Samsung Refrigerator Ice Maker Recall: What Burbank Homeowners Need to Know

The Recall

Samsung has been dealing with a well-documented ice maker defect in their French door refrigerator line for several years now, and it continues to affect homeowners across Burbank and the greater Los Angeles area. Models manufactured between 2014 and 2021 — specifically those with the built-in ice maker in the upper left of the refrigerator compartment — are known to freeze over, leak water into the fresh food compartment, and stop producing ice altogether.

If you own a Samsung French door refrigerator and your ice maker has been giving you trouble, you’re not alone. We get 8-10 calls a week from Burbank and Glendale homeowners dealing with this exact issue.

Which Models Are Affected?

The most commonly affected models include the RF28 series, RF263 series, and RF261 series. You can find your model number on a sticker inside the refrigerator, usually on the left wall near the top.

Samsung has offered extended warranties and service bulletins for some of these models, but the process of getting Samsung to cover the repair can be frustrating. We’ve heard from customers who spent weeks on hold, got bounced between departments, and ultimately gave up.

What We’re Seeing in the Field

Here’s what typically happens with these units: ice builds up behind the ice maker assembly because a small drain hole freezes shut. Water backs up, leaks down the back wall of the fridge, and pools under the produce drawers. Customers often don’t notice until they find a puddle on their kitchen floor.

The official Samsung repair involves replacing the ice maker assembly and adding a drain clip to prevent the drain hole from refreezing. We’ve been doing this repair for years, and in most cases we can complete it in a single visit.

Should You Repair or Replace?

This is the question we get most often. Here’s our honest take:

Repair if: Your refrigerator is less than 8 years old and otherwise works well. The ice maker repair typically runs $250-$350 including parts and labor. That’s a lot cheaper than a new fridge.

Consider replacing if: Your unit is over 10 years old, has had multiple repairs, or you’re also seeing cooling issues beyond the ice maker. At that point, the compressor and sealed system are aging, and you could be looking at a much bigger repair bill down the road.

What to Do Right Now

1. Check your model number against Samsung’s service bulletin list. We can help you with this — just call us with the model and serial number.
2. Don’t ignore water pooling in your fridge. Left unchecked, it can damage the compressor fan and turn a $300 repair into a $900 one.
3. Call us at (818) 264-4269 if you want a straight answer about whether your Samsung is worth repairing. We’ll tell you honestly.

Jeremy Perelis has been fixing Samsung refrigerators in Burbank since they first entered the US market. Our tech Daniel specializes in Samsung and LG electronics and can usually diagnose the issue within 15 minutes of arrival.