BAD BAD BAD

We purchased this range in 1998 for around $7000. I thought that we just ended up with an unfortunate, expensive lemon. But after reading another review here and Viking's unfavorable reliability rating in Consumer Reports, it seems that we are not the only ones who are very disappointed with Viking.

The first round of trouble we had was that several of the burners would not light. After spending several hundred dollars that problem was fixed. Then, before it had ever even been used, the self-cleaning motor was bad. The whole thing had to be replaced. We had to track down the vendor's salesperson and after many phone calls, we were not charged for this repair. About three weeks ago, the small oven stopped getting hot and then the large oven stopped working at all. The repairman said that the small oven's heating element was "shot" and that the thermostat on the large oven was no good. These repairs will cost $650. In addition, the griddle surface is bubbling up and flaking off. It is now unusable. I have probably only used the griddle about a dozen times because it is so hard to clean.

Furthermore, since day one, I have had trouble with baking in the ovens. Roast chicken comes out fantastic, but cookies, cakes, pies, and muffins easily burn on the bottom while still being undercooked in the middle. I have changed all my bakeware and baking times/temps to try to compensate for the oven but I am still unable to bake with any confidence.

I would encourage anyone who is looking for a commercial-type range to avoid Viking!