You wouldn't think that washing machines, full of water, could catch on fire...well Maytag has a found a way to make it happen! More precisely, Samsung did, and sold it to Maytag.
March 2007: Maytag announced the voluntary recall of 250,000 front-loading washing machines for fire hazards. Samsung Electronics recalled 20,000 of them also. In the US, the models are sold under both names, but made by the South Korean Samsung company. South Korea? Isn't that the country that brought you the $105 million Hundai embezzlement? Is this Korean quality?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal safety agency in charge of consumer product recalls, announced the recall after it was disclosed that the washing machines can catch fire because of water leaks. Turns out that the water can get into an electrical connection and that can ignite an interior circuit board and ... poof! You're left wondering if your laundry will go up in smoke! To be fair, reportedly no fires outside of the machine itself have disclosed. Still, you take a metal box, toss in some electronics and a tub you fill with water and you've got a fire? Seems just a little odd to me, to say the least...
The CPSC is the same financially crippled and leaderless safety agency that is currently facing Presidential budget cuts for the third year in a row.
The washing machines were sold nationally betweeen April 2005 and August 2006 for prices averaging $1,000 to $1,200.
Washers covered: The recall involves Maytag model numbers beginning with MAH9700 or MAH8700. The Samsung model numbers are WF306BHW and WF316.
Model and serial numbers are located on a tag at the bottom of the door opening. Maytag serial numbers ending in the last two letters announced on the CPSC website are the only ones covered. Samsung serial numbers with the six digit number 1000001 thru 799999 (prior to a letter at the end of the searial number) are subject to the recall.
When washing machines catch fire, we need more safety investigators at CPSC, and not less!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Known nationwide as a leading Lemon Law attorney, Ronald L. Burdge has represented literally thousands of consumers in "lemon" lawsuits and actively co-counsels and coaches other Consumer Law attorneys. From 2005 through 2018, attorney Ronald L. Burdge has been named as the only Lemon Law Ohio Super Lawyer by Law and Politics magazine and Thomson Reuters Corp., Professional Division. Burdge restricts his practice to Lemon Law and Consumer Law cases. The Ohio Super Lawyer results are published annually in the January issue of Cincinnati Magazine. Ronald L. Burdge was named Consumer Law Trial Lawyer of the Year 2004 by the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the nation's largest organization of consumer law private and government attorneys. "Your impact on the auto industry has been magnified many times over because of the trail you blazed for others," stated NACA's Executive Director, Will Ogburn. Burdge has represented thousands of consumers in Ohio, Kentucky and elsewhere since 1978 and is a frequent lecturer to national, state and local Bar Associations and Judicial organizations. Burdge is admitted to Ohio's state and federal courts, Kentucky's state courts, and Indiana's federal courts. Other court admissions are on a "pro hac" temporary, case by cases basis.