Reports of exploding Samsung washing machines have prompted the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue an advisory. Consumers who have purchased a top-loading Samsung washing machines manufactured between March 2011 and April 2016 should check the company’s website to determine if the serial number of their machine is affected.
Samsung top-loading washing machines with affected serial numbers should be “used only on the delicate cycle when washing bedding, water-resistant and bulky items.” No incidents have been reported when that cycle was in use, according to the company.
More than a dozen reports of exploding machines used on other cycles have been posted to the CPSC’s Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov website. Some of them describe the lid being blown off with great force.
“The machine was in its spin cycle when it began to make a loud noise. I went into the laundry room and the washer was bouncing off the dryer and the wash violently. The entire top of the unit was thrown from the washer and the washer hit the wall so hard that it went through the sheet rock and dented the dryer. Part[s] were thrown from inside the washer,” said one customer.
“I was doing a load of laundry normal laundry and as I stepped out of the house to go to the store I heard a loud crash in my basement. I went back inside only to find my Samsung washer was completely turned around, dented and the top blown off,” said another.
“While in the rinse cycle of doing a load of bedding our top loading Samsung washing machine exploded, shooting plastic parts around the room and down the stairs into the basement, ripping the top off of the machine and the draining cylinder denting the body of the machine on all faces. Also, it made a hole in the wall that it was next to,” said another.
Injuries from some of these incidents have also been reported and lawsuits have been filed. Product liability law is extremely complex. It’s important to hire a lawyer with considerable experience in this area of the law. Our lawyers have won millions for clients injured by defective and dangerous products. To contact our law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit our free consultation form.
Consumer Reports has suspended “recommended” status for any Samsung top-loading washer until further notice. The CPSC is working Samsung on a solution to the problem and will provide updated information to the public when it is available. Consumers can contact Samsung for more information and report Consumers should report any incidents to CPSC ‘s website www.SaferProducts.gov.