Whirlpool Refrigerator Settlement: How to Claim by November 2

If your side-by-side Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, or JennAir refrigerator has an ice maker, water dispenser, or control panel on the door that quit because of broken wires, you have until November 2, 2026 to claim money or a free repair for a failure that already happened. The settlement website opens with “If you purchased a Whirlpool-manufactured side-by-side refrigerator, you may be entitled to benefits from a class action settlement.” Not every refrigerator qualifies, so the first step is a serial number check, and the court approved the deal on July 9, 2026 even though the site’s home page has not caught up.

The quick answer

• Who is in: buyers, home buyers, and gift recipients of a new “Class Refrigerator,” a side-by-side model built in 2018 to 2021 with a listed model number and a serial number in the class range
• What breaks: broken wires to the freezer door that knock out the ice maker, ice dispenser, water dispenser, or control panel, which the settlement calls a “Wire Harness Issue”
• What you get: cash of 25% to 75% of what you paid, or a free replacement door (with labor in the early years), depending on how old the refrigerator was when the wires failed
• Deadline: November 2, 2026, online or postmarked, for failures on or before May 5, 2026. The portal closes at 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific
• If it breaks later: a separate route with a 90-day clock, and you must call before you pay for any repair
• First step: look up your serial number. The tag is on the inside frame of the refrigerator door
• Court status: the judge granted final approval on July 9, 2026. Payments come after any appeals are resolved

Key facts at a glance

Question	Answer
Case	Costa v. Whirlpool Corp., No. 1:24-cv-00188-MN, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
Covered refrigerators	Side-by-side, in-door ice maker and dispenser, Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, and JennAir brands, built 2018 to 2021
Class serial range	HR8180000 to HRA399999, plus a model number from the settlement’s list
Claim deadline (past failures)	November 2, 2026
Future failures (after May 5, 2026)	Contact Whirlpool or the administrator within 90 days of the failure
Cash options	25% to 75% of the repair cost or of the original purchase price, by year of failure
Ways to be paid	Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or a physical check
Opt-out and objection	Closed June 2, 2026
Administrator	Whirlpool Refrigerator Settlement Administrator, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Email	info@RefrigeratorSettlement.com
Whirlpool’s settlement line	1-844-667-2929 or refset2026@whirlpool.com
Final approval	Granted July 9, 2026

Who is in the class

The FAQ says the class includes everyone who “(a) purchased a new Class Refrigerator for residential use from Defendant or its authorized resellers, within the United States and its territories; (b) acquired a Class Refrigerator as part of the purchase or remodel of a home; or (c) received a new Class Refrigerator as a gift.” The settlement covers “certain Whirlpool-manufactured refrigerators manufactured between 2018 and 2021 with Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, and JennAir brand names,” and the FAQ then lists model numbers, some with an asterisk that stands for any character. That list is only the start: “Not every refrigerator with these model numbers is included.”

The court’s order adds the second test. It defines the covered refrigerators as bearing the listed model numbers “within the serial number range HR8180000 - HRA399999.” The model and serial number are on a tag “on the inside frame of your refrigerator door,” and the serial number checker tells you whether yours is covered. The claim form is blunt about why this matters: “If you do not provide a valid model and unique serial number, you will not be entitled to any benefit.”

Not in the class: Whirlpool’s own officers and employees, the lawyers in the case, insurers, anyone who holds a claim by subrogation, and extended warranty or service contract providers. The settlement does not touch injury or property damage claims other than damage to the refrigerator itself.

What the lawsuit says

The lawsuit claims the covered refrigerators “can experience a failure or breakage of certain wires” running to the freezer door, which can stop the ice maker, ice dispenser, water dispenser, or control panel. Whirlpool’s position: “Defendant denies the claims made in the Lawsuit.” The court has not decided who is right, and the settlement is a compromise, not a finding.

Pick your situation

The benefit depends on which of four situations you are in, and on the year of the failure counted from the refrigerator’s “In-Service Date.” The tables start at year 2 and run through year 7, and the documents we read do not list a year 1 benefit.

1. You paid for a repair before May 5, 2026. You get part of the bill back in cash:

Year of failure	With notice to Whirlpool or the retailer first	Without
2 to 4	75% of the repair cost	65%
5	60%	50%
6 to 7	45%	35%

If the repair was splicing the wires, the home page says you also get “a free replacement door plus labor if the failure occurred in years 2-4 or a free door if the failure occurred in years 5-7.”

2. You paid for a replacement refrigerator before May 5, 2026. You get a share of the original purchase price:

Year of failure	With notice first	Without
2 to 4	50%	45%
5	40%	35%
6 to 7	30%	25%

3. It is broken now and you have not fixed or replaced it. Choose cash or a repair:

Year of failure	Cash	Repair
2 to 3	50% of the original purchase price	Free replacement door plus labor
4	40%	Free replacement door plus labor
5	40%	Free replacement door
6 to 7	30%	Free replacement door

4. It breaks after May 5, 2026. The same cash and repair table applies, but you do not file a claim form. The FAQ says “To receive the repair benefit, you should contact Whirlpool within 90 days of the occurrence of your Wire Harness Issue at 1-844-667-2929 or refset2026@whirlpool.com before undertaking any repair or replacement.” For the cash benefit you contact the administrator at info@RefrigeratorSettlement.com in the same 90 days. The site has a separate Submit Future Coverage Claim page for this.

Here is what the percentages mean in dollars. These are our arithmetic, not figures from the settlement. Pay $400 for a year 3 repair after telling Whirlpool first and you get $300 back, or $260 without notice. Pay $2,000 for the refrigerator, replace it in year 5, and the cash is $800 with notice or $700 without. A $2,400 refrigerator that failed in year 3 and is still broken is worth $1,200 in cash.

Two rules can shrink a payment. Anyone who “previously received compensation or a voluntary benefit from Whirlpool for a Wire Harness Issue will have the amount of their reimbursement reduced by the amount of the compensation or benefit already received.” And if you have more than one covered refrigerator, “you must submit a separate Claim Form for each Class Refrigerator.”

Set the In-Service Date before you file

This is the detail most people will skip. The year of failure is counted from the In-Service Date, and the claim form says “The manufacture date as determined by its serial number will be deemed the In-Service Date unless you submit documentation showing when you bought or received the product.”

A refrigerator can spend months in a warehouse or showroom before delivery, so your purchase date can be later than the manufacture date. A later start date means an earlier year of failure, and the early years pay more. If you can find a receipt, delivery invoice, or card statement showing when you bought it, submit it. If you skip it, the form says “the manufacture date will be deemed your In-Service Date.”

There is also a fallback for people who cannot date the failure. The FAQ says a member with a current problem “who cannot demonstrate the date of failure will be entitled to claim the relief available as if the failure occurred in year 7.” The claim form repeats it: if you can prove the problem exists but not that it happened within seven years, “you are entitled to claim the relief available as if your Wire Harness Issue occurred in year 7.” That is the 30% or free door tier, so it beats nothing.

What proof you need

You have to prove three things: that you are a class member, that the wires failed, and what you paid.

• Class membership: receipts, card statements, or warranty registrations, or a sworn statement. The form’s declaration says “I have searched for but am unable to find documentary proof,” signed under penalty of perjury
• The failure: the form lists “dated service tickets, estimates, or receipts; dated communications with Whirlpool or your retailer; or original photographs that include file information showing the date the photo was created/taken,” with “a declaration of authenticity.” A photo taken on your phone now can carry that date
• What you paid: for a repair, the invoice plus a card or bank statement showing you paid it. For a replacement, the new refrigerator’s receipt plus the original refrigerator’s purchase price
• Notice to Whirlpool or the retailer, optional: “Reimbursement percentages are slightly higher if you contacted Whirlpool or your retailer about the Wire Harness Issue prior to incurring repair costs.” Emails, chats, and letters count

If Whirlpool already had you in its records, you may have received a tailored notice marking you a “Prequalified Settlement Class Member.” Put the PQSCM number from that notice on the form and you need not prove the failure or the earlier contact, though you still need proof of what you paid.

The warning the FAQ gives deserves to be read twice: “If you fail to provide the information requested on the Claim Form or if you do not upload or mail your documentary proof, then you will not be entitled to any compensation or benefit under this Settlement.”

How to file

Online. The claim portal asks for the Notice ID and Confirmation Code from a personalized notice. If you did not get one, “click below to complete a Claim Form.” The page says “this claims portal is scheduled to close on November 2, 2026 at 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time.” You can upload documents there.

By mail. Fill out the paper form, sign it, and send it with copies of your proof to Whirlpool Refrigerator Settlement Administrator, Attn: Claim Submission, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The form says “Claim Forms must be Postmarked or submitted online by November 2, 2026.” Keep a copy of everything you send.

Getting paid. For cash you pick Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or a physical check, and the form says the check goes to the address you gave. The form also warns: “It is your responsibility to notify the Claims Administrator of any changes to your contact information after submitting your Claim Form.”

If your claim has a problem. The site has a Fix Claim page for people who receive a deficiency notice with a Claim ID and Confirmation Code. Do not wait for that: send the proof with the first filing.

Where the documents disagree

The home page says the court has not approved the deal. It has. The home page still says “The Court in charge of this case still has to decide whether to approve the Settlement,” and lists the July 9, 2026 hearing as upcoming. The documents page, however, posts a Final Approval Order and Judgment signed on July 9, 2026. It says “The Court hereby grants approval of the Settlement and all the terms and provisions of the Agreement,” and “Any and all objections to the Settlement, if any, having been duly considered, are overruled.” It dismisses the case “with prejudice” and lists five people who opted out. The site’s own wording about payments still applies: benefits are issued after any appeals are resolved.

The administrator’s phone number appears two ways. The FAQ gives “1-877-355-4279,” while the Contact page says “1-877-335-4279.” The paper claim form’s number matches the Contact page. If a call does not connect, try the other, or use info@RefrigeratorSettlement.com.

The tables differ at the edges. The home page’s benefit table adds a row for refrigerators more than 7 years old, at 30% or a free door, while the FAQ’s tables stop at year 7. For an older refrigerator that failed recently, the home page and the claim form’s year 7 rule point to the same 30% tier, but the FAQ does not list it, so state your situation plainly and keep your proof. The home page also says “Free Replacement Door” for the repair option where the FAQ says “Parts and labor expenses” and “Parts expenses, no labor,” which are close but not identical.

What the lawyers get

The FAQ says fees and costs, if approved, would be paid separately: “These amounts will not reduce the amount of benefits available to Class Members.” The judge’s order awards lead class counsel attorneys’ fees of $2,750,000 and “reimbursement of litigation costs and expenses in the amount of $60,000,” plus a $5,000 service award to each class representative. That is Whirlpool’s cost, not a deduction from your cash.

The deadlines you can no longer use

Opting out and objecting both closed on June 2, 2026. The FAQ says an exclusion request needed “a postmark no later than June 2, 2026.” Because you did not exclude yourself, the settlement binds you if you do nothing: you give up the right to sue Whirlpool for the economic claims it resolves, and you get nothing unless you file.

Quick answers to what people search

Is the Whirlpool refrigerator settlement real? Yes. It is Costa v. Whirlpool Corp., No. 1:24-cv-00188-MN in federal court in Delaware, with a final approval order dated July 9, 2026.

Which Whirlpool refrigerators are covered? Side-by-side models with in-door ice and water, built 2018 to 2021, with a listed model number and a serial number in the class range. Use the site’s serial number checker.

How much can I get? Between 25% and 75% of a repair cost or the original purchase price, or a free replacement door, depending on the year of failure and your situation.

What is the deadline? November 2, 2026 for failures on or before May 5, 2026. For later failures, 90 days from the failure.

I never got a notice. Can I still claim? Yes. Use the claim form instead of the Notice ID and Confirmation Code.

Do I need receipts? For what you paid, yes. For class membership you can sign a sworn statement if you truly cannot find them.

When will the money arrive? After any appeals are resolved. The site has not posted a date.

Bottom line

If your door wires broke, look up the serial number first, then file by November 2, 2026 with the proof for the situation that matches yours. Submit your purchase or delivery date if you have it, because it can move you into a better year. If the refrigerator has not failed yet, save the Whirlpool number and email now, because the 90-day clock starts at the failure and you must call before any repair. The settlement site is the authority on your claim.

Class definition, benefits, deadlines, claim instructions, and contact details quoted from the court-authorized settlement website, its FAQ, claim portal, and contact pages, the long-form notice, the paper claim form, and the final approval order, read on October 4, 2026. Settlement terms can change, and the settlement site is the authority on your claim. This is general information, not legal advice.