replacement dishwasher

12 year old GE dishwasher making strange noises - getting ready to replace. I have laminate + pad installed over vinyl flooring and the laminate was squeezed under the front legs of the dishwasher (with the front legs all the way up).
I only have 33.5 inches for the height of the new dishwasher. Appliance shops directing me to Maytag Quiet Series 300 due to minimum height of 33.5 inches. Researching shows many bad reviews for this dishwasher. Has Maytag quality really gone down hill? Does anyone else know of a decent dishwasher with a 33.5 height?

This shows the top of the dishwasher under tile counter top and cabinet. Could the horizontal wood piece be removed so a 'higher' dishwasher could be installed? I'm reading that Whirlpool and KitchenAid are better quality than Maytag .... thanks much for your help.

I've got news for you... Maytag's, Kitchen Aid's, and Whirlpool's are all Whirlpool's. Maytag and Kitchen Aid were bought out by Whirlpool Corp.

I know someone on the inside at Whirlpool in dishwashers. The Whirlpool purchase of Maytag hasn't fully effected the dishwashers yet but will soon. Kitchen Aids are very good dishwashers. So is any dishwasher that Whirlpool makes for Sears (Kenmore Elite).

I think GE makes an ADA approved model that fits in tighter spaces.

Yes - am aware that Whirlpool owns Maytag and KitchenAid, but I suspect they are manufactured differently. I haven't been able to find a GE built-in less than 34" high. I'm thinking I will need to remove the horizontal wood piece to remove the dishwasher anyway. I can either replace with a narower piece (if needed) or bolt the dishwasher to the plywood under the tile counter. Is this sound OK? Thanks.

Many dishwashers allow provisions to move the clips to the sides. I'd rather not see you try to screw up into the ply holding the tile...too much of a chance of disrupting your tiled surface.

You could probably cut away the oak trim above the opening. I don't think you want to try to actually remove it. You should be able to use either a router or a saw to cut it out...no banging or you'll mess up the tile.

You may be able to cut back the vinal that would be covered by the bottom trim piece of the DW and gain a little bit there as well.

Some DW can actually unscrew and remove the feet entirely. Depending on the floor, it might be harder to get to sit flat, but might be worth looking into.

Thanks for the advice, Jim. It makes sense. I'll take the pics to the appliance shop and see what they say. I also stopped at HD to compare prices. They advertize a replacement install for $20. Turns out the delivery guys have been 'trained' to install the dishwashers - they are not contractors and no guarantees on the install!! I can imagine what they would do with this one .... Local appliance shop charges $160 for guaranteed install done by professionals. I'll go with them....