Could a new water filter be bad ?

Yes it can my water would not come out of the front until I changed the filter we had no pressure. Repairman found out we had a defective water filter from the factory.

Thank you for your question and we apologize for the delay in response. Are you referring to smell issues or water leaks? Smell issues are primarily caused by the circulation of air from the refrigerator cabin to the freezer. Therefore, if there is any open food in the refrigerator the ice will take on that smell. This will happen with any refrigerator brand. We recommend sealing all leftovers in food storage containers to prevent this from happening in the future.

The fridge needs baking soda odor /taste remover and often cleaning.

The filters generally last for 6 months, so when your indicator litght turns red it's time to replace it. Refer to your owners manual. Place some baking soda in the firg and freezer that absorbs odors. The frig does need cleaned every so often - dust dirt and food particles need cleaned out.