Which dishwasher brand is the most reliable?

Blocked pipes and failing to clean properly are among the most common dishwasher problems. But if you buy from a reliable brand, you're much less likely to encounter them in the first place.   

We've researched the reliability of the most popular dishwasher brands, including Beko, Bosch, Hotpoint and Miele.  

In our exclusive large-appliance survey, we asked more than 3,500 dishwasher owners if they're happy with their machine and whether they experienced any problems with it. 

Read on to discover the dishwasher brands that are worth buying. 

Already decided on a dishwasher brand? Discover the best dishwashers to make sure you get a top-scoring model

Which dishwasher brands develop the fewest faults? 

The table below summarises this year’s results, based on dishwashers bought in the past seven years. 

Dishwasher brands are ranked by their reliability rating, which is based on various aspects of our fault data for the brand's dishwashers. 

The 'proportion faulty' is the percentage that experienced a fault, and the 'average time to first fault' can help you understand which brands stay fault-free for the longest. 

Which? members can log in to view which dishwasher brands are the most and least reliable, and which our members are most satisfied with. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

1. Neff

• Neff, part of the Bosch group, is the only dishwasher brand to get the full five stars for reliability. 
• Dishwashers from this brand are the least likely to develop a fault, with just 7% developing an issue in the first six years of ownership. In stark contrast, around a third of Bush, Candy and Haier owners reported a fault in the same timeframe.
• Neff dishwashers lasted the longest time before developing a fault, but when they did, the most common issue reported in the survey was an electrical issue (24%).  

Read all our Neff dishwasher reviews

2. Bosch

• Bosch is the most popular brand in our survey, with 1,197 Bosch dishwasher owners responding to our latest survey, and it's one of five brands to score an impressive four stars for reliability.
• Dishwashers from this brand are less prone to faults than most other brands, with just under one in 10 developing a fault in the first six years.
• The most common fault reported was that it broke down for no reason (12%), followed by the machine not cleaning properly (11%).

Compare our Bosch dishwasher reviews to find the right model for your home

3. Zanussi & Indesit

• Although Zanussi gets slightly higher ratings overall, we haven't tested many Zanussi machines, and the brand is now being phased out in the UK.
• Indesit is one of five dishwasher brands to get four stars for the reliability of its dishwashers. The brand mostly makes slimline machines, which often do well in our tests. 
• Only 13% of Indesit dishwashers developed a fault in the first six years of ownership, ranking fourth in our table. 
• At 5 years 5 months, the brand's machines last the third-longest time before developing an issue, as reported by real owners. 

Take a look at our Zanussi dishwasher reviews and Indesit dishwasher reviews

Which dishwasher brands do owners recommend?

As well as faults, our survey also reveals the dishwasher brands that real customers are most satisfied with, and which they’d recommend to a friend.

In this table, we report the customer score for the top nine brands, along with a rating for value for money based on the views of real customers.

Which? members can log in to view which dishwasher brands last the longest before they need to be replaced. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

Visit our dishwasher reviews to see all the models we've tested

The three most common dishwasher faults

Taking good care of your dishwasher – cleaning it regularly, for example – can help you keep common issues at bay. However, faults can happen. 

Our survey of more than 3,500 dishwasher owners also revealed the three most common dishwasher faults. The 'machine breaking for no obvious reason' was the joint-top reported issue, but here are three of the most common problems that could be identified by the owners. 

1. Blocked pipes (9% of faults reported)

If your dishwasher isn't draining properly, you should first check to see if the filter is blocked.

If the problem persists, it could be down to a blocked pipe – the second-highest individual fault reported in our survey. 

If the waste water pipe is connected to the sink waste, you can generally tell if there's a blockage, as the water drains away very slowly, or not at all.  

You could try pouring a dishwasher cleaning solution into the machine, or you could attempt to use a plunger to shift the blockage. 

2. Not cleaning properly (8%)

A deterioration in how well your dishwasher is cleaning could be down to a number of basic maintenance problems.

To try to fix the problem, first clean the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher, as this could be clogged.

Second, check the holes in the spray arms. If one of these is blocked, you can use a toothpick to unclog it.

Third, refill the salt and rinse aid, as these help your detergent and dishwasher work to the best of their abilities.

Finish by running the dishwasher empty on a hot cycle with a dishwasher cleaner, to give the interior and pipes a proper clean.

3. Control panel / electrical fault (both 7%)

A fault with the dishwasher's electrics could be down to a range of issues, but the first task is to determine whether there is a problem with the primary power source. 

If the dishwasher is plugged into a conventional socket, check if the socket has developed a fault. Try plugging something else into it and see it if works. 

If the dishwasher is hard-wired, it will be harder to safely investigate the issue unless you have proper training. 

Hence, if your dishwasher develops a suspected electrical fault, it's generally a good idea to call a professional to assess the situation. 

Issues with the control panel were also commonly reported, meaning it was hard or nearly impossible to use the machine. 

Read our guide to common dishwasher faults and how to fix them 

How easy is it to repair a dishwasher?

You may be able to resolve some issues yourself – check your dishwasher's instruction manual for a troubleshooting guide for common problems.

For major faults, such as a broken pump, a fix may not be easy or cheap, so you may need outside help. First, consult your warranty to see if the dishwasher is still covered. If not, then consider dishwasher repair services.

If repairing your dishwasher is too expensive, or it's beyond repair, then you may be better off investing in a newer, more energy-efficient dishwasher. By law, retailers must offer a way to responsibly dispose of your old dishwasher when you buy a new one, although they can charge a fee for the service. 

Need a dishwasher repair service? Search Which? Trusted Traders to find an approved trader in your area.

Which dishwasher brands offer the best guarantees?

Most dishwasher brands either offer a one or two-year parts and labour guarantee as standard. Some will let you extend this for parts for up to 10 years if you register your machine.

Some brands go beyond what's standard for a parts and labour guarantee, including:

• AEG – three-year guarantee as standard on selected machines.
• Grundig – three or five-year guarantee on selected machines. 
• Ikea – up to five-year guarantee on own-brand models.
  
• John Lewis – three-year guarantee as standard on own-brand machines.

You have legal rights if you have a faulty product. Find out how to get a refund, repair or replacement

How we determine the most reliable brands

Which? has a wealth of information on the UK's favourite brands. Every year, we ask Which? members to tell us about the home appliances they own – from how likely they'd be to recommend a brand, to how reliable the products are once they get them home.

In 2025, 9,376 Which? Connect Panel members and members of the public told us about more than 27,859 individual products, including dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers. We calculate a brand's customer score, fault rate and proportion replaced or repaired, based on the results of our yearly survey.

Our surveys, combined with our extensive lab tests, mean we can recommend the best dishwashers to buy.

For more on our testing and what it takes to get a Which? Best Buy recommendation, read how we test dishwashers