G.E. Recalls Potentially Hazardous Dishwashers

[hausdok]

Washington, D.C./May 16th - Release #07-190

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Ky, today today announced a voluntary recall of about 2.5 million G.E. dishwashers. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: GE Dishwashers.

Units: About 2.5 million

Manufacturer: GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Ky

Hazard: Liquid rinse-aid can leak from its dispenser onto the dishwasher's internal wiring which can cause an electrical short and overheating, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: GE has received 191 reports of overheated wiring including 56 reports of property damage. There were 12 reports of fires that escaped the dishwasher. Fire damage was limited to the dishwasher or the adjacent area. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recall includes GE built-in dishwashers sold under the following brand names: Eterna, GE, GE Profile, GE Monogram®, Hotpoint®, and Sears-Kenmore. The dishwashers were sold in white, black, almond, bisque and stainless steel. The brand name is printed on the dishwasher's front control panel. Model and serial numbers can be found inside the dishwasher tub on the front left side of the dishwasher. A table of relevant model and serial numbers can be found on CPSC's web site.

Sold at: Department and appliance stores from September 1997 through December 2001 for about $400.

Manufactured in: The United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dishwashers and contact General Electric for a free repair, a $150 rebate towards the purchase of a new GE dishwasher, or a $300 rebate towards the purchase of a new GE Profile or GE Monogram dishwasher.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact General Electric toll-free at (877) 607-6395 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday. Consumers also can visit the firm's Web site at www.geappliances.com

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled product and a table of brands, models, and serial numbers affected by this recall, please go to

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07190.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

[Bill Kibbel]

It's tough to keep up with all of the product recalls. Many of us disclaim them, but this one is all over the media.

I made the table of model & serial numbers printable to carry with me. I also posted it here for my co-workers: www.tcinspect.com/dishwasherrecall.htm

[Steven Hockstein]

Bill,

Thanks for the useful printout.