How Many Years Does a Refrigerator Last?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 09, 2023

The average lifespan of a regular-sized refrigerator is 14 years. This can depend largely upon whether the refrigerator has a side-by-side, bottom-freezer, or top-freezer design.

A refrigerator that has a freezer on the bottom normally lasts longer than the other designs, but all types can often be repaired before they actually need to be fully replaced. Bottom-freezer models can normally be repaired if they are less than 7 years old; some can be successfully repaired even when they are older than that. A side-by-side refrigerator normally makes it to at least 5 years before it needs to be repaired, but the top-freezer design may need to be fully replaced if it is older than 7 years and starting to display performance issues.