Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Maytag refrigerator frost clog settlement

Who may be eligible

Whirlpool settled claims that certain Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Maytag 3-door refrigerators manufactured from 2012 through 2019 defrost poorly, letting frost build up on the evaporator until the refrigerator stops cooling food properly. The window for repairs paid for before January 31, 2025 closed on June 18, 2025, but the settlement is still running for later ones: if a frost clog is repaired, or forces a replacement, within eight years of the refrigerator's manufacture or purchase, you may be eligible to file within 90 days of that service, and the administrator accepts claim forms through December 31, 2028. A paid repair is reimbursed up to $300, $225 or $150 depending on the refrigerator's age, against documentary proof and the model and serial number, so the amount is an estimate until the administrator reviews the claim. Filing on the official settlement site is free.

The eligibility period on the official materials is January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2019. The notice states no state limit, so it is usually nationwide. Covered: Whirlpool 3-door refrigerators, KitchenAid 3-door refrigerators, Maytag 3-door refrigerators.

Only the official administrator or agency decides who is eligible. Read the official notice before filing, and file only if you believe you meet its criteria.

How much it may pay

About $150–$300. Every figure here is an estimate from public materials, not a guarantee: many settlements pay pro rata or only after a claims review, so final amounts commonly land well below the advertised maximum.

Reimbursement is of what you actually paid, with documentary proof plus the model and serial number, capped by how old the refrigerator was when the repair was done: $300 in years one to three, $225 in years four to six, $150 in years seven and eight. If you replaced the refrigerator instead, the notice pays a share of the original purchase price — 75% or 50% in years one to three and 45% or 25% in years four to six, depending on whether you asked Whirlpool for a replacement before paying out of pocket. Anything Whirlpool already paid you for the same frost clog is deducted.

There is no common fund. Whirlpool pays each approved claim directly, so the money available does not shrink as more people file. Class counsel asked the court for up to $1,160,000 in attorneys' fees and litigation expenses, including a $5,000 service award for each of the two class representatives, and the notice says Whirlpool pays those separately and that they do not reduce class members' benefits. Whirlpool also pays the settlement administrator's costs, including mailing notice and distributing payments.

What the deadline is

The claim deadline is December 31, 2028.

The deadline to opt out or object is March 21, 2025.

The court's fairness hearing is set for May 13, 2025; payments do not go out until the settlement is finally approved and any appeals are resolved.

The notice says approved claims are paid after the court approves the settlement and any appeals are resolved. A frost clog repaired after January 31, 2025 is claimed within 90 days of that service, so this one runs on a rolling basis rather than as one distribution.

What proof is needed

Receipts or payment records may be required.

The official claim form states exactly what it accepts; gather it before you start.

How to file for free

Open the official claim page on this page, run by Angeion Group (Paperno v. Whirlpool Corp. Refrigerator Settlement), read the criteria, and file there if you believe you meet them. Filing is free: official claims never carry a fee, and this site never files on anyone's behalf.

Never give a Social Security number, bank login or card number to a site that is not the official administrator or agency page.

Why this case happened

The lawsuit claimed that certain Whirlpool-manufactured 3-door refrigerators sold under the Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Maytag names defrost the evaporator inadequately, so frost and ice build up on it and the refrigerator gradually stops cooling food properly — what the notice calls a Frost Clog Issue. The plaintiffs said Whirlpool breached warranties, was negligent and concealed the problem. Whirlpool denies all of it, and the notice is explicit that the court never decided whether the refrigerators are defective. The case is Paperno v. Whirlpool Corp. before Judge Rita F. Lin in the Northern District of California. The class covers refrigerators manufactured from 2012 through 2019 whose model and serial numbers appear on the eligible list the administrator posts, and it reaches people who bought one new, got one with the purchase or remodel of a home, or received one as a gift from Whirlpool or an authorized reseller.