There is a smell of burning when using the cleaner. The belts are OK and there is good suction.

Peter, April 2008

3 years ago I bought a Dyson DC23, and it died the other day. Dyson service said my guarantee is not valid since I bought it off ebay. So I disassembled it, and found that the fan nut on the motor loosened, and caused the motor to block, and the carbon brushes burned as a result. I’m pretty disappointed by the build quality, given the price tag. I was a fan up till now, but I’ll pick more carefully the next time I buy a vacuum cleaner.

Veliko, April 2013

I know this post is old but we have just had the same problem with our 10-year old DC04 - a burning smell with the motor then cutting out intermittently (so we stopped using it - not safe).

We were going to buy a new motor off the net but I was worried that the fault might be something else in which case I would have bought the wrong part.

So I phoned Dyson for a quote and was surprised to find out about the fixed price repair - now £69, which covered ANY FAULTS save the three small tools (the plastic attachments). That was good news as the long hose on the rear had split (a common fault) and a new one costs £20, but replacing it was covered in the fixed price repair.

I phoned Dyson on Tuesday; an engineer visited on Saturday (on an 0800-1300 time slot with him phoning before coming). He also replaced the hose as above, and a HEPA filter.

In short, I'm very pleased I didn't buy a new motor off the internet (even though it was the motor that had gone). The fixed price repair was a good deal for us - for peace of mind, an engineer doing the repair rather than me, and two other items replaced at the same time for no additional charge.

In a previous repair a few years ago (which we were not charged for as it was due to a faulty Dyson part), the engineer noticed that our brush bar (nothing to do with the fault) had brushes missing from it. To our surprise he replaced it at the same time, free of charge. My point is that if you book a £69 fixed price repair, you will probably have any faulty parts replaced even if they are not actually broken.

David, November 2010

Thankyou so much. I am a person with disabilities living alone. Four years ago bought a Dyson DC07 brush control to use downstairs and my 14 year old Sanyo (Bagged, noisy and still going strong) was consigned to vacuuming the upstairs of the property. I was amazed when calling Dyson to be told it was the motor and not the belts that needed changing. The DC07 Brush Control never need belts changing they told me. I couldn't believe the motor had given up the ghost with only four years light work, but, all the details you have given in your answer make sense and are extremely interesting. Yes, I do believe there must have been problems with this design for it to give up the ghost in just four years. This is however, such a good cleaner and so simple for me to use and clean. I've always cleaned the filters and dust bin with cold water and never had smells from the cleaner before. It just seemed to start tripping itself up as if the belt was slipping. I had been loathe to get Dyson out and have been seriously considering buying another Sanyo. (I had to use an extension lead downstairs with the one I have) but, on the advice you have given here I'll contact Dyson. Very many thanks, excellent public service. Lorna

Lorna, July 2008

www.sparesaver.com sell Dyson motor's for £44.49 with free delivery including VAT

reece, May 2008

May well be the motor on the way out. It does work pretty hard.

Take off the post-motor filter (Clip on cover underneath the dust bin). If it's heavily blackened, that's a good clue.

The bad news is that a new motor and a new post-motor filter would set you back about £60, by the time you include VAT and shipping, even off t'Internet.

The good news is that Dyson offer a fixed-price at-home service for £65, including any necassary parts.

The motor in my machine failed a few months back. I found the Dyson service deal on the website, filled in the form on the support page one Thursday evening, had a call back on Friday, setting up a visit for Tuesday the following week.

The guy came and as well as a new motor and filter, he fitted a new clutch assembly (he said 'cos the old one looked a bit worn), a new pre-motor filter, new belts and a new cyclone assembly (I have a feeling there was a safety redesign: The new cyclone has a lock that prevents you releasing the cyclone inadvertently if you press the release button whilst lifting the vacuum by the handle on top of the cyclone)

So there you are: for a fiver more than the cost of a new motor and filter, I had about £120+ of bits fitted and guaranteed for a year.

I'm sure this has been posted in reply to several other Dyson motor failures - you may have found an answer much quicker.

No matter - Was that helpful?

John, April 2008