D'oh! Now Samsung Washing Machines Are Exploding. U.S. regulators are warning owners of certain top-load Samsung appliances of 'safety issues.'
By Stephanie Mlot •
This story originally appeared on PCMag
Samsung is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad month.
U.S. regulators are warning owners of certain top-load Samsung washing machines of "safety issues," following reports of exploding appliances. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Samsung are working to address the problem, which may compromise machines built between March 2011 and April 2016.
"In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky, or water-resistant items," Samsung said in a statement.
The warning was released on Thursday -- more than a month after the filing of a federal class-action lawsuit by customers claiming their machines exploded during use.
A washer "exploded with such ferocity that it penetrated the interior wall" of a Texas woman's garage, the suit says. A Georgia woman said it felt and sounded as if "a bomb went off."
Now, Samsung recommends using the delicate cycle when washing heavy items; the lower spin speed lessens any risks due to the washing machine becoming dislodged. There have been no reported incidents while on the reduced cycle.
"It is important to note that Samsung customers have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011," the firm said.
Consumers can go online to determine if they have an affected appliance.
Washing machines aren't the only exploding device in Samsung's repertoire: Early this month, the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone was recalled after numerous reports of erupting batteries. The company last week made available 500,000 new Note 7 handsets, identifiable by a small black square on the barcode label and a white sticker with blue letter "S." As of Friday, about half of those 500,000 had been claimed.
