GE recalls 1.3 million dishwashers due to fire hazard

Louisville - General Electric, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced a massive recall on dishwashers today.

The CPSC's Aug. 9 press release indicates 1.3 million dishwashers are being recalled by the manufacturer due to a potential fire hazard because of an electrical failure in the dishwasher's heating element. Reportedly, 15 incidents have been documented, which include seven fires, three of which were severe and caused substantial property damage. No injuries associated with the recalled dishwashers have been reported at this time. It appears all the recalled appliances were manufactured and sold in the U.S. According to the release, GE, GE Adora™, GE Eterna™, GE Profile™ and Hotpoint®, Dishwashers are impacted by this recall. These appliances were sold in a variety of colors between March 2006 through August 2009 for between $350 and $850. If you think your dishwasher may be a part of this recall, you can see a full list of products and their serial/model numbers on GE's designated web page. The model number on a dishwasher to compare with this list can be found on the interior of the dishwasher on a metallic plate on the left tub wall (the CPSC announcement has illustrations). The Louisville-based manufacturer is asking consumers who own one of these appliances to stop using it immediately until a repair is done. General Electric said it is offering a free repair kit to fix the problem. For consumers that wish to instead replace their appliance, GE is offering two different levels of rebates towards the purchase of a new dishwasher. Details can be found on GE's website. Consumers with questions or concerns can contact GE at 866-918-8760, Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET, or visit the company website at www.geappliances.com/recall. In May, Digital Journal reported on a separate issue where a group is seeking a lawsuit over other models of dishwashers catching fire; in this case, the companies involved had not issued a recall.