3 Million Samsung Washing Machines to be Recalled In US

In another stunning setback for one of the world’s top consumer brands, U.S. authorities issued a recall Friday of close to 3 million Samsung washing machines. The recall was announced after numerous injuries – including a broken jaw –caused by “excessive vibration” were reported.

The recall comes a month after the South Korean manufacturer issued a recall to its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. The Note 7 recall was due to a problem that set off the phones’ batteries to overheat and catch fire. Since then, the company discontinued production of the device completely. Meanwhile, it was estimated that the debacle would cost it $5.3 billion.

Furthermore, its washing machine recall would cover models sold in Canada. No injuries had been reported in that country, Samsung said Friday

The company issued a separate recall of washing machines in Australia in 2013. It stems from reports of electrical problems in certain models that caused fires. Last year, Australian authorities called that problem “a major safety failure,” after getting complaints that the company was offering repairs but not a replacement or refund, as required by Australian law.

The current recall comes following weeks of deliberations between Samsung and U.S. authorities about statements that the drums in certain top-loading washing machine models can become unstable and cause severe vibrations. This shuddering, in some cases, causes the top of the machine to disengage from the chassis.

Attorneys representing consumers in Georgia, Texas and Indiana, who say their washing machines “exploded” while being used, hit Samsung with a lawsuit over the summer.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in a statement Friday, cited 733 reports of Samsung appliances that experienced “excessive” vibration. Nine of them recounted injuries, including a broken jaw and a busted shoulder.

Samsung said the problem happened when a high-speed spin cycle was used to wash bedcovers or other large items. The company’s U.S. subsidiary said in a statement that it is working with retailers and the commission to notify consumers about the problem.

Initial Action from Samsung

“Our priority is to reduce any safety risks in the home and to provide our customers with easy and simple choices in response to the recall,” said Samsung senior vice president John Herrington in the statement.

In the recent recall, the company is offering consumers an option between a free repair and a rebate just before the purchase of a new washing machine. A full refund is being offered to consumers who bought an affected model in the last 30 days.

The recall involves 34 models of top-loading washing machines produced between 2011 and this year. They were sold at Sears, Best Buy, The Home Depot, Lowes and other stores for prices between $450 and $1,500.

 

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From Explosive Smartphones to Self-destructing Washing Machines. . . Samsung is on Its Way to Ending Q3 of 2016 with a Blast…and Not in a Good Way.

Samsung’s woe’s seem to come at the most crucial times and it’s not making it easy for the company to move forward at the pace they would have wanted to.  After the exploding battery issue with the Note 7, now it’s their top-loading washing machine that is having some issues.

According to Consumer Reports on Wednesday has suspended their “recommended status” for all of the Samsung top-loading washing machine. Consumer Reports is a non-profit organization that reviews and rates products and services based on the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Samsung has revealed that they were in “active discussions” with the Consumer Product Safety Commission of the US about the issues on some of the Top Loading washing machines. Safety concerns are at the forefront of the discussions as a number of owners complained about the strong vibrations that caused the machine to break into pieces.

Samsung said that affected machines are those that were made between March 2011 to April 2016.

The affected machines may show “abnormal vibrations” when users wash bulky or water resistant items. There is a high probability of “personal injury or property damage,” resulting from the issue. Samsung however did not provide further details into how exactly would the conditions occur.

Samsung stated, “It is important to note that Samsung customers have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011.”

Customer’s Complaint

Consumer complaints filed at the CPSC described the machine issues as “loud and Destructive”. With one consumer reported that after she added a small load into the machine, “the whole house shook”.

One user reported. “The machine jumped forward about 2 feet and turned 90 degrees. It slammed into the dryer, leaving a huge dent in the side of it. The force was so powerful, it ripped the electrical outlet from it’s screws and bent it to the side.”

Samsung for it’s part says the company is working with CPSC and are “working on a remedy for affected consumers that will help ensure there are no further incidents.”

Samsung has not yet recovered from the Galaxy Note 7 battery issue. The company said that half of the total number of Note 7’s in the U.S. were returned.

The post From Explosive Smartphones to Self-destructing Washing Machines. . . Samsung is on Its Way to Ending Q3 of 2016 with a Blast…and Not in a Good Way. appeared first on Newsline.