NEW SCORECARD: Despite Right to Repair laws, nearly all small appliances lack repair materials

New study scores blenders, coffeemakers, vacuums; vast majority lack repair or service manuals, spare parts difficult to find

MADISON, Wis. – Right to Repair laws requiring manufacturers to provide fair access to repair manuals, spare parts and tools for small appliances are in effect across multiple states. Despite that, when U.S. PIRG Education Fund looked at 58 different appliances for its latest investigative report, Leaders and Laggards III, researchers found that most companies that produce those appliances fail to offer basic repair materials.

The new scorecard measures repairability based on service options, availability and quality of repair or service manuals and availability of spare parts. Of the surveyed products, 63.8% received a failing “F” grade, 22.4% received a “D” grade, and 8.6% received a “C” grade. One device got a “B” and only two standout machines scored an “A.” The companies behind some 95% of the products we tested did not provide a service or repair manual. 

“We should be able to fix the things we own. It is appalling that so few small appliance manufacturers provide adequate resources for repair,” said Julius Shieh, Right to Repair Campaign Associate with U.S. PIRG Education Fund. “No one expects an appliance that costs hundreds of dollars to lack even the basic repair support from the manufacturer, especially in states with Right to Repair legal protections in place.”

Other key findings include: 

• We were only able to access service manuals for three machines out of 58 reviewed (5.2%). For the other 94.8%, the manufacturers either refused to share that manual with us, or no manual exists.    
• The manufacturers of 36 machines (62.1%) do not offer any repair services for those products.
• The makers of 12 machines (20.7%) do not offer spare parts of any kind for those products.
• Price and repairability are not always linked. Several of the most expensive products examined — including a $749 coffeemaker (Ninja Luxe Cafe), a $219 blender (Ninja Detect Kitchen System) and a $399 vacuum (Shark PowerDetect) — do not come with service options or repair information.

Existing Right to Repair laws generally require manufacturers to provide to product owners and independent repair shops the same access to all repair materials (parts, tools and information) that company-authorized technicians use to conduct repairs. 

“People have had enough of dealing with short-lived, unfixable devices,” said Nathan Proctor, senior director of U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s Right to Repair campaign. “It’s time for manufacturers to support repair. If they won’t, attorneys general should take action to protect consumers and enforce Right to Repair laws.”