Bosch 300 Series dishwasher problems
The short answer
263 of the 1,988 Bosch 300 Series reviews we read describe something breaking. The problem reported most is not drying (51 reports). Its 4.2-star store rating drops to about 4.0 when we leave out reviews written for free products. It uses 269 kWh a year and 3.5 gallons a cycle.
- Reviews describing a breakdown
- 263 of the 1,988 we read
- Most common problem
- Not drying (51 owners)
- Star rating without free-product reviews
- 4.0 (the store shows 4.2)
- What owners like most
- Quiet
We read extra 1- and 2-star reviews for this series, so these numbers show what people complain about, not how likely the dishwasher is to break.
Star rating, with and without reviews written for free products
Store rating Without free-product reviews
- 300 Series
From 3,545 reviews. The second value is our estimate.
Show as a table
| Series | Store rating | Without free-product reviews |
|---|---|---|
| 300 Series | 4.2 | 4.0 |
1,400 of 3,545 (estimate).
Promotional reviews are written in exchange for a free or discounted dishwasher, usually soon after it's installed. They aren't fake, but they rate higher and come too early to say much about reliability. How we estimate this.
Problems owners report
- Not drying on the 300 Series 51 19%
- Won't start on the 300 Series 39 15%
- Not cleaning on the 300 Series 34 13%
- Display or buttons not working on the 300 Series 27 10%
- Leaking on the 300 Series 18 7%
- Door problems on the 300 Series 17 6%
- Other problems (fewer than 10 reports each) 32 12%
- Didn't say which problem 45 17%
Each problem with 10 or more reports has its own page. Shares are of breakdown reports, not of all dishwashers.
Show as a table
| Item | Owners | Share of 263 |
|---|---|---|
| Not drying on the 300 Series | 51 | 19% |
| Won't start on the 300 Series | 39 | 15% |
| Not cleaning on the 300 Series | 34 | 13% |
| Display or buttons not working on the 300 Series | 27 | 10% |
| Leaking on the 300 Series | 18 | 7% |
| Door problems on the 300 Series | 17 | 6% |
| Other problems (fewer than 10 reports each) | 32 | 12% |
| Didn't say which problem | 45 | 17% |
Parts owners blame most
Energy and water
- 269kWh a year (federal limit 307)
- 3.5gallons a cycle (federal limit 5)
- 16place settings
Official figures every manufacturer files with the US Department of Energy, the same numbers as the yellow EnergyGuide label.
Safety recalls
None of the 22 US dishwasher recalls in the Consumer Product Safety Commission's database lists model numbers SHE53C82N, SHE53C85N or SHE53C86N (checked October 5, 2026). Some recalls only cover certain serial numbers, so it's still worth checking yours at cpsc.gov/Recalls.
When things go wrong
48 of 152.
- 32 owners say a technician came and it still wasn't fixed.
- 12 owners got the dishwasher replaced or their money back.
Also reported, but not counted above
- 36 problems owners blame on delivery, installation or the store rather than the dishwasher.
- 52 failures described in promotional reviews. They're real reports, but we leave all promotional reviews out of failure counts.
Owners reporting no problems so far
124 owners say theirs is working fine and say how long they've had it. Another 1,055 say it's working fine without saying for how long.
What owners like
The main thing 1,311 owners praise, from reviews that don't describe a failure.
Complaints about the design (not breakdowns)
From 1,380 reviews that criticize how the dishwasher works rather than describe it breaking.
Models in the 300 Series
The same machine sold in different finishes. Reports for every model are counted together.
Common questions
What problems do Bosch 300 Series owners report most?
Not drying (51), won't start (39) and not cleaning (34), out of 1,988 owner reviews we read.
Is the Bosch 300 Series reliable?
Reviews can't give an exact failure rate. What we can count: 263 of the 1,988 Bosch 300 Series reviews we read describe something breaking, and 48 of the 152 who said when had problems right out of the box.
What is the Bosch 300 Series star rating without reviews from free-product promotions?
About 4.0 stars, compared with the 4.2 shown at Home Depot. We estimate about 1,400 of its 3,545 reviews were written in exchange for a free or discounted dishwasher.
How much energy and water does the Bosch 300 Series use?
269 kWh a year and 3.5 gallons a cycle, per the official US Department of Energy filing. The federal limits are 307 kWh and 5 gallons.