Free 5 Year Parts Guarantees
A free 5-year parts guarantee is only worth using when an expensive part needs replacing – such as drum bearings or a motor. For most common faults, the labour charge from the manufacturer’s engineer makes it cheaper to use an independent repairer who charges for parts and labour combined. The difficulty is that you usually do not know which applies until an engineer has already visited.
Some washing machines and other appliances still come with a free 5-year parts guarantee. These schemes have been around since the 1980s and can occasionally be genuinely useful – but they are not the straightforward benefit they appear to be, and using them without thinking it through can cost more than simply calling an independent engineer.
How Do Free 5-Year Parts Guarantees Work?
The key condition of a free parts guarantee is that you must use the manufacturer’s own engineers to fit the parts. You cannot obtain the free part and have it fitted by someone else, or source it independently. The part is free; the labour is not.
Labour charges from manufacturer engineers typically start at around £90 and can be considerably higher depending on the fault, the time involved, and the region. This labour cost applies whether a major or minor part is needed – and it applies even if no parts turn out to be needed at all.
What the Guarantee CoversThe cost of replacement parts only. Labour, call-out, and any diagnostic charges are payable regardless of what is found or fitted.
What It Does Not CoverLabour costs, call-out fees, or any repair where no parts are needed. You must use the manufacturer’s own engineers throughout.
When Is the Parts Guarantee Worth Using?
The guarantee earns its value when the fault requires an expensive part. Drum bearings are the clearest example – a bearing replacement is a major job involving significant parts cost, and using the guarantee can save a meaningful amount. The same applies to a failed motor, control board, or outer drum in machines where the drum is not a sealed unit.
For smaller faults, the picture reverses. If the fault turns out to be a minor component, a blocked filter, or something requiring no parts at all, you will pay the manufacturer’s labour rate for a visit that an independent engineer would have charged less for in total – parts and labour combined.
| Fault Type | Likely Best Option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Noisy drum bearings | Manufacturer’s engineer | Bearings are expensive parts – the free parts saving outweighs the labour cost |
| Motor or control board failure | Manufacturer’s engineer | High parts cost makes the guarantee valuable on major components |
| Not draining, not filling, door fault | Independent engineer | Often caused by minor or inexpensive parts – total independent cost likely lower |
| Machine completely dead | Independent engineer | Commonly a fuse, wire, or small component – unlikely to need expensive parts |
| No parts needed | Independent engineer | You pay the manufacturer’s labour rate with no parts saving to offset it |
The Core Problem: You Cannot Know in Advance
The fundamental difficulty with 5-year parts guarantees is that you cannot know whether using the scheme will save you money until an engineer has already attended and diagnosed the fault. By the time you know what parts are needed, it is too late to switch to an independent repairer – particularly if the manufacturer’s engineer has already started the job.
This means every decision has to be made on a best guess. If the symptoms suggest a serious mechanical fault – loud rumbling or grinding noise on spin that worsens when you turn the drum by hand, for example – the drum bearings are a likely cause, and calling the manufacturer’s engineer first is the lower-risk choice. For most other faults, the independent engineer route is generally cheaper.
A rumbling or grinding noise that gets louder over time, and is present when you turn the drum slowly by hand, is a strong indicator of worn drum bearings. See our guide on what noisy drum bearings sound like to help identify the fault before calling anyone out.
Why Manufacturers Offer the Scheme
Free 5-year parts guarantees are commercially attractive to manufacturers as well as customers. The majority of faults that occur within five years of purchase involve relatively minor components – filters, small valves, seals – that cost little to supply even when offered free. Major component failures within five years are comparatively rare. The scheme provides a useful marketing benefit while the actual cost of honouring it remains modest for most machines.
For a broader comparison of when to use a manufacturer’s engineer versus an independent repairer, see our guide on manufacturer’s engineer vs independent engineer.
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Related Guides
Manufacturer’s Engineer vs Independent: Which Is Best?A full comparison of when to use the manufacturer and when an independent engineer is likely to be cheaper and faster.
What Do Noisy Drum Bearings Sound Like?How to tell if your machine has a bearing fault before calling an engineer – the most likely reason to use a parts guarantee.
Washing Machine Fault GuidesOver 50 guides covering the most common washing machine faults – diagnose the problem before booking anyone out.
Is a 3-Month Repair Guarantee Reasonable?What to look for in a repair guarantee and your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 if a repair fails.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a free 5-year parts guarantee actually cover?
It covers the cost of replacement parts only. You must use the manufacturer’s own engineers to fit those parts, and you will still pay for their labour, call-out, and any diagnostic charges. The part itself is supplied at no cost, but everything else is chargeable.
Is it always cheaper to use the parts guarantee?
No. The guarantee is only cost-effective when an expensive part is needed. If the fault turns out to be minor, or requires no parts at all, you will pay the manufacturer’s labour rate – which can be higher than the total charge from an independent engineer covering both parts and labour.
How do I know when to use the guarantee versus an independent engineer?
The main indicator is the likely severity of the fault. A loud rumbling or grinding noise on spin – particularly if felt when turning the drum by hand – suggests drum bearings, which are expensive and worth using the guarantee for. For most other common faults – not draining, not filling, door not opening, machine completely dead – an independent engineer is likely cheaper overall.
Can I get the free part and have an independent engineer fit it?
No. The part is only available free when supplied and fitted by the manufacturer’s own engineers. You cannot obtain the part separately under the guarantee and have it fitted elsewhere.
Why do manufacturers offer free parts guarantees?
The schemes are commercially attractive to manufacturers because most faults that occur within five years involve inexpensive minor components. Major component failures within this period are comparatively rare, making the cost of honouring the guarantee modest for most machines.
4 Comments
Grouped into 4 comment threads.
0 replies Good and clear information. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
0 replies Just to say, this is really helpful information, and came up pretty high in my search of what parts guarantees were and whether they were any good. thank you so much for making it publicly available!
Just to say, this is really helpful information, and came up pretty high in my search of what parts guarantees were and whether they were any good. thank you so much for making it publicly available!
0 replies Drum bearings normally fail when the seal protecting them from water leaks and allows water into the bearings. They don't fail because of overloading. If there are any brown rust marks on the floor under the washer, in the base of the machine or down the back of the tub this would prove water has got into the bearings.
Drum bearings normally fail when the seal protecting them from water leaks and allows water into the bearings. They don’t fail because of overloading. If there are any brown rust marks on the floor under the washer, in the base of the machine or down the back of the tub this would prove water has got into the bearings.
0 replies The 5 year parts guarantee will not cover accidental damage. We think the issue with our machine is the bearings. An independent engineer advised us that the bearings and possibly the belt have gone because of overloading. We continued to use the washing machine despite the loud rumbling noise coming from it. Might the manufacturer consider this to be "accidental damage" or misuse and refuse to fix the machine even though we will have paid £95?
The 5 year parts guarantee will not cover accidental damage. We think the issue with our machine is the bearings. An independent engineer advised us that the bearings and possibly the belt have gone because of overloading. We continued to use the washing machine despite the loud rumbling noise coming from it. Might the manufacturer consider this to be “accidental damage” or misuse and refuse to fix the machine even though we will have paid £95?
Good and clear information.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge