# Generac 20 KW Stator Issue



## JCreech (Jul 29, 2021)

I bought a Generac 20 KW stand-by generator in January of 2015. In December of 2016, the stator, rotor, brushes and control panel all went bad and had to be replaced (unsure of total hours on the unit at the time, but not many). Luckily it was still under warranty, so a local Generac dealer done the work for me. It was several thousand dollars worth of work.

The generator has been running fine since then until a few days ago. My power went out, but the generator never came on. I went to go check it out and it showed a 1902 code. I cleared the code and cranked the generator manually and it still did not turn the lights on. It would not get out of "Warming Up" mode. Once again, I called my Generac dealer and they sent someone out today and the mechanic said that my stator was burnt up again and the cost would be several thousand dollars (out of pocket) to fix it again.

The unit only has 336.8 hours on it at this time. He said it was rare for a stator to burn up once, much less twice on the same unit. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Is there such thing as a lemon law on a unit this old. I'm pretty ignorant to things such as this and would really appreciate some help.


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## Jackruf (Nov 4, 2012)

I would recommend you start by posting on Ziller Forum. That site has a terrific forum dedicated to Generac standby generators. Lots of knowledgeable professional Generac techs there. They will be able to give good insight and direction regarding how common the issue is and perhaps how to proceed with your claim.


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## FlyFisher (Jun 30, 2018)

Sorry about your troubles. That is not a fun place to be in, for sure. 

Generac does not get a good reputation - and your situation is, unfortunately, par for the course. Perhaps it is an odd-ball issue, but Generac, in general, is a brand that is plagued with all kinds of issues - units not working, poor workmanship, denied claims, and the list goes on. 

I second the motion of checking out the forum in the link posted before. However, if you aren't able to get anywhere to your satisfaction I would look for a replacement unit. Check out Cummins, Winco, and Kohler. Check with locals to see who has had good service. If you are in the market for a maintained unit from a company then the quality of the service you get should be highest on the list. Some places Kohler is OK, others not so much. Service is always regional and vendor specific - it might be OK in some parts of the country, but not others.


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## JCreech (Jul 29, 2021)

I appreciate the help, guys!


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

JCreech said:


> I bought a Generac 20 KW stand-by generator in January of 2015. In December of 2016, the stator, rotor, brushes and control panel all went bad and had to be replaced (unsure of total hours on the unit at the time, but not many). Luckily it was still under warranty, so a local Generac dealer done the work for me. It was several thousand dollars worth of work.
> 
> The generator has been running fine since then until a few days ago. My power went out, but the generator never came on. I went to go check it out and it showed a 1902 code. I cleared the code and cranked the generator manually and it still did not turn the lights on. It would not get out of "Warming Up" mode. Once again, I called my Generac dealer and they sent someone out today and the mechanic said that my stator was burnt up again and the cost would be several thousand dollars (out of pocket) to fix it again.
> 
> The unit only has 336.8 hours on it at this time. He said it was rare for a stator to burn up once, much less twice on the same unit. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Is there such thing as a lemon law on a unit this old. I'm pretty ignorant to things such as this and would really appreciate some help.


what state are you in?
check in with the atty general in your state.
they should be able to help on the lemon law.

sounds like something is up with the ats.


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## JCreech (Jul 29, 2021)

iowagold said:


> what state are you in?
> check in with the atty general in your state.
> they should be able to help on the lemon law.
> 
> sounds like something is up with the ats.


I'm in North East Texas.


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## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

iowagold said:


> what state are you in?
> check in with the atty general in your state.
> they should be able to help on the lemon law.





JCreech said:


> I'm in North East Texas.


Sadly, implied warranty (lemon) laws generally only cover items for up to 4 years. A 2015 genset is beyond that remedy.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

yea..... unless there was a class action....
rare for those...
honda and cat for me on gen set brands!


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## Browse Deweb (Jan 16, 2021)

I would recommend a Cummins RS25 water cooled generator for whole house backup. Generac, especially the air cooled model, is not a quality generator. People find this out then they need their generator most.


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