Dyson V10 Trigger Replacement

This blog is going to be a little less on the technical side and a little more on the “Right To Repair” side.  I can’t find a receipt for when I bought this Dyson V10 vacuum.  But I did find an email stating my warranty was expiring in May 2023.  I bought it refurbished and I think I paid about $350 for it.  So my best guess is I got it in May or November of 2022.  Let’s call it just over 2 years old.

A couple of weeks ago my wife brought me the vacuum and told me it was broken.   A cursory inspection let me know right away that the trigger was not rebounding. Additionally, it remained in the fully depressed position.

As soon as I went to Google I learned a few things:

 

1. The trigger on the Dyson V10, V11 and other models is a HIGH FAILURE RATE ITEM.
2. Dyson won’t sell you a trigger.
3. 3rd party vendors sell REINFORCED triggers.
4. Replacing the trigger requires COMPLETELY disassembling the Dyson vacuum.
5. A Torx #8 screwdriver is required for assembly / disassembly.

Replacement Parts

Once I realized I could buy a replacement trigger it was game on.  I bought this one from Amazon for about $20.

Conversely, this trigger is metal.   Also, there are reinforced plastic triggers for slightly less cost.

Repair Process

Again, I’m not going into the nuts and bolts of the technical repair here.  I followed along with this YouTube video below.  No need for me to recreate this process.

The only comment I have is that you have to completely tear this thing apart. to get to the trigger assembly.

And, yep, mine is most certainly broken.

Let’s take a moment and discuss this.   Do a deep dive on this subject and you’ll see that it isn’t a new phenomenon.  This has been going on for quite a while now.

Why doesn’t Dyson install reinforced triggers in their newer vacuums?  Why wasn’t there a recall?  And lastly, why is it so hard to get to this assembly to change the trigger?

No parts breakdown.  No spare parts sales from Dyson.

This kind of angers me. When I buy something that costs this much money and is a somewhat complex machine I am in the camp that believes I have a right to a repair manual, and access to repair parts.

The consumer should not have to rely on the ingenuity of others to manufacture and sell replacement parts.  And it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that Dyson isn’t providing the tear down instructions, either.

The quality of the 3rd party replacement part is FAR SUPERIOR to the Dyson OEM part.  Again, I have to wonder why this problem persists.  A molded plastic part that is susceptible to cracking renders a $300 + vacuum cleaner inoperable.   Not really a good look, Dyson.

Fixed For $20

Anyway, I got mine working for the cost of a new metal trigger and a couple of hours of teardown.  While I was in there, everything got a good cleaning.  So I should be good for a while.   Here was the moment of truth after the trigger fix.

Dyson.  Do Better.

Should You Buy A Dyson?

Nope.  I’ve replaced at least 1 charger and now a trigger for mine in the 2 years that I’ve owned it.  For this kind of money it should come with an illustrated parts breakdown and the ability for a user to purchase spares.  As long as Dyson makes chargers and triggers with high failure rates and they don’t play the “Right To Repair” game then they should be avoided at all costs.