General Electric Built-in Dishwashers
CPSC Recall #05-116 — February 17, 2005
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 05-116 |
| Recall Date | February 17, 2005 |
| Remedy Type | Repair |
| Units Affected | About 74,300 |
| Manufacturer | GE Consumer & Industrial of Louisville, Ky. |
| Manufactured In | United States |
Where It Was Sold
| Appliance retail outlets and builder distributors nationwide from January 2004 through February 2005 for between $300 and $400. |
Product
General Electric Built-in Dishwashers
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. The following models are included in this recall and were sold after January 20, 2004: GE dishwasher models GSD5500G, GSD5560G, GSD5800G, GSD5900G, GSD5960G, EDW3000G, and EDW3060G, with serial numbers with the first letter A through T and the second letter G, or the serial letters VF. The serial number is important as not all dishwashers with these model numbers are included in this recall. The model and serial number are located inside the door wall of the dishwasher.
Hazard
These dishwashers have a connector that can short-circuit and overheat during normal use, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
Incidents & Injuries
GE received 29 reports of connectors overheating, including one report of a fire that spread outside the dishwasher and caused minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should immediately stop using the dishwasher and contact GE to arrange for their dishwashers to be repaired free of charge.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Repair) at no cost to you.
If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident — they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.