Maytag extends refrig recall

Name of Product: Maytag®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand refrigerators

Units: About 46,000 (1.6 million units were previously recalled March 2009)

Manufacturer: Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa

Hazard: An electrical failure in the relay, the component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor, can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received 23 additional reports of refrigerator relay ignition, including 4 reports of property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive kitchen damage.

Description: The recall includes certain Maytag®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand side-by-side and top freezer refrigerators. The affected refrigerators were manufactured in black, bisque, white and stainless steel. They have model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the top middle or left upper side of the refrigerator liner and have the following model and serial number combinations:

	Serial Numbers ENDING with	AND Model Numbers BEGINNING with
Side by Side Refrigerators	CN, CP, YY, YZ	MZ
Top Freezer Refrigerators	CA, CC, CE, CG, ZB, ZD, ZF, ZH	CT15G4, CTB152, CTL151, CTM152, CTN151, MTB195, MTB215, MTB245, MTF195, MTF215, PTB155, PTB175, PTB195, PTB215

Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are not included in this recall.

Sold at: Department and appliance stores and by homebuilders nationwide from September 2000 through May 2004 for between about $350 and $1,600.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately contact Maytag to determine if their refrigerator is included in the recall and if so, to schedule a free in-home repair. Consumers should not return the refrigerator to the retailer where it was purchased.

Article:

Frigidiare recalls 35,000 clothes washers

Name of Product: Crosley®, Frigidaire®, Kelvinator®, Kenmore®, Wascomat®, and White-Westinghouse® clothes washers

Units: About 35,000

Distributor: Frigidaire, of Cleveland, Ohio

Hazard: An internal defect in the washer’s drain pump can cause heat to build up, posing a fire hazard to the consumer.

Incidents/Injuries: No incidents or injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the Crosley®, Frigidaire®, Kelvinator®, Kenmore®, Wascomat®, and White-Westinghouse® top load washers, 3.1 cubic foot front load washers and laundry centers.

Model and serial numbers can be located as follows:

Top load washer = open the product’s lid, and the model and serial number are located inside the product’s lid, on the top, right hand corner.

Front load washer = open the door, and the model and serial number are located with other information at the top, center.

Laundry center = open the door to the dryer, and the model and serial number are located on the outer edge of the door nearest the door’s handle.

Sold by: Sears and other retailers nationwide from February 2009 through May 2009 for between $300 and $1100.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately unplug and stop using the machine. Consumers should contact Frigidaire or Sears (if unit was purchased there) to schedule a free repair.

Article:

Dangerous book recalled

Not because of its incendiary ideas but because, “the books contain several errors in the technical diagrams that could lead consumers to incorrectly install or repair electrical wiring, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers.”

The title of the book is: “Wiring a House, 3rd Edition and Wiring Complete, Expert Advice from Start to Finish”

Um, where were the “experts” when it came to the technical diagrams?

Recall notice

Warner Spray delayed reporting battery fire-risk

In a complaint filed in Minnesota Federal Court, the United States Government filed suit against Warner Spray Tech that manufactures a cordless power drill that overheats and causes fires in consumers’ homes.  The complaint alleges that the company received complaints from consumers for several years before reporting them to the Consumer Product Safety Commission as required by law.

The commission allows consumers to report dangerous products on their website so are we to believe that the commission never received a complaint directly from a consumer about Warner Spray’s product?  Is the commission completely reliant on a company making a defective product to initiate a recall?  While its obviously bad and wrong for a company to fail to report a serious product defect, isn’t there a back-up plan for the agency to take action on its own?

Complaint courtesy Courthousenews