Hi Pip Menace, thanks so much for the quick reply. So far I think I've tried two different kitchen layouts, one is where the kitchens are next to each other (the fridges are only separated by a layer of wall) and one is where they are on opposite ends of the lot (this is a 40x30 lot). I've been avoiding multi-storey lots cause it's harder to manage my sims when I can't see what they're up to. Doesn't seem to make any difference to me, for now. The way my current lot is designed is that each group of sims would have their own areas (with amenities at the furthest corners to keep them from getting confused). Seems like the only way to fix the bug for now is to simply save, exit and reload the game, but the problem here is I usually don't know the fridge has locked up (and yes, the hungry sims go away for awhile and will return to their fridge, and they will repeat the process a few times until their 48 hours are up before dropping dead - usually right in front of the fridge). So unless i'm actively checking and clicking on any hungry sims and make them cook their food I won't know they can't access food until they are dead. Since lots of aspirations can be completed in 48 hours, reverting to the previous save is usually not an option for me, and my current PS4 Pro is getting really slow for game save every 10 minutes. I'm tempted to upgrade my console's HDD to SSD but that's not something I want to do for the time being considering the cost of a 2TB SSD, and not knowing if the upcoming PS5 will support Sims 4 or not.
I guess my gripe here is that the game indicates that when sims are fully automated, they have a fail safe built-in i.e. they won't allow themselves to starve to death. But the way the sims are behaving lately is suggesting that this fail safe is not working, and it is killing them.
And yes, I have the same sink bug as well. A sim would eat its food in the kitchen and walk to a bathroom on the other side of the lot to wash the plate, when there's a sink right next to it.
