My KitchenAid stand mixer is one of the most-used items in my kitchen. I use my mixer for almost every bake, especially if I make cakes and bread, and I use it multiple times per week. For six weeks, though, I was without it. I mailed my stand mixer to KitchenAid so they could repair it at their factory in Greenville, Ohio. Overall, I felt the process was fine, the pricing was fair, and my mixer came back to me in good condition. If you’re looking to send in your stand mixer, this was my KitchenAid factory repair experience.
Some Background
I received my KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer in metallic chrome at my bridal shower in March 2020, three days before the world changed forever. Since then, my stand mixer has been in use a lot.
Just a little over two years later, it started making a loud, intermittent screeching noise. Sometimes, the noise would start immediately upon turning on the mixer. Other times, it would take a few minutes to warm up. Then, it would screech until I stopped using it, making any baking experience a less than calming one.
My husband and I looked up numerous videos to figure out the problem. None of the videos were making the same sound that mine was. Most of those sounds were just gears grinding, not a KitchenAid stand mixer making a loud screeching noise randomly. (Listen to it on my YouTube video!)
Even so, a lot of DIY tutorials recommended replacing the grease in the gears. So, on April 1, 2022, my husband and I took my stand mixer completely apart. We figured while we had it open, we’d poke around and try to see what the issue was. To be safe, I was armed with new food-grade mechanical grease and a plastic knife—just in case that was the issue after all.
We were able to get the mixer apart, apply new grease, and put it back together just fine. We also determined that the sound was coming from the motor housing—not any of the gears or other moving parts. The piece holding the stand mixer’s motor housing was pretty difficult to remove and had a lot of wires running through it, so we decided to call a professional.
The Entire Factory Repair Process
From start to finish, the entire repair process took about six weeks and cost less than half of a brand new mixer.
A few reasons why I chose to have my stand mixer repaired at the KitchenAid factory rather than buying a new one:
- I didn’t want to spend $400 on a brand new mixer.
- It would be wasteful to get rid of this mixer instead of repairing it.
- This stand mixer holds sentimental value.
- I don’t rely solely on my stand mixer for my business, so going without it for six weeks was doable.
Contacting KitchenAid for a Repair
On April 25, I called KitchenAid’s small appliance repair line at 1 (800) 541-6390. The representative told me I had two options available: I could either take my mixer to a local authorized repair shop or send it in to the KitchenAid factory. I thought shipping would be outrageous for such a bulky item, but I was pleasantly surprised!
As of June 2022, the shipping option cost $42 plus a $25 diagnostic fee. KitchenAid would send me a box to ship my stand mixer in, along with the necessary packing materials to keep it safe. They estimated that it would take about 3-4 weeks to get to my machine.
Once their technicians diagnosed the issue, I could choose to have the stand mixer shipped back to me unrepaired, or I could have it repaired at the factory. If I had the stand mixer repaired at the KitchenAid factory, that diagnostic fee would be applied towards labor. A KitchenAid representative would call me in advance to tell me the cost of the repair (sans the $25 credit), and I could either approve or deny it.
I was impressed by KitchenAid’s low shipping rates and was comfortable with the turnaround time, so I went ahead and gave them my billing information.
Packing My Stand Mixer for Shipping
I received the shipping materials about a week later on May 3 at my front door. The instructions were easy enough to follow, and there was plenty of padding to keep my mixer safe in transit. I’m sure it also helped that the box was labeled “KitchenAid” on both sides to help ensure adequate handling.
On May 5, I dropped off the stand mixer box at a local mail center. I made sure to get my receipt and then waited for KitchenAid to call and diagnose the issue with my stand mixer.
Email Confirmation of Receipt
On May 10, I received an email from KitchenAid notifying me that they had received my mixer. That gave me great peace of mind! There was no estimated wait time, but I was reminded that it would be worked on in the order it was received.
KitchenAid is clear that if they can’t contact you for 30 days to obtain approval or payment, they will dispose of your unit. (I highly doubt KitchenAid would physically trash old stand mixers. I’m thinking they refurbish them and then sell them on their website—however, that’s just my theory.)
I hadn’t heard anything from KitchenAid for about three weeks, and I was getting nervous about that upcoming 30-day deadline. Although I didn’t think I had missed a call, I wanted to be sure my mixer was safe. I decided to give it another couple of days before I called to see where they were at, but I fortunately didn’t have to wait long.
Stand Mixer Diagnosis
On June 1, KitchenAid called me and let me know that a technician had opened up my stand mixer. They reported that it would need to have the armature, bearing bracket, brushes, and gasket replaced for a total of $98. The armature piece alone cost around $45 online, so I felt that that was a reasonable price for the total repair. I gave the go ahead to start work on my stand mixer.
As part of the factory repair, KitchenAid offers a full one-year warranty on the service. If the stand mixer has that same problem in the next year, KitchenAid will cover shipping and labor to fix it again. I didn’t see that offered anywhere else, and I appreciated that.
Repaired Stand Mixer Delivery
Out of the entire KitchenAid stand mixer factory repair experience, I think shipping was the worst part.
The very next day, June 2, KitchenAid emailed me a tracking number for my stand mixer! KitchenAid shipped out my mixer only one day after I had confirmed the fix. That felt like lightning speed after waiting so long for them to work on it!
There was a bit of a mix-up with delivery, but it wasn’t a huge problem.
My stand mixer was scheduled to be delivered to my home on June 8. That afternoon, I checked the tracking information to find the estimated delivery time. And of course, FedEx couldn’t find my package.
And yet, when I watered some outdoor plants that evening, I found my stand mixer on the driveway. I’m not sure what exactly happened, but my mixer got to me on the day it was expected to, and in one piece.
Did the Factory Repair Fix the Stand Mixer Completely?
I tested the stand mixer immediately upon arrival. It no longer made the awful screeching noise I had become accustomed to! I was curious to see if I could identify that the mixer was mine (not a replacement). After a quick check, I confirmed that the stand mixer body, bowl, and beater attachment were all my original items and had not been replaced.
Was There Any Damage to the Stand Mixer from the Factory Repair?
There was a bit of cosmetic damage to my stand mixer from the factory repair. I’m big on cleaning and keeping things looking nice, so I notice these things.
My beater attachment had a small chip on it. I contacted KitchenAid and told them about the chip. They pulled up my file and told me my beater didn’t have a chip when I sent it in, so they agreed to send me a new one. It showed up on my doorstep with overnight priority shipping, which I thought was a nice touch.
I also noticed that there is a bit of minor cosmetic damage to the body of my stand mixer. (And of course, I missed it before filming my video review. Normally, I have an eagle eye when it comes to finding imperfections, but somehow I missed these ones.)
There’s a light scuff on the top of the mixer, and there are a couple of small chips in the planetary assembly. I assume the technician hit the planetary assembly when trying to remove the pin holding it all together. I debated contacting KitchenAid for a second time to discuss fixing the planetary assembly, but it’s a huge hassle to get that piece off. (Remember how my husband and I took it apart on April 1?) I don’t want to go another six weeks without my mixer, so I’ll live with the damage.
Overall Review of the KitchenAid Factory Repair Experience
My factory KitchenAid stand mixer repair experience was decent. There were no unexpected delays, and the whole process took about six weeks. I thought that the quoted wait time was accurate, and KitchenAid kept me in the loop the whole time. The total cost of the repair was $170, which was entirely reasonable.
I did have some minor damage, but it’s all purely cosmetic. Unless you’re looking for it, you won’t see it.
If you’re having issues with your stand mixer and can’t find a local repair person to work on it, I’d recommend calling KitchenAid. They know their small appliances! If the need arises (though I hope it doesn’t), I plan to use KitchenAid again to repair my stand mixer.