers, GE and Whirlpool cover water filters for the first 30 days. Samsung offers a two-year parts and labor warranty on IceMax ice makers. Finally, Bosch will replace any defective electronic part for the first five years, but its warranty doesn’t cover labor.

Extended Warranties

With most refrigerator models, you’ll have the option of purchasing an extended warranty, sometimes known as a protection plan or service contract. This type of warranty may be offered by the refrigerator’s manufacturer, the store where you buy the refrigerator, or a third party. Typically, this coverage kicks in after the one-year manufacturer’s warranty expires, though some warranties may overlap.

Here’s an overview of the extended warranties provided by the refrigerator manufacturers listed above:

• GE goes through Assurant to provide its extended service plans. You’ll need to input your refrigerator’s specifications to get a quote.
• To receive extended coverage from Whirlpool, you must buy a protection plan within 30 days of purchase. Multi-year plans are available.
• LG offers a service called Proactive Customer Care for one additional year of warranty coverage.
• It’s not clear whether Beko offers extended warranties to US customers, though it does offer a three-year warranty for its customers in the UK.
• Miele offers five-year extended warranty plans, and you can register anytime within your original one-year warranty period.
• Samsung also provides up to five years of extended protection and offers in-house service technicians to make repairs.
• To take advantage of a Bosch Appliance Service Plan, you’ll need to create an account and register your product to see what type of extended warranty is offered.
• KitchenAid’s warranty coverage is the same as Whirlpool’s, as both companies are owned by the same parent company.

Note that these are not your only options for extended warranty coverage; this is just what each manufacturer offers. Before you decide to go with an extended warranty plan, pay careful attention to the terms and conditions and understand what types of repairs are covered. Some of these warranties may cover accidental damage to the refrigerator, while others may only cover mechanical failure during normal use.

Home Warranty Refrigerator Coverage

While extended warranties cover new refrigerators, they generally last for five years and only cover a single appliance. If you’re looking for another protection option for multiple home appliances and systems, consider a home warranty. A home warranty, also known as home appliance insurance, covers repairs or replacements of important systems and appliances that break down from normal wear and tear. Nearly all home warranty companies provide at least one plan that covers refrigerators.

If your fridge wears out and stops working and you have a home warranty, simply call your home warranty company to file a claim. Your provider will send a trusted contractor to your home to diagnose the problem. If the issue falls under the terms of your warranty, the technician will repair it for a low service fee, which is a one-time fee you pay the technician at the time of service.

If a repair isn’t possible, the company will either replace the refrigerator or pay you cash instead. Typically, home warranties only cover wear-and-tear damage, but there’s usually no age limit to appliances, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that more than just your refrigerator is protected.

Top 4 Home Warranty Companies for Refrigerator Coverage

Many home warranty companies offer some kind of coverage for kitchen appliances, but not all of them include refrigerators in their basic plans. Here are four of the best home warranty providers in the industry that offer superior coverage for refrigerators, among other appliances and systems.

• Liberty Home Guard: Best Customer Ratings
• American Home Shield: Best for Comprehensive
• Select Home Warranty: Best Value
• First American Home Warranty: Best Appliance Coverage

1. Best Customer Ratings: Liberty Home Guard

Liberty Home Guard (LHG) services all U.S. states, except Washington and Wisconsin. Its three comprehensive plan options and over 30 add-ons offer unique coverage options. For example, some of LHG’s refrigeration-specific add-ons include in-fridge ice makers, second refrigerator units, stand-alone freezers, water dispenser lines, and wine coolers.

LHG pairs a $2,000 coverage cap for all appliances, systems, and add-ons.

Plans and Pricing

LHG offers three plan options: Appliance Guard, Systems Guard, and Total Home Guard. Appliance Guard and Total Home Guard both cover kitchen appliances, including refrigerators with ice makers and built-in display. 

You can take a look at LHG’s coverage options in the table below.

According to our quote, LHG’s monthly prices range from $49.99 to $59.99 per month. LHG assigns a service call fee between $65 and $125 based on your plan, location, and add-ons. 

• Appliance Guard: $49.99 per month
• Systems Guard: $54.99 per month
• Total Home Guard: $59.99 per month

You can request a free quote by calling 866-452-9107 or filling out Liberty Home Guard’s online form.

2. Best for Comprehensive Coverage: American Home Shield

American Home Shield (AHS) offers some of the most comprehensive coverage in the home warranty industry. Two of the company’s three plans—ShieldGold and ShieldPlatinum—include coverage for one kitchen refrigerator. In addition, you’ll receive coverage for all major home systems, such as your plumbing, electrical, heating, and major appliances, including your dishwasher and water heater. The ShieldPlatinum plan even includes roof-leak repairs and a free HVAC tune-up. It offers coverage in all states except Alaska and Hawaii.

Plans and Pricing

You can compare AHS’s plan coverage in the table below.

American Home Shield offers a flexible service call fee model, which means you can adjust your monthly premiums by choosing a service fee that fits your budget. AHS offers $75, $100, and $125 service call fees. You can take a look at AHS’s monthly prices from our quote: 

• ShieldSilver (doesn’t cover appliances): $44.99–$59.99 per month
• ShieldGold: $54.99–$69.99 per month
• ShieldPlatinum: $84.99–$99.99 per month

American Home Shield’s standout feature is including coverage for conditions and damage that many other home warranty companies don’t. For example, an AHS plan will cover the following for refrigerators of any age or model:

• Known and unknown pre-existing conditions
• Breakdowns due to lack of maintenance
• Improper installation, modification, or repairs
• Damage due to sediment, rust, or corrosion

Get a free quote by calling 844-529-9298 or filling out American Home Shield’s simple online form.

3. Best Value: Select Home Warranty

Select Home Warranty has some of the most affordable home warranty plans in the industry. Its plans are all below $50 per month and it has a standard $75 service call fee, which is on the low end of the industry average of $65–$125. Select also offers complimentary roof leak coverage with all three of its plans and it provides two free months of coverage for customers who sign up for a plan.

Plans and Pricing

Select offers a Bronze Care plan, which covers major home appliances, and a Platinum Care plan, which covers both systems and appliances. Both plans include coverage for a kitchen refrigerator, and both are competitively priced. Unfortunately, there’s no option to purchase coverage for a second refrigerator, but if you don’t need coverage for an additional refrigerator, Select Home Warranty may be a good choice.

You can take a look at Select Home Warranty’s plan options in the table below.

As mentioned above, Select Home Warranty’s monthly plan prices are very affordable. You’ll be charged a $75 service call fee each time you file a claim. 

• Bronze Care: $40.67 per month
• Gold Care: $40.67 per month
• Platinum Care: $46.08 per month

Get a free quote by calling 888-370-3956 or filling out Select Home Warranty’s easy online form.

4. Best Appliances Coverage: First American Home Warranty

After passing it through our rating system, we determined that First American Home Warranty offered comprehensive appliance coverage alongside flexible plan and service call fee options. The First American Advantage upgrade, which is bundled within its Essential and Premium plans, covers building permits, code upgrades or repairs that result from improper installations and modifications. This upgrade package also covers the recapture and removal of refrigerant and free disposal of the appliances the company replaces for you.

Plans and Pricing

First American offers three plans, all of which cover refrigerators. The Starter and Essential plans cover up to $3,500 per claim for refrigerators. The Premium Plan increases refrigerator limits to $7,000 per claim. The Starter and Essential plans include coverage for a mix of home appliances and systems. The Premium Plan covers all items in the Starter and Essential, plus additional items such as faucets and instant hot water dispensers. You can compare First American’s plan coverage in the table below.

According to our research, the average home warranty costs between $38.73 and $63.16 per month. First American charges slightly higher than the industry average. Here is a sample of First American’s monthly prices with a $125 service call fee: 

• Starter Plan: $47.00–$62.00 per month
• Essential Plan: $57.00–$72.00 per month
• Premier Plan: $72.00–$87.00 per month

To request a custom quote, fill out First American Home Warranty’s online form or call 800-891-9778.

Compare the Best Home Warranties for Refrigerators

In the table below, you can compare the coverage caps and appliances of our top recommended home warranty providers.

Our Rating Methodology

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our home warranty ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each provider. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts from each company, and conducting focus groups and consumer surveys. We then score each provider against our review standards for coverage, value, trustworthiness and transparency, availability, and customer service to arrive at a final score out of 100.  

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.