Maytag dishwashers
CPSC Recall #96-005 - October 16, 1995
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 96-005 |
| Recall Date | October 16, 1995 |
| Remedy Type | Inspect, Repair |
| Units Affected | 553,000 |
Product
Maytag dishwashers
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - CPSC, Maytag Corporation, of Newton, Iowa., is inspecting and repairing dishwashers with a component that can fail during use. This small electrical component, located in the base of the unit, can malfunction, overheat, and in rare circumstances, cause a fire. Maytag has received 142 reports of component failures, including one confirmed fire that involved minor property damage. Maytag reports that most of the failures have occurred within the first eight months of the dishwasher's installation. The company will focus its inspection efforts on these dishwashers that it believes to be most at risk for component failure. There have been no reports of injuries resulting from the electrical component failures. Maytag Corporation is inspecting and repairing at no charge to consumers certain Maytag brand dishwashers that carry serial numbers ending in one of the following pairs of letters: KF, KH, KK, KM, KQ, KS, KU, KW, KY, KZ, or MB. Maytag will mail notices to consumers whose dishwashers are to be inspected. Maytag manufactured a total of 553,000 dishwashers with the component from March 1994 through January 1995. Maytag dealers and other retailers sold these dishwashers nationwide from April 1994 to October 1995. Consumers should check their dishwasher's serial number to determine if it may be part of the inspection and repair program. The serial number is located in the upper left corner of the dishwasher tub, just below the countertop. Consumers who have one of these dishwashers can call Maytag Customer Service toll-free at (800) 462-9267 to arrange for their dishwasher to be inspected, or they can write the company at Maytag Customer Service, P.O. Box 8021, Cleveland, TN 37320-8021. Maytag recommends that, if consumers choose to continue to use their dishwashers prior to the inspection, they should do so only while at home, attending to the appliance. Maytag media inquiries should be directed to Tom Schwartz, Director Corporate Communications, at (515) 791-6342.
Hazard
This small electrical component, located in the base of the unit, can malfunction, overheat, and in rare circumstances, cause a fire.
Incidents & Injuries
Maytag has received 142 reports of component failures, including one confirmed fire that involved minor property damage. Maytag reports that most of the failures have occurred within the first eight months of the dishwasher's installation. There have been no reports of injuries resulting from the electrical component failures.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers who have one of these dishwashers can call Maytag Customer Service toll-free at (800) 462-9267 to arrange for their dishwasher to be inspected, or they can write the company at Maytag Customer Service, P.O. Box 8021, Cleveland, TN 37320-8021. Maytag recommends that, if consumers choose to continue to use their dishwashers prior to the inspection, they should do so only while at home, attending to the appliance.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Inspect, 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 (Inspect, 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.