Vitamix offers notably generous warranties. Depending on the model, you get 5, 7, or 10 years of coverage. (And that includes the great deals on reconditioned machines). That’s already longer than most of the things we buy, but Vitamix warranty service goes above and beyond. If you ever have an issue with your machine, call them up, and you’ll talk to someone at their headquarters in Ohio. If they can’t solve your problem over the phone, they cover shipping both ways for repair or replacement.

They also sometimes make a first-time courtesy replacement for items damaged by user error/negligence. I’ve heard from people who broke something (melted container on stove, blended lid plug or tamper, etc.) and knew it was their fault, who had the part replaced for free. Note that this is a courtesy service and you can’t assume Vitamix will offer it.

Here’s the official version of the warranty.

Warranty is transferable

This perk is also beyond what most companies offer. The warranty lasts the full 5–10 years, regardless of change of ownership. Vitamix can look up a machine by serial number and tell you how long is left on the warranty.

Registration

Your warranty is automatically registered if you buy from Vitamix.com. If you purchase elsewhere, you can register online. Being registered streamlines service requests, although it is not required for warranty service.

What is not covered?

• Commercial use on a home machine.
• Cosmetic changes such as scratches or discoloration.
• Blending non-food items. (Even though it seems like a Vitamix could blend a 2×4, don’t test it.)
• Failure to follow instructions and warnings in manual. (As mentioned above, customer service reps often give a one-time courtesy replacement, even if the customer didn’t heed all warnings, but they include this language in the warranty to protect themselves from abuse.)
• Unauthorized repairs. (If anything goes wrong, call Vitamix before trying to fix it.)
• Using unauthorized attachments.

Extended Warranty

You can extend the warranty for an additional 3 years, bringing the total warranty to 8 or 10 years, depending on the model. The extended warranty costs $75 if you get it within the first 30 days of purchasing your machine. You can also get the extended warranty up through the end of the original warranty period for $120. Update: Vitamix is essentially including this 3-year warranty extension for free on the Ascent Series, which has a 10-year warranty.

Is the extended Vitamix warranty worth it?

On average, I suspect that you would come out ahead by skipping the extension. You can “self insure,” and cover the cost of repairs or replacements in the warranty extension period. You would likely come out ahead, but it is of course possible that there would be some catastrophic failure in the warranty extension period. Here are a few things that could make it worth it to get the extended warranty:

• If you are a heavy user, you could come out ahead. For example, if you have a big family of raw foodists who use the Vitamix all day, every day, that is going to put more wear on the machine than the average home user that Vitamix is expecting.
• If you are giving a gift to someone who would not be able to afford the possible replacement cost—you’ll know they are set for 8 or 10 years!
• If you just like the feeling of being covered and knowing that Vitamix will take care of anything that happens for an extra three years.
• Finally, note that the extended warranty price is the same regardless of model, so the extension is a better deal on the more expensive machines.

Container Warranty

If you get a container with your machine, it will be covered for the length of your machine warranty. Containers purchased separately come with a 3-year warranty.

5 vs. 7 years

Why do some Vitamix models come with a 5-year warranty and others come with 7 years?

There is no difference in quality. My guess is that Vitamix uses this to partially justify price differences between models, although cheaper machines do not necessarily come with the shorter warranty. The following models come with 5 years: Aspire, Creations, Reconditioned, S-Series, and Turboblend Two & Three speed, while all other models come with 7 years. Curious or confused about the differences between all the models? Check out my Vitamix comparison page.

Using the Warranty

Vitamix does list an email contact address, but in my experience, it’s best to call. For reasons I don’t understand, they don’t always respond to email. Their number is 800-848-2649, and their hours are weekdays 8am-8pm (EST) and Sat 9am-5pm (EST). At peak times you may have to wait on hold. You can usually avoid wait times in peak season by calling when they open in the morning. If you need to return something, they’ll send you a prepaid shipping label by your choice of email or physical mail.