Anonymous
map-marker Corcoran, California

No support whatsoever!

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I purchased a Generac model 5500 portable generator from a local hardware/home improvement chain in mid-December of 2014. After assembling and servicing the unit as described in the manual, the generator started, but had no power. During my first call to customer service, I was told some vague explanation about "field jump"or "field reset" that might need to be dome because the unit "might have sat on the shelf too long." They suggested I try contacting the store where I bought the generator. I called them, and they said that because I had already put gas and oil in the unit, it could not be returned. I again called Generac's customer service number and this time I was told that I should remove the front panel and there I would find a small fuse that I could replace. I did so and there was no fuse. (This was after the person on the phone had looked up the model and schematic diagram) I called again and was told to take the unit to a local Generac authorized repair service, which I did. After two weeks, I called the repair service and was told that the generator had not even been looked at yet because there was some problem and Generac would not authorize him to start working on the unit yet. I called Generac back and they looked up that particular repair company and told me that "there should be no problem." I told them that I had just spoken with the repair person and that there WAS a problem that originated on the Generac end. I then asked if they could call the repair company and straighten it out and was given some vague answer which was basically "no." I was then told that I could choose to take the generator to one of two other repair companies, both in towns 30-40 miles away. It was not until my final call on 1/22/15 that I actually reached a service agent who seemed genuinely concerned about my experience and who created case number, gave me contact information, her name, and said that she would try to contact my local small engine repair shop to try to rectify things. She followed through with her statements and got back to me promptly with updates. I Called the local repairman a few days later. He said he spent considerable time on the phone trying to resolve issues with Generac. He said that they would not authorize warranty work because of some problem with an access code to their system. He was fed up with spending long periods being placed on hold with no results, and suggested that I pick the unit up and try elsewhere. He said that at this point it wasn’t worth his time to deal with them. I then picked the unit up and the repair person told me that he had at least tested the unit, and it was generating power fine but the issue seemed to be the two inexpensive GFI outlets were not resetting. Although it was a simple fix, he did not want to work on the generator and possibly void the warranty. I again contacted the retail outlet where I purchased the generator. I was told that possibly, if I drained the gas from the tank, I could bring it in and they could send it out to their local shop for repairs. After draining the unit, lifting it onto my pickup truck, and then driving twelve miles to the store I found out that their “local” repair shop was in the city of Tracy, about 150 miles away. When was told that repairs might take up to two or three weeks I decided to contact Generac again. I called Generac and gave my case number, which I was originally told would “speed things up” in the future when dealing with the customer service department. I was told by the representative that she “could not pull up case numbers, “ and that she would transfer me to someone who could. I was on hold for over thirteen minutes (I timed it) during which I had to listen to an endless tape which talked about the reliability of Generac products and how they were backed up by a nationwide network of service centers. At the end of thirteen minutes, I hung up and called again. I happened to get the same representative. I asked to speak to a supervisor or manager, and was told that my call would be transferred. After several minutes on hold, I spoke with someone who identified themselves as a supervisor. I again explained the whole situation and while he seemed to be concerned and seemed interested, he said there was not much he could do until the following Monday. He also explained that Generac home offices were located in Wisconsin (where problems actually could be addressed) and that his office was in North Carolina (where calls went when the Wisconsin office was not open.) He promised me that he would call the Wisconsin office and speak to someone the following Monday on 2/2/15 and that I would definitely receive a return call by Tuesday. Frustrated, I called the two other “local” shops I had been told would do warranty repairs, both 45 minutes away. One did not answer, and the other told me that quite a bit about why repair shops were reluctant to do work for Generac because in their words “Generac was difficult to work with, did not offer them much support other than online, and that they did not reimburse well for repairs that were done.” Monday I got a call from the earlier representative who had actually been helpful, who left a message saying that they hadn’t forgotten me and were trying to contact the small engine repair shop in Lemoore (where I left the unit for two weeks) to see what the issue was. This was about a week after I had picked the generator back up and taken it home. It is now Wednesday, February 04, 2015 and I have not heard from the Generac home office, the supervisor, or anyone else.
View full review
Loss:
$750
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Full refund

5 comments
Guest

Just to update - I had my credit card company dispute the charge for the unit and they reimbursed me. It is now 3/16/2015 and no one from Generac has contacted me and the unit is still under a tarp in my garage. I also still have no generator, but don't want to go out and buy another one because I don't know what the final determination of the charge dispute will be.

Guest

My grandfather and I was considering getting this, now I'm not.

Guest

Wow that does sound frustrating, nationwide network of service centers however does not imply in everyone's "backyard" 30 miles is not extreme in my mind.

Guest

At least Generac has 24/7 customer service. It seems as though some dealers just don't try hard enough to use their resources. cootos to your representative.

Guest

From my experience you either get a representative that wants to help and cares or you don't. At least you had calls returned and your representative showed an effort.

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Dedrick Eoc

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer

Beware of Generac Warranty

I want to advise anyone purchasing a whole house generator, to carefully read all materials including warranties first. We had our 20 KW Generac generator installed and maintained accordingly for 3 years. I week after the warranty went out, the board went out and replacement cost is 1400. for the part. We argued that the installment date and sell date were in question, but Generac would only talk to the business not us. After digging through receipts, etc. they still wouldn't work with us on the price. So Beware before buying from Generac. We live on a farm, but our unit was only used 24 hours per year and that is stretching it. In the city, I don't think it would be worth the cost as they usually get the lights back up and running pretty fast.
View full review
Cons:
  • Parts and warranty
3 comments
Guest

Clearly Generac doesn't get the impact splitting hairs on the warranty has on others intentions to purchase from them. Very short term thinking Generac.

Guest

There is nothing hidden in the manufacturing warranty.... when you call them or go online to register the generator---to get the activation code---you are starting the warranty.

register the product---starts the warranty--- its rocket science..

I know... smh.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1021955

Why split hairs on a few days out of warranty Generac?? Don't you realize how much better you look if you "step up" and round up on customer service.

That's not Rocket Science either. Get a clue

View more comments (2)
Anonymous
map-marker Mitchell, Indiana

Generac Power Systems - Generator Review from Mitchell, Indiana

Things you should know before buying a Generac product. Or What I learned from my own mistakes

Generac once had a good product , good service, local dealers and warranty.

SINCE generac chose quanity over quality and started selling to retail stores the product quality,service and installation has become worthless. They have cut their dealer throats by selling to Lowes Home depot and others. The retail stores recommends a limited experienced company to install the unit most of which are not electricians. Those companies are not allowed to service the generators or even buy parts from generac and the retail store will not give any support after the sale of any product that is not installed by a licensed electrican. Even though they recommended the company.

Real generator dealers and qualified electricians will not install or perform warranty repairs on generac products purchased by the customer at a retail store.

When you have a problem within the warranty period and call for an authorized warranty dealer. The service company will show up and tell you that the problem is not due to workmanship , but due to an improper installation, resulting in a huge bill to you because the servicing dealer had to drive hundreds of miles to get there at $100+ /hr . Just to tell you what is wrong is not a warranty repair and they will have to get parts that you will be charged for at a 200%+ markup plus another labor and trip charge for a non- warranty repair.

Generac has alienated their former dealers and service network in exchange for a greed driven, third world service and sales policy.

the product itself is now made primarily made from cheap chinese and mexican made components with one of the highest failure rate in the industry.

ANY ONE EVEN CONSIDERING BUYING A GENERAC PRODUCT WILL BE THROWING THEIR MONEY AWAY.

Buying a generac product is a mistake I will never make again.

View full review
Reason of review:
Poor customer service
3 comments
Guest

You CLEARLY sound like a disgruntled (former) Generac dealer. Sorry you can't keep your monopoly of charging uninformed customers thousands to install a generator that you provide just a few hundred dollars in electrical and conduit for.

Guest

If this is the case then they should be held liable in court, I would suggest forming an alliance to get to the matter because that was your 8000 dollar mistake trusting that these people care about you

Guest

I had the same issue myself.Not getting help from either...lesson learned the hard way.

View more comments (2)
Karas Fwx
map-marker North Carolina, United States

Waste of money and time

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I purchased a Generac Centurian 10Kw standby generator from Lowes Home Improvement in January, 2011. Lowes delivered it and it was installed by a licensed electrician who followed the installation guidelines provided upon delivery. It has been maintained by the owners manual for oil changes, filter changes, etc. In addition, a Generac authorized service dealer has done ALL repairs to date.

1) The first problem began within weeks of installation when the generator battery charge was not being maintained. I was told by the authorized service dealer that this was a common problem and that I should purchase a smaller trickle charger to maintain the battery. Replacing the controller did not guarantee the problem would be fixed.

2) The second problem occurred about 9 months after installation when it was noticed that it was leaking oil. When running, it would "spray oil" all over the inside of the housing and out of the ventilation panel. Inspection revealed a crack in the casing near the cooling fan. The engine was replaced.

3) The third problem was a short in the control board which caused the whole system to shut down. The board was replaced and this also fixed the battery charging problem (#1).

4) The fourth problem was the assembly controller motor which caused the engine to rev and shut down with an error message "Over RPM". Replacement of the assembly controller corrected the problem.

5) The fifth problem was when the engine would not start. It would crank but never fire up. It was discovered there was no compression in the values, so the engine was replaced again.

6) The most recent problem (occurred in May, 2014) was when the engine would not start and the error message was "under voltage". I am told this is the rotor/stator side of the genset. The warranty ran out in January 2014.

I contacted Generac to request a warranty extension to correct the problem since this unit had had so many issues from the time of installation. After MANY calls and emails over 5 months and visits from several other service dealers attempting to diagnose the problems, Generac decided the warranty could not be extended because it had never been properly installed and maintained. Their reason…it was too close to the house. Then they asked about our usage since the system had over 1000 hrs when it finally died, 3 engines later. Remember, several Generac Authorized Service Dealers had been to the site and none of them told us we were out of spec or were using it incorrectly. We used the unit as a backup to our off-grid system. When the unit ran, it was usually on rainy days or in the middle of the night when our battery bank was depleted. “Standby” generators are not supposed to be used as a “primary power source” which is defined as any situation where there is no utility company supplying power. This was not clear to us until after we purchased the unit and spent 3 years trying to keep it running.

The bottom line: Generac is not interested in customer service. They are only interested in sales. If a unit is purchased from a Generac dealer and installed by a Generac dealer it does not guarantee that Generac will uphold its warranties. More importantly, the Generac standby units are not designed to take any heavy use such as continuous run time or high run hours. I was told by one dealer that most Generac units will have a major problem before 500 hrs. In addition, the engines are very inefficient. Our unit burned 2 gallons of LP per hr of use. A home owner would be better off to purchase a smaller portable gas powered generator with an electric key start. These will cost only a fraction of one standby unit and will last for years under regular use. Don’t waste your money on a Generac standby. The peace of mind you will feel from owning one will quickly disappear when the unit fails right when you need it most.

View full review
Loss:
$4000
Cons:
  • Product
  • Customer service
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

2 comments
Guest

Trickle chargers do more damage than good. There's your first issue.

Guest

1) the reason you had proprobes with your battery was because it wasnt installed properly

2) that sucks, I would be really upset.

3) again that sucks..this sounds like a legit readon to be upset.

4--6) sounds like over usage.

So I guess instead of bashing the manufacturer, you should be looking at the clown who installed this unit improperly AND didn't explain that it was the wrong choice of unit for your needs. How you going to blame a business because you did did something wrong... shaking my head.

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Anonymous
map-marker Amelia Court House, Virginia

FAULTY EQUIPMENT

I brought a GENERAC generator from LOWES in 2010, ran it less than 4 hours the first winter everything was ok. Stored the generator in the car garage until the next winter, did not start, took it to a local mechanic servicing GENERAC products, was told that the gas stayed in too long over the winter. Fine, it started no problem. In 2013 ensured gas was not stored in the generator went to start, did not start, changed plugs no difference. 2014 and 2015 same issue again will not start, piece of junk, less than 20 hours of actual load. Will take it to the mechanic shop to have it repaired, if they work on these products now with all the negative comments and defective units!!!
View full review
Reason of review:
Bad quality
1 comment
Guest

I converted mine to LP gas. Bought the kit on line , a 100 pound tank .

I keep it plugged in charging.

Change the oil annually. So far no problem.

Anonymous
map-marker Richmond, Indiana

Generator 4 years out of warranty- 160.7 total hours of run time--Generac will not help with the repair- $1,245.00

Generator quit charging. Generator has only run less than 7 days total.

Generac says they go by warranty dates rather than run time. Rotor coming apart- small pieces of copper wire scattered about. See it is a problem with some of the others. Listen to their advertisements while waiting for them to answer your calls.

Says the generators run day after day and week after week in emergency situations. I bought it for my wife for emergency situations while I was working out of state. Good thing she didn't have many that lasted that long.

My confidence has deteriorated immensely in this company and their products. I have a model # 0055040, serial # 514****

View full review
Reason of review:
Bad quality
3 comments
Guest

Premiermaintenamcesolutions1@***.com

We are the local Generac dealer located in Hagerstown. We could help you with issues like this.

Many times we can get problems like this resolved with Generac because we are a high volume sales and service dealer.

Please call if you ever need assistance. 766-730-****.

Allycia Fgy

I have had the same problem. Only 106 hrs.

on the 17K unit and the alternator winding disintegrated. Most of the hrs. were test time.

Not sure of the repair cost yet.

Has anyone heard of any recalls on the alternator failures?

Also the battery charger failed and overcharged the $200 battery.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Allycia Fgy

recalls-no, generac fixing them on a case by case basis-yes. I have repaired two that did this and Generac paid for both. 17 kw-2008 model

View more comments (2)
Yanett Zil
map-marker Gladwyne, Pennsylvania

Generac Service and Generator Useless Piece

I install many Generac generator being an Electrical contractor. I guess I have been lucky until now.

Purchased 16 KW unit from AP Electric which advertises free technical support for any problems. I bought this generator 9/7/11. First time customer needs generator it does not work comes up LOW Voltage on control screen. Call AP Electric they tell me we had problems with units running on quite test mode weekly take it out of quit test mode should be fine.

Did as I was told. Technical support to me is when the manufacturer will walk you through problem. customer calls 1 month later no generator. Customer installed generator because he has medical needs.

Called AP who told me technical support is we can sell you the repair manual for $19.00. They give me a list of 15 authorized service providers in customers area who will come out to repair unit. I called all of them most told me they only service what they install or would have to wait 8 to 12 weeks others said they were service technicians in past but it was a real problem dealing with Generac. Here I am back to square 0ne.

Unit is now out of warranty owner threaten to take a law suit against me. It is one of my best customers. Generac customer service

on 9/22/14 tells me they have 350 service people in country it impossible no one will service the unit. The women could not have been nastier if she tried.

I have a piece of junk generator sitting and had to install new unit for customer. AP Electric partner called me but was exactly useless. Told me he just bought company 1 year ago and does'nt think its his problem. I have bought 5 other Generators from him in the last year.

If he does not help I will be buying my Kohler Generators from someone else.

GENERAC IS JUNK DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON GENERAC. I am having a banners made to put on my box trucks that drive all over Philadelphia with GENERAC IS JUNK DO NOT BUY.

View full review
Loss:
$3500
Cons:
  • Customer service
Reason of review:
Damaged or defective

Preferred solution: Full refund

4 comments
Guest

I have had dealings with AP Electric and they are horrible to deal with and no help at all.

Don't buy from AP ELECTRIC

Guest

Go to Generac training and you will know how to fix them. Product is wonderful, problem is that you think that you are an electrician and you can do anything without ANY formal training. I guess you will also trash Kohler when you don't know how to fix that too.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-898533

You must work for Generac or you would not write this. Generac is a huge a Corporation and just brushes off the consumer. They are Corporate bullies.

Guest

Try a Cummins. Very reliable and have their own service techs.

View more comments (3)
Anonymous
map-marker Atlanta, Georgia

Generac Ix Series 2000 Review

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I was told that my generator ,wich is a 2000 xi would not be covered under warranty because they said it was commercial use. That is i run lights about 20 hours a week. It is just over a year old and is loosing compression. That is a real exspenive pieace of junk since now i have to go spend another 500$ on one that. Will not be a generac.
View full review
Reason of review:
Warranty issue
Anonymous
map-marker Saint Ignace, Michigan

Generac 2700 psi power washer problem

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Power washer continues to lose pressure because it destroys the check valves. When i take the pump apart the lower check valves have the little stopper plug pushed completely thru the plastic bushing.

I have replace all 3 of these check valves twice already and yesterday they all went bad again. At about $30 each time for a set of these it's getting rather ridiculous and expensive.

This is a poor design and I wish Generac would go good for the repairs each time. The power washer works good when I works right but it is more times than not in the repair shop..I read the reviews on this unit but I think I got a lemon!

View full review
Loss:
$300
Reason of review:
Damaged or defective

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

Anonymous

Good generator, lousy customer service

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Have a Generac generator I use to run power tools and recharge batteries for a small cabin with off grid solar. Generator has been flawless until now when a drop in performance necessitated contacting Generac to buy a service manual. I was told that Generac will not sell service manuals to their consumers or the general public, only to Generac dealers and service centers. The nearest service center is many miles and several hours away so I am forced to sacrifice two days of my time and the gas to get there and back so Generac can maintain it's monopoly of generator repair. This is lousy customer service. I have been totally impressed by the generator until now. Now I am looking for a replacement.
View full review
Pros:
  • Product
Cons:
  • Customer service
  • Company policy
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: provide service manuals to consumers

1 comment
Guest

Then call a generac service provider and buy one...

Anonymous
map-marker Atlanta, Georgia

File FTC.gov complaint about Generac Warranty

The FTC says the company is obligated to fix its product during a warranty period. If the company cannot repair it, then they MUST replace it.

Why are you all stressing and not taking the least bit of action?

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/businesspersons-guide-federal-warranty-law

HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0054-how-file-complaint

Otherwise, it is a great place to gent here and share how bad these experiences are. In particular, it's absurd this company is treating consumers like this considering it is a product you literally buy for a really bad, God-awful rainy day. Right?

Good luck and hope you all find solace.

View full review
Anonymous
map-marker Stormont, Dundas And Glengarry United Counties, Ontario

Honeywell 12Kw Brush Failure

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Activated unit in October 2012. Annual maintenance done with Synthetic oil even though manual says every two years following first oil change. Early this Spring, generator would not start and onboard and wireless monitor showing low voltage. Phoned Generac and was told, without qualification, it was under warranty and gave me number for nearby authorised service agent. Tech came and suspected control board... Wasn't that, then diode so Generac said replace harness...apparently wasn't that so finally replaced brushes which were worn done after less than 38 hours logged..almost all for exercise mode or test runs. Prior to coming out, they also confirmed warranty coverage!

Received call from servicing company that generac refused the labor portion of their claim. I phoned Generac Customer Service and was effectively stonewalled saying parts only covered in 3rd year regardless of logged time on unit.

Two relatives are commercial electricians... One a Master electrician.. Both are aghast brushes would need replacement with so few hours...basically 3 days of continuous run.

General/Honeywell has proved to me that it is totally unreliable and a waste of money. My 3500 KW unit bought in 1998 saw, in one incident of grid outage, 12 days 24/7 running and has needed no service in all these years.

View full review
Loss:
$542
Cons:
  • Product quality
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Full refund

Kelton Xqt

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer
| map-marker Alliance, Ohio

Generac Power Systems - Generator Gp6500 Review from Alliance, Ohio

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Want Junk, Buy Generac!! Bought a gp6500 used it one whole hot week on a primitive camp trip. It was a year and 2 days old when i went on same trip. Didnt need it on monday. Started it up on tuesday to cool my camper. About 5 minutes later it sounded like some threw a pop can in a blender. Immediately because it was in middle of july and hotter then blue blazes i immediately called generac customer service for help. After looking up when i purchased the best they could tell me was sorry its 2 days out of warranty. Below you will see my defective part. Thanks again Generac for being so loyal to your customers!!
View full review
Reason of review:
Warranty issue
2 comments
Guest

What was the defective part?

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-987798

The connecting rod I believe. The piston was shattered below the ring but think that was from the connecting rod slamming around in there.

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Anonymous
map-marker Brooklyn, New York

Generac Power Systems - Generator Review from Brooklyn, New York

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Why I would never ever do business with Generac again. I tried to purchase a generator Oct.2014.

They gave my information to one of there contractors, because you can't buy directly from them. Laurelton electric (this is the most unprofessional ,disrespectful group of thugs,I felt like I was in bad episode of the sopranos) is the name of the contractors. Just simply horrible people. Michael *** is the owner of laurelton electric.

This guy takes my money and did no work. We spent 3700.00 dollars to have our generator installed.(just as down payment ) Its March 2015 he has not even ordered the generator yet from Generac . He has lied to us on numerous occasions about the city filings. Which is not hectic process if you know what your doing.

When we questions them on what it's taking so long, you get a over the top fake rendition of Tony Soprano. (A fat fake thug who relies on the old stigma of the mafia,) I have proof they have lied via emails. I presented this to Genarac hoping they would see the proof and reign in there contractor. Was I wrong.

Genarac's Chad Olson. Amanda.Olivares@***.com pacified me as long as they could just to get their legal jargon together. Now won't even accept my calls. When I originally spoke to Chad Olson he said he was working on getting my money back, I even offered another solution, they keep the money just send another contractor to do the job that laurelton electric would not or could not do for the remaining balance, he acted like it was a good idea then stopped communicating with me.

I have no generator and am out of my 3700.00 dollars laurelton electric said they spent 2500.00 dollars on on filling fees and other miscellaneous things, and would only refund 1200.00. I am preparing to take laurelton electric to court to try and get a full refund. In closing, Don't Do It.

It's not wort the time an money you are going to loose. I will be posting my progress stay tuned!!!!!!!

View full review
Reason of review:
Order processing issue
Anonymous

Kevin Hart Cedar Electric now Choice Generators

Mr. Kevin Hart takes money for service contracts, but does not honor them. We paid him $300.00 to maintain our generator. He does not return phone calls, after numerous calls to contact him. (14) He has moved on to another company because he is not licensed with Generac anymore. He now rips off people with Kohler generators. This is his third business. He just moves on with your money leaving you with a useless contract. It's a shame to be scamming retirees. Save yourself alot of aggravation, do not use his new company Choice Generators out of Beecher, Il. He has 21 complaints with the BBB.
View full review
Loss:
$300
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Full refund

1 comment
Guest

this guy is a ripoff.I paid him $3574 towards a Kohler whole house generator November 21,2014.He took my money and scrammed.

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