Does the Consumer Rights Act Give You 6 Years to Claim For Faulty Appliances?
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 does not give you a six-year guarantee. It gives you up to six years to bring a legal claim if an appliance fails prematurely due to an inherent fault. Your rights are strongest in the first 30 days and first six months. After that, the burden falls on you to show the failure was the product’s fault – not wear and tear or misuse. Your claim is always with the retailer, not the manufacturer.
This article provides general guidance on UK consumer rights as they relate to appliances. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, seek guidance from Citizens Advice, Which?, or a legal professional.
It is widely stated that UK consumers have “up to six years” to claim for a faulty appliance. This is broadly true – but frequently misunderstood, and often misrepresented by retailers. Here is a clear, plain-English explanation of what the law actually says and what it means for you.
What Does the Consumer Rights Act Actually Require?
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, all goods sold by a retailer must be:
Of satisfactory quality – including being durable and lasting a reasonable length of time- Fit for purpose – the appliance must do what it is designed to do
- As described – the product must match what was stated at point of sale
The most important of these for appliance owners is satisfactory quality – specifically the requirement for durability. The law requires that appliances last a reasonable length of time given their price, type, and normal use. It does not guarantee a specific number of years, but it does mean that an appliance failing well before the end of a reasonable lifespan may be subject to a valid claim.
What Is the “Six-Year Rule” – and What It Is Not?
What it IS
The time limit within which you can bring a legal claim through the courts – six years in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; five years in Scotland.
What it is NOT
A six-year guarantee or warranty. You cannot simply demand a repair or replacement on any fault that occurs within six years. You must demonstrate the product failed prematurely due to an inherent fault.
To succeed in a claim outside the first six months, you must show two things: (1) the product did not last a reasonable length of time, and (2) the failure was due to an inherent fault – not normal wear and tear or misuse. As time passes, this becomes progressively harder to demonstrate.
Your Rights at Each Stage
If an appliance is faulty, not as described, or unfit for purpose within the first 30 days, you have the right to a full refund. This is a firm right provided the fault is genuine and not caused by misuse. The retailer cannot insist on a repair or replacement instead of a refund during this period.
If a fault develops within the first six months, the law presumes it was present at the time of sale – unless the retailer can prove otherwise. During this period, the retailer must offer a repair or replacement. If a satisfactory resolution cannot be achieved, or if a repair would cause significant inconvenience, you may be entitled to a refund or price reduction.
The burden of proof is on the retailer to disprove an inherent fault – not on you to prove one.
After six months, the burden of proof shifts to the consumer. You will likely need to demonstrate that the fault was inherent – for example, through an independent engineer’s report. This is the most challenging stage of enforcing your rights, and the stage where many valid claims are abandoned unnecessarily.
You have up to six years (five in Scotland) to bring a legal claim through the courts. Valid claims are still possible well beyond the guarantee period – particularly for higher-value appliances that fail significantly earlier than would be reasonable. However, the evidence required and the difficulty of proving an inherent fault increases with time.
| Period | Your right |
|---|---|
| 0 to 30 days | Full refund |
| 0 to 6 months | Repair or replacement (fault presumed inherent) |
| 6 months to 6 years | Claim possible – you must demonstrate the fault |
What Is a “Reasonable Lifespan” for an Appliance?
There is no fixed legal definition – but courts apply an objective test based on what a reasonable person would expect given the price, type, and circumstances of use. As a general guide:
| Scenario | Likely view |
|---|---|
| £600 washing machine failing beyond repair at 18 months | Strong grounds for a claim – well below reasonable lifespan |
| £200 budget machine failing after 4-5 years of heavy use | Weaker grounds – price and usage are relevant factors |
| £1,000 fridge freezer failing at 3 years | Reasonable expectation of 10+ years – strong grounds for claim |
| Any appliance failing within the first 6 months | Presumed inherent fault – retailer must resolve it |
Key factors that influence what is “reasonable” include: purchase price, brand positioning, frequency of use, and the nature of the failure. A catastrophic failure rendering an appliance beyond economic repair is viewed very differently to a minor component fault.
Who Is Responsible – the Retailer or the Manufacturer?
Under the Consumer Rights Act, your legal contract is with the retailer – not the manufacturer. The retailer is responsible for resolving faults. Manufacturer warranties are separate and additional to your statutory rights – they do not replace them.
Retailers frequently refer customers to the manufacturer once a warranty has expired. This is often done in the expectation that consumers will not pursue further. It does not remove the retailer’s legal obligations where a valid claim exists.
If a retailer tells you your rights have expired because the manufacturer’s guarantee has ended, this is incorrect. Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act exist independently of any manufacturer warranty.
What Remedies Can You Claim?
Where a valid claim is established, the retailer is entitled to choose the initial remedy – typically starting with repair or replacement. However, you may be entitled to escalate to a refund or price reduction where:
Repair not possibleIf the appliance cannot be repaired, a replacement or refund must be offered. You cannot be left without a resolution.
Unreasonable delayIf a repair takes an unreasonably long time – particularly for essential appliances such as a fridge or washing machine – you may have grounds to escalate.
Significant inconvenienceIf the repair process causes you significant inconvenience, you may be entitled to request a refund or replacement rather than a further repair attempt.
Price reductionWhere a full refund is not available – particularly for older appliances – a partial refund reflecting the reduced value or remaining useful life may be appropriate.
Wear and Tear vs Inherent Fault – What Is the Difference?
The Consumer Rights Act does not cover normal wear and tear. All appliances deteriorate over time – this is expected and not claimable. The distinction that matters is:
Claimable – inherent fault
The appliance failed due to a defect present at the time of sale, or lacked the durability that a reasonable person would expect – meaning it was not of satisfactory quality.
Not claimable – wear and tear
Normal deterioration over time, damage caused by misuse, or failure of components that have simply reached the end of their expected life after reasonable use.
This distinction is often the central point of dispute. An independent engineer’s report confirming an inherent design or manufacturing fault significantly strengthens a claim.
How to Make a Claim – Step by Step
-
Contact the retailer first – not the manufacturer. State clearly that you are making a claim under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and explain the nature of the fault and when it occurred.
-
Get the fault diagnosed. In many cases a retailer will require a diagnosis before agreeing to any remedy – this is reasonable. The diagnosis confirms the nature of the fault before anyone can decide on the appropriate course of action.
-
Obtain an independent engineer’s report if needed. After six months, you will likely need independent evidence that the fault is inherent rather than caused by wear or misuse. A written report from a qualified engineer significantly strengthens your case.
-
Put your claim in writing. Send a formal letter or email to the retailer clearly stating your claim, the evidence, and the remedy you are seeking. Keep copies of all correspondence.
-
Escalate if necessary. If the retailer refuses a valid claim, seek help from Citizens Advice, use a dispute resolution service, or pursue a claim through the small claims court. Many valid claims are resolved at this point without going to court.
Why Are So Many Valid Claims Abandoned?
Despite the clarity of the legislation, enforcement in practice is inconsistent. Retailers may rely on expired manufacturer guarantees as grounds to refuse a claim, require evidence the consumer does not know they need, or delay and dispute claims in the expectation that many will not be pursued further.
Simply because they are incorrectly told their rights have expired. Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act exist independently of any manufacturer warranty. If a retailer says otherwise, this is not accurate.
Understanding your rights – and being prepared to pursue them in writing – is the most effective way to achieve a fair outcome. Most disputes that reach a formal written stage are resolved without going to court.
What About Extended Warranties?
Extended warranties are separate commercial products – they are not an extension of your statutory rights. Many consumers take out extended warranties without realising that the Consumer Rights Act may already provide protection for premature failures, potentially without the need to pay for additional cover.
Before purchasing an extended warranty, read our detailed guide on whether extended warranties are worth buying. Extended warranties can have significant limitations – particularly for older appliances – that are not always clear at point of sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Consumer Rights Act give me a six-year guarantee on my appliance?
No. The Consumer Rights Act does not provide a six-year guarantee. It gives you up to six years to bring a legal claim if an appliance fails prematurely due to an inherent fault. To succeed in a claim, you must demonstrate that the failure was not due to wear and tear or misuse, and that the appliance did not last a reasonable length of time given its price and type.
The retailer told me my rights have expired because the guarantee has run out – is this correct?
No. This is one of the most common and misleading responses from retailers. Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act exist independently of any manufacturer or retailer guarantee. A guarantee period ending does not remove your right to make a claim for a fault that constitutes a breach of the Act. The six-year limitation period for bringing a legal claim is separate from any warranty.
My appliance is 2 years old and has broken down – do I have a claim?
Possibly – it depends on the nature of the fault, the purchase price, and whether the failure represents a reasonable lifespan. After six months, the burden of proof shifts to you to demonstrate an inherent fault. An independent engineer’s report confirming the nature of the fault is valuable evidence. Contact the retailer in writing, citing the Consumer Rights Act, before pursuing further steps.
Should I contact the retailer or the manufacturer?
Always contact the retailer. Under the Consumer Rights Act, your legal contract is with the retailer – not the manufacturer. The retailer is legally responsible for resolving faults under the Act. Manufacturer warranties are separate and additional. A retailer directing you to the manufacturer after a warranty has expired does not remove their statutory obligations.
What evidence do I need to make a claim after six months?
After six months, the burden of proof shifts to you. The most useful evidence is an independent engineer’s report confirming that the fault is inherent – i.e. due to a design or manufacturing defect rather than wear, tear, or misuse. Keep all purchase receipts, correspondence with the retailer, and any engineering reports. Put your claim in writing so there is a clear record.
Can I take the retailer to court if they refuse my claim?
Yes. If a retailer refuses a valid claim, you can pursue it through the small claims court. Many disputes are resolved without actually going to court once a formal letter before action is sent. Citizens Advice can help you understand the process and draft a letter. The cost of using the small claims court is relatively modest and can be recovered if your claim succeeds.
Is an extended warranty worth buying given my statutory rights?
In many cases, no – particularly for higher-value appliances, which are more likely to attract protection under the Consumer Rights Act for premature failures. Extended warranties also carry significant limitations, particularly as appliances age. Read our full guide on whether an extended warranty is worth buying before making a decision.
Need help with a faulty appliance?
Whether you need a repair engineer, spare parts, or guidance on your next steps, Whitegoods Help can point you in the right direction.
Your claim is always with the retailer – not the manufacturer. A warranty expiring does not remove your statutory rights.
Hi there
My AEG fridge freezer has stopped working after 30 months. It is therefore out of its 24 month warranty period. We had an independent engineer out to inspect and has declared that is it not fixable without incurring significant cost. We have been without a working appliance for 3 weeks now and have been forced to buy a replacement. What recourse do we have against AEG/electrolux? I reported the issue to them on 22 March and so far I am going round in circles with them via resolver.co.uk. I have provided all the info they have requested and so far nothing. Can I claim for a refund via small claims?
Mary
Hello Mary. I would imagine Resolver.co.uk would be a better place to answer that question regarding the Small Claims Court, but I would think that would definitely be a last resort that could potentially work. If a fridge freezer is essentially scrapped after 30 months, then it’s very likely to have breached the Consumer Rights Act 2015. It obviously hasn’t lasted a reasonable time, even if it was relatively cheap.
But as I have mentioned many times before, unfortunately the manufacture does not have any legal obligation regarding the consumer rights act. The responsibility is completely laid at the retailer’s door. So essentially you are in dispute with the wrong people. Although it’s perfectly possible for a manufacturer to accept some responsibility, and make efforts to keep a customer happy, unfortunately they don’t seem to do it very often.
The problem is likely to be centred around the fact that AEG are highly unlikely to accept the word of an independent engineer, especially if it is a local and small business. They are very likely to need to inspect the fridge freezer themselves. To be fair, no one would accept the word of a third party engineer in these kind of circumstances.
If you have thrown the appliance away now then you would have to take them to the Small Claims Court, and prove to a Small Claims Court judge that the appliance failed and could not be repaired economically, presumably using a written report by the engineer that looked at it.
If you do not have a written report, and you do not have the freezer any more, then I would think it virtually impossible to claim any compensation. If you do have them, and AEG are just refusing to accept the engineer’s opinion then unless you can negotiate with them through resolver to get some satisfaction or some compromise then it would be down to whether the judge accepted it or not.
The good news is that it is not difficult or expensive to use the Small Claims Court, though obviously it does involve time, effort and some expense. If you do have the freezer, then I would think AEG would need to inspect it before they would admit of any fault, unless they are internally aware that quite a few of their freezers have suffered similar fates and have the decency to offer you some sort of compensation.
hi i have a hover candy washing machine i got from currys its only 2month old and it was smoking from the back. I hav had 2 enginers out to see it and they said that its a moter proplem and the have orderd the parts its been 2weeks an i have not heard anything.I have been on the phone everyday today i was on phone for over a hour and spoke to 7 diffrent people.Just passing this all over the place in the end i got to speke to a adviser wicth told me to go to currys where i got this machine and ask for a new machine.Im just wondering is this the right thing to do
Hi Lisa. Yes. You need to demand a new one or your money back from Curry’s. They have breached the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by selling you a washing machine that was inherently faulty.
Hello Peter. Extra long warranties and guarantees like 10 years usually have some sort of terms and conditions. They will certainly exclude what they would judge as wear and tear but there could be other exclusions.
There are some sneaky extra warranties that companies advertise but when it comes down to it they may only cover a small percentage of events that is highly unlikely to happen anyway. Is there a way to doublecheck what the warranty actually covers? Exactly why have they said that it is not covered?
I think that you probably need to claim against the retailer that sold it to you under the consumer rights act 2015. Regardless of how long any manufacturers guarantee is, even if it is only the standard 12 months, we have a right to claim a free repair or replacement if the appliance we were sold turns out to be in breach of the consumer rights act.
A fridge freezer that only lasts three years and then is beyond economical repair should definitely be covered as long as it has been subject to normal household use. If it has been using any commercial environment then usually that is covered in one of their exclusion clauses.
A fridge freezer should last around 10 years so it has not lasted a reasonable amount of time and has not been fit for purpose. Either that or there was an inherent fault on the compressor.
I HAVE A 3 YEAR SAMSUNG FRIDGE / FREEZER THAT HAS A 10 YEAR WARRATY ON THE COMPRESSER , WE HAD TO PAY AN ENGINEER OF THERE CHOICE WHO SAID THE DIGITAL INVERTER HAD BROKEN DOWN & UNREPAIRABLE WE MADE CONTACT WITH SAMSUNG WITH LIMIT RESPONSE & STILL AT OUR COST BEING PALMED OFF.
Hello Steve. Yes I agree, a washing machine that costs £700 should not need to have £165 spent on it to repair it after just over two years. £165 to repair what may turn out to be a very minor fault is insane. There is no wonder the world is in such a state with the massive environmental impact of throwaway goods when companies are trying to charge so much money.
I’ve always hated fixed-price repairs. I don’t think they should be allowed, but sadly it seems it is the prevailing option offered by all of the major manufacturers and nationwide repair companies these days.
Fixed price repairs can only work (for the company doing it) if the vast majority of customers are overcharged. The way that it works is that companies know that the vast majority of faults are relatively minor, and need few if any spare parts, but a small percentage are more major and need expensive parts and / or a lot of time to fix.
So what they tend to do is put in disclaimers so they can write off your appliance if it is going to be very expensive for them to repair. Faults in between that may be simple to fix but require a fairly expensive spare part are likely to be carried out because they are compensated for by all of the people who have overpaid. The vast majority of people overpay, sometimes extortionately. For example, if your washing machine is not working it may be possible that they can repair it by dealing with a poor connection, or a problem with the door catch not operating properly, or maybe just fitting apart worth £20-£30 – but they will charge you £165. It’s very simple, and it works very well apart from the fact that it seems prices have got very unrealistic indeed.
At the end of the day, everyone paying the exact same price no matter what they use is a stupid concept. Do you remember when we all paid the exact same amount for our water regardless of how much we used? Little old ladies living alone paid exactly the same as a family of seven. It’s extremely unfair. Imagine if we all paid the exact same amount for our gas and electricity regardless of how much we used.
Anyway apologies for going off at a tangent. Which manufacturer is it by the way?
Regarding your rights, they are solely with the retailer and not the manufacturer. Manufacturers may occasionally be helpful but more often than not they are not interested in doing free repairs because they legally do not need to. The sole responsibility is with the people who sold it to you. So if you have any fight about it you need to do it with John Lewis and quote the consumer rights act 2015. In my article above I linked to several other pieces of information including this one which shows some examples where people had received a free repair or replacement when the product was sometimes well outside the guarantee period out of guarantee does not necessarily mean you have to pay for repair
At the end of the day your complaint is that you should not have to spend £165 to repair something that is only a couple of years old. If the washing machine had only been one of the cheap ones at around £300 then it arguably may be different. At the end of the day I see this story playing out time and time. I even experienced it myself. The consumer rights act puts the sole onus on the retailer. But the retailer has done nothing wrong, they often didn’t make that much money selling the product in the first place. Yet they have been charged with the responsibility of up to 6 years (5 in Scotland) for any major fault that develops or if the product turns out to be not of sufficient quality, not fit for purpose or manufactured with an inherent fault. I have to confess I have a lot of sympathy for manufacturers but at the end of the day the law is the law and we have no other redress but with the retailer.
So having said that the retailers tend to be highly resistant to giving out free repairs, or giving out free new appliances. I would expect that big retailers like John Lewis though should be able to get recompense from the manufacturers. But the fact that they are so reluctant seems to contradict that assumption. Many retailers it seems deliberately keep their frontline retail staff in the dark about the true extent of consumer rights so that they have deniable plausibility when they insist there is nothing they can do and you need to complain to the manufacturer. Even John Lewis have been criticised by Which? for this sort of thing in the past. So if you get that, you need to escalate it to a manager. It is likely that any proper manager will know the true rights.
The biggest problem after this is that you don’t know how serious the fault is until someone has been to look at it. So it’s a very unsatisfactory Catch-22 situation. Under the consumer rights act the retailers can insist that you prove that a fault is inherent (i.e. poorly designed) or that it has not been caused by normal wear and tear. It is possible that after two years and three months a washing machine could have been subjected to more washing than the average person does in a 6 or 7 years. So in these cases, how something has been used is also relevant. So for example you are a family of six who washes 10 loads a week that can be seen as excessive or very heavy use and can be taken into account. Conversely if there is only one or two people in the household you could use that as evidence that it has had a very easy life.
Sadly my experience is that very few people have the time or tolerance to stress to stand their ground and see something right through to the end if the retailer is being particularly obstructive. Your main hope is that John Lewis still have a pride in their reputation, and that they will offer some sort of compensation, but if they don’t then I can only advise that you take official consumer advice from either citizens advice or Which?
Please let us know how you get on.
We bought a washer/dryer from John Lewis just over two years ago and it has now developed a fault and will not work – I think it may be a problem with the PCB but am not sure. Without coming to inspect it or even knowing what the fault is, the manufacturer says they will repair it for a fixed price of £165. The machine is now 3 months out of its warranty but cost over £700 so I feel that it shouldn’t have broken in such a short time, but given that it has, I don’t feel it is reasonable for me to have to pay £165 to have it repaired. This would mean that, in effect, we would have paid nearly £900 for this machine – and who is to say it won’t have further problems. Do you think that we have a case against JL under the Consumer Rights Act please? If so, as I can’t be without a washing machine for an extended period should I go ahead and get it repaired and try to claim the cost back from JL later?
Hi Sonia. Usually a retailer will replace a faulty appliance within the first 30 days. After that they are very reluctant unless it is something pretty serious. It’s unusual for a washing machine to leak so soon.
I bought a Beko washing machine on line from John Lewis. After two weeks of normal use (I live on my own),it has leaked a lot of water from under the machine,twice. I am 82 and should not have to get onto my knees to mop the floor. John Lewis are sending engineers tomorrow to see if there is a fault which can be repaired. I want them to remove the machine and give me an exchange. If there is a repairable fault,who is to say it won’t recur sometime in the future.
Please,could you let me know my legal position.
Thank you.
Sonia Dreisin.
Hello Anja. yes this is known as “consequential loss”. As long as you cold not avoid this expense they should be liable to compensate you for it. You should not be left financially damaged by a faulty appliance. You need to complain to the retailer though.
I ordered a cooker and when I received it
I had it fitted by a gas fitter, but when.i used it the first time I realised.it was faulty , I then had to pay a gas fitter again to remove it to get it picked up for inspection, they agreed that the cooker was faulty and gave me a refund , I am out of pocket now because I have to pay a gas fitter again to fit my new cooker, am I entitled to get the money back for the first fitting because the cooker was faulty and I am totally out of pocket now.