Bosch Avantixx SMS40A02GB Dishwasher

Bought this Bosch dishwasher 5 years ago, now told it cannot be repaired, I had a Hotpoint dishwasher for over 30 years, will not buy Bosch again, load of rubbish. Disgruntled customer.

I was the happy owner of an old Hotpoint dishwasher that did an adequate job for more than a decade. When it finally died I decided to buy a Bosch on the basis that white goods were getting cheaper and nastier as time went on and the old adage 'you get what you pay for' would apply so I duly chose the model I wanted and it arrived.

In operation I discovered the Eco wash was useless and that the 'intensive' wash was the only option that would give us a decent result. It also became apparent that things like tall glasses needed placing in just the right spot if they were to be washed properly. If you loaded the dishwasher correctly and used the intensive wash you could get nice clean pots.

The drying cycle leaves a lot to be desired but again judicious use of a pot towel deals with water in cup bases and the like and having discovered this after purchase we just live with it.

Noise levels in operation are quite low though our example lives under a working top sandwiched between a washing machine and a cupboard.

The aspect that really annoys me though is the durability of the product. At four years old it developed a water leak. From time to time it threw an E15 code which means there is water in the base of the dishwasher deep enough to stop the wash cycle. Tipping the dishwasher backwards to empty out the water kept it going for a short while before it finally died with an E09 code. That indicated failure of the heat pump. It also explains why the RCD fuse kept tripping out when the dishwasher was running.

Fortunately for me I am pretty handy so I decided to fix the dishwasher rather than fork out another £400 for a new one. What I discovered about the build quality of this item surprised me. Had I dismantled it before ordering the parts I think I would have scrapped it and bought a new dishwasher and it wouldn't be a Bosch!

The water leak was coming from the joint between the sides of the dishwasher and the base moulding. Bosch used a thermoplastic for the base, which had distorted from the heat of operation. Soft thermoplastic in a hot machine, really? Bosch should know better and should do better. This poorly designed arrangement allowed the side to move and leak water. I resealed it with Tiger Seal, a product that does what it says on the tin, unlike the dishwasher. Tiger Seal together with a new heat pump has returned the appliance to operation but for how long remains to be seen.

For most people, the leak, the distorted base and the cost of a heat pump fitted professionally would have rendered the dishwasher beyond economic repair.

Next time I will either buy a cheap dishwasher and just budget to bin it after two or three years depending on when it fails or look at a Miele who at least have the reputation of making durable goods even if they do cost a kings ransom.

In summary, Bosch need to do a lot better for the price of the item. Until they do, save your money and buy a different make.