Tumble dryer repair statistics

Archimede engineer repairing a tumble dryer

The tumble dryer is the fourth most repaired appliance and the fastest-growing category: 58,572 interventions recorded in the Archimede management system from July 2019 to March 2026, accounting for 6.5% of all interventions (906,994 total).

Compared with the washing machine (4x11%, a fragmented picture) and the fridge (one fault at 45.6%), the tumble dryer sits somewhere in between: a dominant fault that falls well short of outright concentration, and a brand landscape quite unlike any other category. Electrolux leads the table — the only appliance where it is not Samsung, Candy or Bosch in first place. All figures come from the activity of service centres that use the proprietary Archimede management system.

For the overview across all appliance types: appliance repair statistics.

Most common faults

24.1%

"Won't dry" is the most frequently reported fault — roughly one intervention in four. But unlike the fridge (45.6%), three further faults each exceed 10%: "drum won't turn" (15.3%), "won't start" (13.9%) and "noise" (11.1%). An intermediate profile, sitting between the fragmentation of the washing machine and the concentration of the fridge.

Won't dry
24.1%
Drum won't turn
15.3%
Won't start
13.9%
Noise
11.1%
Stalls/freezes
5.4%
Won't turn on
5.2%
Error code
4.6%
Won't heat
3.4%
Show the full data table
FaultOccurrences%
Won't dry10,05324.1%
Drum won't turn6,37215.3%
Won't start5,79013.9%
Noise4,65111.1%
Stalls/freezes2,2375.4%
Won't turn on2,1515.2%
Error code1,9334.6%
Won't heat1,4083.4%
Water leak1,2002.9%
Belt8672.1%

Worth noting: "drum won't turn" stands at 15.3% — nearly triple the corresponding figure for washing machines (5.5%). The tumble dryer drum is more susceptible to mechanical failure, often linked to the drive belt (which also appears as a standalone fault at 2.1%). Engineer guidance: dryer not drying, noisy dryer, water leak, stops after 15 minutes, not finishing cycle.

Most repaired brands

14.8%

Electrolux is the most repaired tumble dryer brand — the only appliance category where it leads the table. The figure reflects the brand's strong presence in the dryer segment. Bosch follows at 13.2%, a modest gap. If one combines Electrolux, AEG, Rex and Zoppas (all part of the Electrolux group), the total reaches 26.4% — more than one in four.

Electrolux
14.8%
Bosch
13.2%
Candy
8.1%
Whirlpool
7.1%
AEG
6.3%
Ariston
6.3%
Samsung
6.1%
Miele
6.0%
Beko
4.6%
LG
3.3%
Show all brands with full data
BrandInterventions%
Electrolux8,67914.8%
Bosch7,71313.2%
Candy4,7578.1%
Whirlpool4,1767.1%
AEG3,6886.3%
Ariston3,6656.3%
Samsung3,5796.1%
Miele3,5416.0%
Beko2,7044.6%
LG1,9083.3%
Hoover1,8933.2%
Rex1,5602.7%
Indesit1,5562.7%
Zoppas1,5522.6%
Siemens1,4612.5%
Hotpoint1,1892.0%
Smeg8591.5%
Other4,0927.0%

Worth noting: Samsung, which dominates in the washing machine (9.5%) and fridge (17.0%) rankings, drops to 6.1% for tumble dryers — seventh place. The dryer market has a markedly different composition, with Electrolux and Bosch together covering 28% of interventions. Miele (6.0%) has a stronger presence here than in the washing machine (7.1%, but on volumes five times larger), reflecting the widespread adoption of Miele dryers in the premium segment.

Most frequent error codes

The tumble dryer has more error codes than the fridge but fewer than the dishwasher and the washing machine. The most frequent is E50 Electrolux (drum won't turn), with 206 occurrences. Electrolux dominates the table with 4 codes in the top 20, followed by Bosch and Candy. The E50, E60 and E70 codes are the most frequent in the Electrolux/AEG group.

CodeBrandFaultOccurrences
E50ElectroluxDrum won't turn206
E50AEGDrum won't turn109
E90BoschBoard fault104
E60ElectroluxWon't dry100
E70ElectroluxStalls/freezes66
E14CandyWon't dry64
E91ElectroluxWon't start52
E60AEGWon't dry47
F066MieleStalls/freezes47
E13CandyWon't heat45

The same E50 code appears on both Electrolux (206) and AEG (109) — identical platform, identical meaning. Combined, that gives 315 occurrences, the highest figure for any single fault code. The E60, which indicates a heating problem ("won't dry"), is likewise shared between Electrolux and AEG. The E90 Bosch (104 occurrences) points to a board fault — the third most frequent code overall.

Fault profiles by brand

"Won't dry" leads for every brand, but at markedly different rates. On Bosch and Whirlpool it approaches 29%, whilst on Electrolux it drops to 19.3%. Candy has the most evenly distributed profile: its top three faults all sit close to 20%. Whirlpool stands out for "noise" at 16.6% — the highest value among the five brands examined in detail.

Electrolux — 8,679 interventions

FaultOccurrences%
Won't dry1,21419.3%
Drum won't turn1,09217.4%
Won't start92314.7%
Noise69611.1%
Error code4407.0%

Bosch — 7,713 interventions

FaultOccurrences%
Won't dry1,50028.5%
Drum won't turn64712.3%
Noise54210.3%
Won't start53210.1%
Stalls/freezes3586.8%

Candy — 4,757 interventions

FaultOccurrences%
Won't dry89823.5%
Won't start78120.4%
Drum won't turn74819.6%
Noise2125.5%
Won't heat1995.2%

Whirlpool — 4,176 interventions

FaultOccurrences%
Won't dry88028.6%
Noise51116.6%
Won't start39112.7%
Drum won't turn30810.0%
Error code1675.4%

AEG — 3,688 interventions

FaultOccurrences%
Won't dry61423.1%
Drum won't turn40915.4%
Won't start36813.8%
Noise35713.4%
Won't turn on2017.6%

Worth noting: Bosch and Whirlpool have "won't dry" at 28-29% — nearly one intervention in three concerns this single fault. On Electrolux the figure drops to 19.3%, but "drum won't turn" rises to 17.4% — the highest of any brand, most likely linked to the prevalence of E50 (drum motor) failures. Candy has three faults clustered around 20%: a broadly distributed fault profile, similar in shape to the washing machine. Whirlpool's "noise" figure of 16.6% sits well above the category average (11.1%).

Source and methodology

The data covers tumble dryer interventions recorded in the proprietary Archimede management system from July 2019 to March 2026 (58,572 interventions out of 906,994 total). These figures do not represent the appliance repair market as a whole, but the activity of service centres that use the software.

Brand distribution reflects commercial market share. A brand with a high number of interventions is a widely sold brand — not necessarily a less reliable one. Fault classification is based on what the engineer records at the time of the intervention.

Other Lab pages: appliance repair statistics, appliance error codes, common appliance faults, washing machine repairs, dishwasher repairs, fridge repairs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common tumble dryer fault?

According to data from the Archimede management system (58,572 interventions from 2019 to 2026), the most frequently reported fault is "won't dry" at 24.1% of cases (10,053 interventions). "Drum won't turn" follows at 15.3% and "won't start" at 13.9%. Unlike the fridge (where a single fault accounts for 45.6%), the tumble dryer has four faults in double figures.

Which tumble dryer brand is repaired the most?

According to Archimede management system data, Electrolux is the most repaired tumble dryer brand at 14.8% of interventions, followed by Bosch at 13.2%. It is the only appliance category where Electrolux leads the table. If one combines Electrolux, AEG, Rex and Zoppas (all part of the Electrolux group), the total reaches 26.4%. The distribution reflects commercial market share, not reliability.

What does error code E50 mean on an Electrolux tumble dryer?

The E50 on Electrolux (and AEG) tumble dryers indicates a drum motor fault — the drum will not turn. In the Archimede database it is the most frequent tumble dryer error code, with 206 occurrences on Electrolux and 109 on AEG (315 in total). The most common causes are a faulty motor, worn carbon brushes or a drive belt problem.

Why are Whirlpool tumble dryers so noisy?

According to Archimede management system data, "noise" is the second most reported fault on Whirlpool tumble dryers at 16.6% of interventions — the highest value among the five brands examined in detail (the category average is 11.1%). The figure suggests a specific vulnerability, most likely related to the bearings or the motor-belt assembly.

How many tumble dryers are repaired?

The Archimede management system has recorded 58,572 tumble dryer interventions from July 2019 to March 2026, representing 6.5% of all appliance repair requests. The tumble dryer is the fourth most repaired appliance after the washing machine (33%), the dishwasher (24.8%) and the fridge (18.9%), but it is the fastest-growing category.