Many of the features of this vacuum took some getting used to (I can see how some users think the suction doesn't work), but overall I was impressed with its design (I'm an electrical engineer) and I was very happy with it performance of this vacuum cleaner - until it failed completely after less than six months of moderate use. As an engineer, I naturally took the vacuum apart to see if it could be easily repaired or to see what was wrong. the main reason for the refusal (see attached photos). The only disturbing quality of this product right out of the box is that it is very noisy. In hindsight, I wonder if one of the percussion motor mounting bolts was never properly tightened, resulting in excessive vibration and noise and the possible failure of the motor mounting bracket in the transparent clam shell (as well as the failure of several other parts). Will they act and replace the defective product? [EDIT/UPDATE] I contacted the Hoover team and they immediately responded with an offer to trade my new vacuum for my broken one. The novelty arrived today as promised and I was keen to check the relative noise level. . ...Well, an old, broken, vibrating tornado was a lot louder than a new, well-functioning vacuum cleaner (which produces a muffled, efficient-sounding vacuum hum). This confirms that the defective product I originally purchased was not manufactured correctly. And Hoover's response confirms that it is a responsible company that cares about its customers and the quality of its products. My old one star rating no longer applies. [ EDIT ] Please read the comments, which contain a transcript of my correspondence with the Hoover team.