Have been using this for just over an year. The sides heat up a bit but the manual says it is normal for this model. Now looks like the defrost timer went off.
Haier techinician visits cost 350/=. Cost of new timer is ~1000. Spare part is out of stock, however the technician has promised to get it in 2 days time. Total cost of repair estimated at 1500/= for a 14 month old fridge. I have had a Godrej with my parents running for 10 years without any problem. Makes me think why don’t we go for our Indian products that are durable and low in maintenance.
Apart from this I also suspect thta it consumes a lot of power. I did not see any energy star rating on this model while buying and perhaps that was a mistake too.
Would not recommend it for their weak service network and cost and availability of spare part. A fridge is something you want to work for years without any trouble.