Business Profile

Water Heater Manufacturers

A O Smith Corporation

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for A O Smith Corporation's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

156 total complaints in the last 3 years.
57 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:04/30/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchase a 36 gallon well bladder tank made by manufacturer State from ******* about a year ago and the tank has already failed and the unit has a 5yr warranty, I tried calling numbers listed on the website to file warranty claim and was given 3-4 numbers and no one seemed to know anything about doing warranty claims. I did get a hold of a gentleman and the phone conversation seemed very odd as he was very short and rude and then gave me a code to give to Menards to do the exchange. I called Menards and they knew nothing about a code for an exchange. Model number for tank is MPT-36s 100 and serial number *************. The whole transaction with calling state seemed to be a scam
Business Response
Date: 05/01/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.
We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/01/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

**** *****
Initial Complaint
Date:04/13/2025
Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
In May 2013 we had a contractor install an AO Smith tankless 540H water heater in our residence. In April 2025 the heater began to leak. This heater has a 15 year warranty. I contacted AO Smith and the ***resentative told me to remove the burner and sent instructions for removal so the company *** could examine the heat exchanger. After removing the burner another company *** **** me a link to view the heat exchanger through my phone. After examining the heat exchanger the *** said that the damage resulted from overheating and asked if I ever descaled the heater annually. No I had not. There is nothing in the manual nor warranty the indicates the need to descale. The *** suggested that I purchase a new unit saying the identical unit is still manufactured so it should be an easy "plug and play". I purchased the same new unit at a cost of $1393 at ************** in ********, **** and am seeking reimbursement for that amount.
Business Response
Date: 04/14/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/31/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased an AO SMITH 40-gal hot water heater at a Lowes Store on 12/18/24 and it was installed in my residence the next day. The unit would heat for 3 days then shut off. This went on for a couple of weeks. I called warranty and got a appointment with ***** ***** Plumbing on 12/30/2024. They came out and said the unit would need an element. They didn't have the part so I ran over to Lowes to pick up the needed part (under warranty). ***** ***** installed element and charged me for 3 hours of labor. On 1/4/2025 I emailed warranty claim #********. I got a response that it was received and would take 30 days. I have emailed support, wsvce and called ****************** with no response to this day,
Business Response
Date: 04/01/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/28/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On Tuesday march 25 2025 we got an error code e01 on our water heater come to find out the temperature sensor went out when tested it was reading open it also tripped the breaker. After not being able to find the part locally we called the number on the unit. This unit was in our home when we purchased it it was still under warranty until 2027. We spoke with ******** she obtained pictures of the bad part .. she said it would be a good idea to change the elements as well just in case it dry fired which it didn't and the elements were good .. she didn't listen to us at all so we just said fine send the elements with the temperature sensor. We paid for next day shipping which she said would be Thursday march 27th and we would get an email with the tracking number .. that never happened so we called back she said the parts haven't shipped but the have the order .. the warehouse that had the part is an hour from our home we offered to go get them she said we are not able to go to the warehouse only licensed contractors can. She ends up by giving us an RA number so we can swap the elements at lowes .. even though we told her again it's not an element issue . After going to 2 different lowes stores we pick up the elements and of course it still didn't work we called again letting them know then that's when we were told the parts would be delivered Friday we tried canceling the order they refused.. at that point they weren't even shipped yet. They refused to let us speak with managers.. Thursday night we went to ********** and bought a different brand water heater while there we got a call from a manager he verified the parts well what was sent was wrong they sent a leak detector they refused to refund our shipping charges and said we will have to pay for shipping to return the wrong part. Today Friday march 28 I get the parts and I did confirm it's 100% wrong. We would like our shipping charge refunded
Business Response
Date: 03/28/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/28/2025

Complaint: 23130320

I am rejecting this response because:this response is the automated response from the company. I would like a refund of my shipping charges as I don't have a use for the the parts that were sent not only because they were wrong but also because we no longer have the unit .. I have kids I needed hot water asap I went 3 days without hot water waiting on this company. Essentially this company stole my money I want a refund of my shipping charges

Sincerely,

**** *******
Business Response
Date: 04/01/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/08/2025

Complaint: 23130320

I am rejecting this response because: I would like an actual resolution instead of an automated response. Please refund my shipping charges

Sincerely,

**** *******
Business Response
Date: 04/08/2025
The refund of the shipping (*****) was processed on 04/02/25. I attempted to contact you by phone and could not reach you.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/16/2025
Type:Customer Service Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Purchased a water heater that uses a heat pump as the primary device to heat the **********************. * The heat pump stopped functioning and I contacted AO Smith about it on Dec 29th 2024. Was instructed to send pictures of the installed tank to an email address and that I will be contacted within few days. * I sent the images on Dec 30th and received a confirmation response. * I have since been waiting to hear back.Meanwhile the heat pump exhausts warm air which indicates that it is in fact causing the reverse effectit is cooling down the water thus causing the secondary heating element to have to heat the water and make up for the cooling. This means that not only I lost money on this expensive heater, Im using more electricity than I would with a conventional heater.
Business Response
Date: 03/19/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.
We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/21/2025

Complaint: 23072071

I am rejecting this response because:
The business stated that they will reach out to me which is not a resolution. The business has already failed to contact me after my prior communication attempts and despite their prior promise to contact me. The business must provide a satisfactory resolution on the BBB platform or I will not accept their response.

Sincerely,

***** ****
Business Response
Date: 04/01/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/16/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. The business offered a path forward to receive a warranty buyout. Im in process of following the steps the business laid out and assume it ok to select accept while I wait for the money. Thank you.

Sincerely,

***** ****
Initial Complaint
Date:02/27/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
purchased and installed new water heater from ****** home center. the water heater model is a 50 gallons A.O.Smith 300. i specifically chose this unit bc of the feature of wi-fi. after installation the app is not working. i called the customer service and were not able to help and she said its been an old problem and they are working on the issue. i therefore, am asking to be completely refunded included the installation fee. after looking at reviews it doesnt seem very encouraging. very bad reviews from customers. customer service wa not helpful at all and would not transfer me to a supervisor
Business Response
Date: 02/28/2025
We apologize for your frustrating experience.

We will be reviewing our records and reaching out to you.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/28/2025

Complaint: 22999406

I am rejecting this response because:THE bUS HAS CONTACT ME BUT i TOLD HIM THAT SOMEONE ELSE ALREADY HELPED TO INSTALL THE aPP. hOWEVER THE *** IS STILL NOT WORKING. I need a supervisor to call me

Sincerely,

***** *****
Customer Answer
Date: 02/28/2025
to add to the complaint: when trying to change the temp via the app, i get a message: "Your network connection works, but we are experiencing a temporary outage on our end. Our team is currently working to resolve this issue, so please try again later". in other works the app is not working.
Business Response
Date: 03/04/2025
We apologize for your frustrating experience.

We will be reviewing our records and reaching out to you.
Initial Complaint
Date:02/21/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I called to the A.O Smith. For the warranty and they did not want to try to honor the warranty by sending someone to check the unit itself. Tried calling back multiple times but kept getting put on a hole and no one would come to the line to answer, we called ************ Model number and serial number of the hot ******************************************* model # E6-50R45Dv 100 Serial number#************* We call and spoke with the service *** name to ****** she refused to send anyone to check the unit out she stayed at that our breakers and things did not match up that is in correct we have pictures showing that they are matched
Business Response
Date: 02/24/2025
We have spoken with the homeowner and issued the return authorization that she had requested.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/26/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

******* *******
Initial Complaint
Date:02/07/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
The hot water heater does not staying lit lit. Called customer service to no resolve fixed everything they stated and water heater still does not work.
Business Response
Date: 02/11/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/11/2025

Complaint: 22915078

I am rejecting this response because:
Once again I have complied to everything the phone support stated. I have spent more money to repair the issues they said was wrong and got water heater still does not stay lit. My wife has sent them photos of the vent piping. This an on going issue. The ******* they sent even voiced his issue that he will speak to his boss to get a replacement to which has not happened? I understand Im just a number to them but I paid for the product and it does not work properly and makes very hard to get money back to purchase a working water heater.
Sincerely,

****** *****
Business Response
Date: 02/27/2025
Our records indicate we were able to speak with you by phone on 2/25/25 and were able to reach a satisfactory resoltuion. If we can be of further asssitance, please don't hesistate to reach back out to us.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/28/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

****** *****
Initial Complaint
Date:02/05/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
We purchased our home in October 2017, and it came with an AO Smith water heater. Over time, we began experiencing error codes, leading to the unit being replaced under the manufacturers warranty on December 14, 2023. Since the labor warranty had expired, we paid $733.66 out of pocket for installation costs.On December 2, 2024 (within one year of the replacement), we encountered new error codes and contacted a plumber. The plumber reached out to AO Smith, and they advised that a replacement control panel would resolve the issue. This part was installed on December 5, 2024.However, on January 14, 2025, we experienced more error codes. The plumber inspected the unit and contacted AO Smith the same day. Despite this issue originating within the one-year period, AO Smith is now refusing to cover the labor costs for repairs, citing that we are past the one-year timeline.We believe this is unfair, as the original complaint and request for service occurred within the warranty period. AO Smith's failure to properly resolve the issue the first time should not result in additional out-of-pocket costs for us. We are requesting that AO Smith honor their warranty obligations and cover the labor costs for the necessary repairs.
Business Response
Date: 02/11/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/13/2025

Complaint: 22903180

I am rejecting this response because: the manufacturer has yet to reach out at all. We are waiting for some kind of communication from them and the resolution would need to be that they cover the labor costs for their faulty unit, which failed within the 1 year warranty timeline.

Sincerely,

******** *******
Business Response
Date: 02/24/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.
Initial Complaint
Date:02/04/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
A O SMITH water heaters are total and complete garbage!! DO NOT BUY THEM!! My widowed elderly mother on a fixed ********** was without hot water in the middle of winter in January for weeks as her brand new, less than 2 year old AO SMITH water heater completely stopped working, including the thermostat, control panel, AND THE heating elements. AO smith refused to help, refused to troubleshoot, refused any assistance or culpability, and basically told my widowed mother get lost. They are callous cruel towards veterans and the elderly and their water heater is TOTAL WORTHLESS GARBAGE!! DO NOT BUY THIS COMPANY'S 40 gallon wi-fi water heaters! THis company lies, doesn't fulfill their warranty, and their products DO NOT LAST the 5 years that they guarantee. Ive reported this company to the Maryland attorney general for their behavior. A new water heater cost my elderly mother on a fixed income over 500$ plus parts and labor costing several hundred more dollars to buy another brand after AO SMITHS water heater and controller failed after only two years!!
Business Response
Date: 02/11/2025
We're sorry to hear you've been having trouble.

We are reviewing our files, and we will reach out to you.

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A O Smith Corporation is BBB Accredited.