Product review (4 stars): Bad cooktop. Replacement unit seems to be ok.
I bought this cooktop in November 2012. By February 2013, I started having problem with the automatic ignition. I placed service call to Kitchenaid. They came out and replaced the ignitor. It worked for a month, and the automatic ignitor failed again. I called and they came out and replaced the ignitor again plus some other electronic parts. This time it worked for couple months. In July 2013, the automatic ignitor failed again. I called for service again. This time, Kitchenaid wanted to do the same thing they have been doing in the past by replacing new ignitor and some more parts. I requested for a new cooktop replacement since the same problem occurs 3 times. Each time, it takes a minimum of 2 or 3 appointments for technician to come to do a diagnostic, order parts, and come back to install parts. Every time they come, they give me a window of 4 to 6 hours of waiting. I have to take time off from work and wait for them.
KitchenAid has refused to replace my cooktop. They want to keep replacing ignitors and parts until I am out of warranty and the problem is solved. Come on KitchenAid, this is an expensive luxury cooktop that costs more than a thousand dollars. Is this the way KitchenAid stand behind their products? The best KitchenAid can do is to send people to my house to replace ignitors and parts every other month? They don't care about their customer time and inconvenience. I will never buy another product from them again. And I will make sure my friends and family know about this.
==>UPDATE 09/27/2013
After the third attempt to fix the ignitors problem failed, KitchenAid management team has agreed to send me a brand new cooktop with brand new 12 months warranty. That's what customer service should be! Thanks KitchenAid. I am happy now. The new unit seems to be working fine so far. Hopefully, the cooktop that I got initially was just an unusual/unlucky one in the systems.