Viking has recalled gas ranges, built-in refrigerators and dishwashers sold as recently as 2014, and a recall repair costs you nothing. So before you pay anyone to look at a Viking, spend five minutes with the model and serial number. San Jose Appliance Care connects owners with local companies that handle Viking appliance repair in San Jose and nearby cities, from open-burner ranges to 36-inch built-in refrigerators and Viking dishwashers. When a recall or the factory warranty applies, this page tells you how to use it. When neither does, call and we’ll connect you with a company that works on Viking; ask whether they’re a Viking authorized servicer if that matters to you.
Three Viking recalls to rule out first
Each of these came with a free in-home repair from Viking. Your model and serial number decide whether yours is included, and the CPSC notices linked in the sources list the exact ranges.
Freestanding gas ranges whose ovens could turn on by themselves (2015)
About 52,000 Viking freestanding gas ranges were recalled in May 2015 because the ovens could turn on without anyone touching them. They were 30 to 60 inches wide and sold from July 2007 through June 2014, in models including VGIC306, VGIC366, VGIC486, VGCC530, VGCC548 and VGSC536, each within specific serial number ranges. CPSC recorded 75 reports of the ovens activating on their own.
Built-in refrigerators whose doors could detach (2009, expanded 2013)
The 2009 recall covered certain 48-inch built-in side-by-side refrigerator/freezers made before March 1, 2005, and certain 36-inch bottom-freezer models made before April 10, 2006. In July 2013 Viking expanded it to about 31,000 more 36-inch bottom-freezer units made between November 2005 and October 2012, in Designer (DDBB, DTBB, DFBB, FDBB) and Professional (VCBB, VIBB) models. The first six digits of the serial number are the build date. CPSC’s advice: if a door is sagging, misaligned or not working properly, stop using the refrigerator until it’s repaired.
24-inch dishwashers with an overheating component (2015)
In August 2015 Viking expanded a dishwasher recall to about 17,300 more units sold from July 2008 through March 2012, because an electrical component could overheat. The models were DDB200, FDB200, VDB200, DFB450 and VDB450 built before December 1, 2010, plus VDB325 and DDB325 built before April 1, 2011. CPSC told owners to stop using them and contact Viking.
How Viking’s warranty is structured
Viking counts its warranty from the date of original retail purchase, or the closing date for new construction, whichever gives you the longer period. That second option matters if the appliance came with a newly built home.
| Coverage | Term | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Full warranty on cooking, ventilation, refrigeration and dishwashers | Years 1-2 | Nothing for covered defects |
| Gas burners, electric elements, induction coils, magnetrons, vent motors and listed dishwasher parts | Years 3-5 | Labor, shipping and handling |
| Sealed system (compressor, evaporator, condenser, tubing, dryer/strainer), built-in, integrated and freestanding | Years 3-6 | Nothing |
| The same sealed system parts | Years 7-12 | Labor, shipping and handling |
| Sealed system on undercounter, wine and ice machines | Years 3-6 | Nothing |
Ignition systems, burner bases and burner caps are specifically left out of the extended gas burner coverage. Cosmetic defects are covered for only 90 days and must be reported to the selling dealer.
Bought the house with the Viking already in it?
This is where Viking differs from most brands. The warranty extends to each transferee owner for the rest of the original purchaser’s term, but it transfers only through a home sale. If you don’t have the original receipt and the product was never registered, Viking uses the production date in the serial number as the start date.
New construction has its own rule. For products bought through building development sales, the warranty starts at the earlier of the certificate of occupancy or 24 months from the manufacture date. So a range that sat in a developer’s inventory may have less coverage left than the closing date suggests.
A few things void the coverage outright: units bought as b-stock, salvage, refurbished, as-is or used, and damage from repair service by anyone other than a Viking authorized service agency. Registration isn’t a condition of coverage, but Viking asks owners to register so it can reach them if a safety question comes up.
Which Viking do you have?
Viking sells its ranges in series, and knowing yours speeds up the first phone call.
- 7 Series: Viking describes 23,000 BTU elevated surface burners adapted from its commercial line, with a convection oven.
- 5 Series: a Pro Sealed Burner System with the VariSimmer setting and SureSpark ignition.
- 3 Series: the range line Viking sells alongside the 5 and 7 Series.
- Tuscany: Viking’s Italian-inspired range collection.
Most Viking products are made in Greenwood, Mississippi. Model prefixes help too. Viking’s owner FAQ lists range prefixes such as VGR, VDR, VER and VIR, and refrigerator prefixes such as VCBB and FDBB.
Care steps Viking publishes
A few service calls start with cleaning. Viking’s owner FAQ recommends soaking grates in hot, soapy water for 15 to 20 minutes, with a cup of sudsy ammonia for tough stains, and drying them fully. For 7 Series burner heads, it suggests a Bar Keepers Friend paste left for 30 minutes and scrubbed with a green 3M pad. A hood must be at least as wide as the range under it; Viking says a narrower hood doesn’t give enough capture area.
If you smell gas at a Viking range, don’t troubleshoot. PG&E’s instruction is to leave the area to an upwind spot, avoid anything that could spark, and call 911 and then PG&E.
Getting the right company on the phone
If the unit is inside its warranty, use Viking’s Find a Servicer tool with your ZIP code, because Viking only pays when an authorized agency does the work. Have the model, serial number and purchase date ready, as Viking asks.
Outside warranty, we’ll connect you with a local company that works on Viking. For range and oven faults across brands, see oven, range and stove repair; built-in fridge symptoms are on the refrigerator and freezer repair page, and Viking dishwashers fit under dishwasher repair. Our appliance repair cost guide explains what moves the price, and the repair or replace guide helps when the quote is large on an older unit. Ask the company for its Bureau of Household Goods and Services registration and a written estimate before work starts.