Washing Machines

Write a review of the Hoover VHD 8162! Please share your experiences to help other people choose the product that's best for them. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising! Reviewed by Hoover Disapprover! on 28/02/2012
We had this machine since late 2008. I wish I had seen the early reviews on this site before buying. Of course I only found positive reviews noting the eco features of the machine. We were attracted by the large drum size. In only a few months we had the issue with the loosening concrete block. Thankfully I caught the issue before anything catastrophic happened. One screw had come loose and was under the machine. The fixing points and the block were in tact. I fixed this with a new bolt and some araldite with much fiddling under the machine. Now, after just over three years it has developed an electrical fault. When the machine gets to part of the start of a cycle where it needs to heat the water something trips and causes the corcuit breakers in our consumer unit to trip. Not just the one covering the socker circuit but the whole board. A lot of websites suggested that this was a fault with the heat element. Much thrutching later I had a new heat element fitted, wi red back up and ready for its first test flight. Again, a couple of minutes in - bang! and a house in darkness. Top off and low and behold some melted contacts around terminals 16 and 17 on the control module. I have sent off for a new control module - wish me luck. If this doesn't fix it the next trip is the tip. Our previous Zanoussi did us proud before that went the way all things must in the end. This Hoover is a disgrace to a once proud name. I will be steering well clear of anything to do with Hoover / Candy again. We have a Candy fridge that we were given. Its temperature control is pretty random and the compressor makes a strange mooing noise like a cow. Do yourself a favour and don't get lumbered with a load of junk. Avoid Hoover / Candy and their ilk.
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Reviewed by Lee H on 31/07/2011
It's odd, but i've had a completely different problems to the one reported,(balance weight etc) by most folk. Today i ended up putting my fist throught the electronic display!! after spending nearly an hour trying to spin my wash. I'd only had this washer around 3 1/2 years. It developed cycle problems within the first 12 months, when the selector was set to a cycle, it would flick through them before settling on one....it became pot luck which one you got! the 29 minute one never worked and i also ruined some delicates in the wash after i'd set it on a standard 40 minute wash and then it inexplicably switched to the 90 degree cotton wash mid cycle!! I've actually had the circuit board out of this due to the buttons not pushing the sensors and dropping out of place, one day all the red LED readout blurred and bled into one another and it often left clothes wet through and refused to spin even with a full load. I'd had enough today and purchased a Samsung, so fingers crossed. This is the biggest peice of junk i've ever purchased and i'd not have another if it was free!! Listen to everyone else and don't BUY!!!!
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Reviewed by Shamine Harding on 26/02/2011
Same problems as others, can't be bothered to go into it as it a repeat, drum, smells, etc. Utter junk! Just bought a Zanussi ZWF 1658 so finger crossed!
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Reviewed by anon on 12/01/2011
Worst piece of junk I have ever purchased, I have had 5 replacements in 1 year and my 5th is no longer fit for the purpose it was built for
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Reviewed by donald trusers on 19/11/2010
Do not buy this Hoover washing machine as it has inherent stock fault that Hoover are not taking responsibility for. The very heavy counter weight on the lower end of the outer drum falls off due to weak plastic fixings and snaps the screw bolts that hold it in place. There is a Very high risk of flooding if left unattended, this is due to said weight falling off and hitting the water pump. A repair will set you back �270 in thereabouts, if not under warranty and even if it is it will happen again as Hoover have not modified the outer drum by making it stronger. You've been warned!!! It is not fit for purpose!!!!
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Reviewed by izzi on 10/11/2010
Same problem...drum fell out. 18 months old. RUBBISH DON'T BUY
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Reviewed by Isobel on 09/11/2010
Just had same thing happen. Only 18 months old. Surely one for watch dog
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Reviewed by Linda on 07/09/2010
We have had the same problems yet Hoover customer care reckon they don't know about the problem want �110 to come out or offered insurance clearly is a manufacturing problem that they don't want to acknowledge definately one for watch dog
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Reviewed by S Tucker on 06/09/2010
Mine is about 21 months old..washing a normal load of bed linen.. Heard this very loud vibration..the back machine cover was hanging off. The machine had jumped 3/4 forward from under the worktop, water and grey matter, meal filings all over the floor.....switched it off...looked inside the back of the machine... the concrete stabilising block has disintegrated..it has collapsed into water pump and ruptured the pipework.....the drum bearing also appears to be chucking out metal "fragments"....This machine flooded my house out when I first bought it...take care, if you have a power failure mid cycle, when the power is restored all the panel lights come on and it just keeps fillng with water...none of the safety systems work to shut it off..this can also happen if you switch it off mid cycle... you have to turn it off and on several times to reset it..by the way this machine is supposed to be self balancing .....look in the manual.......I have lost total confidence in Hoover products...this is a duff model" Would never leave it switched on unattended....must now wait a week for hoover to come..jus to look at it!!.My previous hoover machine lasted 17 years...I think I will be lucky to get 4 out of this one....
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Reviewed by Y Barrett on 17/08/2010
Comforting to know I am not the only one to find the block and screws sheared away hanging from the bottom of the w/m just after it bounced several feet out of its usual housing taking me and my partner to hold it still and turn it off only 19mnths old! Surely this is one for watch dog! Yeah Im never buying Hoover ever again!
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Reviewed by Alison on 23/07/2010
WE have had exactly the same problem as everyone else ! Bought the machine for the large load capacity but after less than 2 years the concrete block has fallen in half ripping out the bolts on its way ( as well as having the neighbours think we had a helicopter taking off in the utility room ) What a load of rubbish will not buy Hoover again !!!
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Reviewed by fraser on 04/07/2010
We have 4 kids and ours has been on the go 3 times a day for 2 years. It has now died, The drum will not turn and the pully has become lose on the back of the drum. our Zanusi we had before for 10 years and it never missed a beat and it is still going but the drum is not big enough for 6 of us! I think we will be getting it back out of the Garage!
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Reviewed by Greg on 28/05/2010
As per the many stories above, we bought this Hoover in April 2008 because of the 8kg drum and A rated effeciency and of course the 5 year parts warrantee? About a week after we got the machine it started jumping around quite a bit and becoming quite noisy, called Hoover up, they sent an engineer out who tiold us that this was perfectly normal and that we should not do half loads as the 8kg drum could not balance properly? So we always made sure that the drum was about 80% full and continued to endure the shacking, rattling, rolling and noise for about 18 month until the machine was literally trying to take off to the moon! We then called Hoover up again to be told that it would cost �140 for the engineer to come out and repair the fault or that I could take out an additional warrantee with them for �15.99 over 10 month, hence it made sense to me to take up the option of this additional plan which would ensure that there were no labour costs involved for this or any future repairs and that if the machine was niot repairable it would be exchanged on a new for old basis. Well the engineer came out and confirmed the drum needed to be replaced and that the concrete block had snapped off like all the other examples it seems. it took a week for the spare part to come and we left the engineer unsupervised to get on with the repair which he did, hoewever he managed to damage the outer front casing to our machine in the process which we only noticed a few days later. Called Hoover up again to complain and the same engineer came out to check the machine and said he was not responsible and that the damage was caused prior to his repair and that Hoover did not cover the casing. I called them again to complain as the engineer and I would have noticed the damage the first time around and he would have mentioned that the casing would not be replaced and only the drum if this was really the case? As I complained it was damaged by their engineer and that this was unsatisfactory they reffered me to Domestic and General who they said the cover was provided by which turned out to be a lie and a way of them trying to get rid of me, as it turns out Domestic and General only underwrite this plan so the buck stops with Hoover/Candy. Anyway whilst on the phone complaining back to Hoover the engineer turns up again saying that they are now going to replace the casing and that a week later he'll be back to fit it. A week came and went no one called and nothing happened so I called them up again to see what was going on only to be told that they were going to replace the machine and then I was put on hold for a few minutes and they came back saying that they were now not going to replace or repair the machine and that if I wanted to escalate it to deal direct with Domestic and General. Domestic and General have been helpfull and have agreed to exchange the machine however I am still waiting for this to happen? So in my opinion forget about buying a Hoover/Candy appliance. They are useless and there customer service/engineers dept is run by total muppets!
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Reviewed by gerry on 16/03/2010
Bought this in 2008 swayed by the eco features,It always appears to be short of water on the wash cycle and we have found half desolved washing tablets stuck to the clothes on a couple of occasions, I have found by adding more water with a jug through the soap tray gives better washing results. Any way to cap It all now the bearings are whining and grating surely they should last longer than that? and it'll cost a fortune to fix, I'm thinking it'll be cheaper to get another machine (not a hoover).
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Reviewed by Susan on 02/02/2010
Dont buy one! My machine is under two years old and it looks like a common fault with the concrete bottom balance weight where it fell off in two parts after ripping the screws from the drum as Matt described!It was covered by a 5 years parts gtee but they wanted �110 to come out to it. I would not pay any more to Hoover its total rubbish. We managed to get the part for �20 delivered and my very capable husband managed to fit it with a bit of fiddling & drilling. Hoover customer services very unhelpful I would not buy a Hoover appliance again.
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Reviewed by fed up on 23/01/2010
My machine is not two year old yet.My machine ended up in the middle of the room.The concrete block has broke on ours.I have been without a washer nearly three weeks.It took five days for the engineer to come.He is due to come on Monday two weeks after his first visit.I do not rate customer services as I waited in all day for them to return my call.I have always had Hoover washing machines for the last forty years,but for my next machine I will look at other products.
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Reviewed by WITS END on 22/12/2009
Two years of hell, all of what been said below and more, September this year the engineer told me to take out a Repair Plan for �69 for the year ( best bit of advice as this look like a on going problem machine) Had new pump Nov 09, due tommorrow 22nd Dec to fix spin, at �125 a time call out, that would have cost me �375 for Sept,Nov and Dec call outs and still got 9 months left on the policy.
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Reviewed by Steven on 14/12/2009
Looks like a common problem; we're on our second now and it's going again.
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Reviewed by Matt on 19/11/2009
Don't buy one. The balacing concrete block fell off, ripping the screws from the drum. Hoover afer sales service is rubbish. We have no delivery date for the spare parts but probably 4-6 weeks. What family can cope without a washing machine for 4-6 weeks!
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Reviewed by muhammad on 31/08/2009
started of really good then just a year later all of a sudden it just stared to jump like crazy whata waste of money but me and my kids hearts couldnt stop beating i would not recommend this machine to anyone to buy never ever
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Reviewed by Dick Milton on 11/05/2009
I thought my machine was a one off as it doesn't always dance around the kitchen and beat the kitchen units to death. The machine is 16 months old and I should have complained before. Anyway, I have now and Hoover tell me an engineer will have to call at �109 to try and fix it. This seems a waste of time reading these reviews. Did anyone manage to fix the problem??
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Reviewed by Duncan on 21/03/2009
The first one broke after 8months, loads of grey dust appeared under the front. The thing shook all over the place, making a horrific noise in the process. Concrete blocks had loosened off. After complaining to Hoover we eventually got in touch with people from Consumer Sale of Goods Act. They were brilliant help. After several weeks we got a complete new replacement. The bad news is, the exact same thing has happened to this machine yesterday after 3months. A disgrace.
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Reviewed by Michelle on 31/12/2008
Our has just shook itself to bits, we have had the engineer out and he has scrapped it, it has shook the concrete block off and the drum was smashing back and forwards in the case so hard that it has dented the case outwards. The water was shooting out around the door seals as the drum slammed into the front. Shame as we liked the features.
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Reviewed by Clare on 22/07/2008
This happens to me too!!! It scared the life out of me the first time it happened. It came out half way across the kitchen. Normally worse when doing half/light loads. So try to stick to full loads. I have also got a problem with water not draining. And today it wont start it is only 2 months old!!
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Reviewed by Thelma - Cheltenham. on 28/04/2008
I have a problem with the RINSE ONLY cycle on my Hoover VHD8162 1600rpm. After the water drains and during the slow spin to distribute the washing, the drum hits the top and sides, the machine jumps about frighteningly. This is only when I try to rinse a bath size towel on its own. I have called the engineer twice but he can find no fault. Have you had this problem?
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Hoover VHD 8162 Consumer Reviews (25 reviews)

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