Dyson is disputing a Consumer NZ report that claims that its stick vacuums aren't as durable as they should be.
The consumer watchdog released its latest appliance reliability report on Thursday and in the stick vacuum section, Dyson and Hoover tied for the lowest reliability rate of 78 percent, versus an average of 80 percent.
"The research is telling us that most people expect their stick vacuum to last at least six years, but a third of stick vacuums are failing before that period and we don't think that's good enough," says Consumer NZ's CEO Jon Duffy.
"[Dyson] is a really good for cleaning carpets, but in terms of durability and longevity it's failing a lot earlier than consumers expect it too."
The stick vacuum section of the survey included data from 1289 respondents, 743 of whom were Dyson users. Bosch was rated the highest for reliability with 90 percent, but only 58 respondents were Bosch users.
The survey did not take into account how the vacuums were used nor if the manufacturer's maintenance guidelines were followed.
"Dyson has been in communication with Consumer NZ to better understand their survey methodology. However, five of the top six rated stick vacuums tested by Consumer NZ are Dyson machines and all are 'Consumer Recommended'," Dyson says, referencing a previous report.
Consumer NZ said it established the reliability score "as a weighted percentage of its products that have never needed repair".
"We only analyse brands that got 30 or more responses in a category," the report says.
"Where we haven't re-surveyed a particular product, we've included the reliability data from surveys conducted between 2017 and 2019."
Newshub asked Dyson owners how good they are, with members of the public citing satisfaction with the machine's portability and warranty, while another simply stated: "sucks well for me".
While Consumer NZ found many Dyson owners saying their stick vacuums required repairs in under six years, the British technology company insists they're extremely durable.
"At Dyson, we rigorously test all of our machines - going above and beyond regulatory testing guidelines to ensure they are robust, reliable and last a long time," says Dyson.
"All Dyson floorcare machines come with a two-year warranty covering parts and labour and our engineers take great pride in developing machines that consistently receive high owner satisfaction and that are definitely built to last."
