We have a 3 year old Whirlpool 10 cu ft fridge that keeps having the tabs which are molded into the door to hold the door shelf fail as we drive down the road. The door is made with a SS outer metal skin and a 1/32 molded inner liner with the door shelf tabs. The door is then blown with a foam insulation. The molded tabs are supposed to be the anchor points for the clear plastic door shelves. After only 9 months, and 9,000 miles the first tab broke and the Newmar dealer arranged to have Whirlpool replace the door (only fix possible) under warranty. Due to Covid and the fact that they won't make a door until one is ordered, the replacement door took 6 months to get and 30 minutes to install. Last weekend after 15 more months and another 9,000 miles the same tab ripped out again. No warranty help this time from Whirlpool or Newmar. Got a price check today on a replacement door and it confirmed what I suspected and the cost of the door at $575 is more than the cost of the entire refrigerator.It is a very poor design to put that type of unreinforced tab on a door, but it probably works on a fixed unit in an apartment, but not in a rolling earthquake like an RV.Anyone else had this type of a problem and if so, what did you do to resolve it?

I had one break on my home fridge. I used glue (I think Gorilla Glue from the colour) Its been holding now for about 5 years. The repair is not visible behind the clear shelf. Mine broke because of a heavy load in it and getting bumped getting something else out. Ken

Try a glue, and maybe even adding a layer of other material as a stiffener. And load lighter items on that particular section.

We have a larger Whirlpool Fridge and it has traveled over 50K miles in seven years almost Full Time and hasn't broken anything.

Same problem for us. I fixed it on the road by laying in a blob of JB Quick. Push some inside the hole, smoosh the broken pieces over the blob of JB and finally shape the outside smooth with wet fingers.All this must be done in under five minutes as that is how fast JB sets up. Be sure to get JB Quick, the regular stuff will not work cause it will sag during the longer set up time.I did mine on a running cold fridge, put the shelf back in the next day and that was the end of that. :BIf your repair is a little too big, the JB can be sanded or filed down to fit.If you have not used JB Quick before, practice with a small blob on a piece of cardboard to see how it works before applying it to your fridge. Read the directions on the package first.Keep the heavy stuff out of that shelf.

Residential refrigerator door shelf failures | Good Sam Community

LittleBill
Explorer
May 12, 2022
have a picture?
Beverley_Ken
Explorer
May 12, 2022
I had one break on my home fridge. I used glue (I think Gorilla Glue from the colour) Its been holding now for about 5 years. The repair is not visible behind the clear shelf. Mine broke because of a heavy load in it and getting bumped getting something else out.

Ken
wanderingaimles
Explorer
May 12, 2022
Try a glue, and maybe even adding a layer of other material as a stiffener. And load lighter items on that particular section.
Michelle_S
Explorer III
May 12, 2022
We have a larger Whirlpool Fridge and it has traveled over 50K miles in seven years almost Full Time and hasn't broken anything.
2_many_2
Explorer III
May 12, 2022
Same problem for us. I fixed it on the road by laying in a blob of JB Quick. Push some inside the hole, smoosh the broken pieces over the blob of JB and finally shape the outside smooth with wet fingers.

All this must be done in under five minutes as that is how fast JB sets up. Be sure to get JB Quick, the regular stuff will not work cause it will sag during the longer set up time.

I did mine on a running cold fridge, put the shelf back in the next day and that was the end of that. :B

If your repair is a little too big, the JB can be sanded or filed down to fit.

If you have not used JB Quick before, practice with a small blob on a piece of cardboard to see how it works before applying it to your fridge. Read the directions on the package first.

Keep the heavy stuff out of that shelf.
BurbMan
Explorer II
May 12, 2022
2 many 2 wrote:
Same problem for us. I fixed it on the road by laying in a blob of JB Quick. Push some inside the hole, smoosh the broken pieces over the blob of JB and finally shape the outside smooth with wet fingers.

All this must be done in under five minutes as that is how fast JB sets up. Be sure to get JB Quick, the regular stuff will not work cause it will sag during the longer set up time.

I did mine on a running cold fridge, put the shelf back in the next day and that was the end of that. :B

If your repair is a little too big, the JB can be sanded or filed down to fit.

If you have not used JB Quick before, practice with a small blob on a piece of cardboard to see how it works before applying it to your fridge. Read the directions on the package first.

Keep the heavy stuff out of that shelf.

This sounds like your best bet for a repair, and as was stated, keep heavy items off of that shelf. Whirlpool used to make a good product, but the last 5 years or so we've noticed a rash of poorly engineered things like this and have found better quality and value in other brands.
Roger10378
Explorer II
May 13, 2022
That is the problem with using a Residential refrigerator in a RV. They are not made to be shaken while they are loaded. I am surprised more people don't have the same problem.
BurbMan
Explorer II
May 13, 2022
GE has announced their entry into the RV appliance business with a new line of fridges, stoves, HW heaters, etc.
Wade44
Explorer
May 14, 2022
BurbMan wrote:
GE has announced their entry into the RV appliance business with a new line of fridges, stoves, HW heaters, etc.

BurbMan wrote:
Whirlpool used to make a good product, but the last 5 years or so we've noticed a rash of poorly engineered things like this and have found better quality and value in other brands.

Given the experiences I have had with GE's high end profile line of appliances I'll pass. Hyped up junk. Fact is appliances today are not the appliances of 25 or even 5 years ago. If you get 5+ years out of a $2000+ refrigerator you hit the jackpot. And if you call service good luck, even more so if they need parts. A local mom and pop appliance/furniture store here quit carrying LG and Samsung because they were constantly getting callbacks on failures. Writing down all brand names available on little slips of paper, then drawing one blindly from a hat would work, then cross your fingers.
Chum_lee
Explorer
May 14, 2022
Williebago wrote:
We have a 3 year old Whirlpool 10 cu ft fridge that keeps having the tabs which are molded into the door to hold the door shelf fail as we drive down the road.

It is a very poor design to put that type of unreinforced tab on a door, but it probably works on a fixed unit in an apartment, but not in a rolling earthquake like an RV.

Anyone else had this type of a problem and if so, what did you do to resolve it?

IMO, the "key" word here is in the title of your post. "residential"

You could try putting only light items in the door, or, as others have suggested, reinforce the mounting areas, or figure out a way to shock mount the refrigerator. The bottom line is that the refrigerator (materials) was not made for the use it is getting. You can't blame Whirlpool for that.

Chum lee

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