CPSC and GE Announce Free Repair Supplement of Rebate Program for Recalled Dishwashers: Recalled Units Still Being Used, Creating Risk of Fire

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #01054) was formally reported on December 14, 2000. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. General Electric Appliances Co., of Louisville, Ky. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate GE manufactured 3.1 million of these dishwashers between 1983 and 1989 units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: The dishwashers have a slide switch that can melt and ignite, presenting a fire hazard. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Both the CPSC and GE strongly urge consumers who have not replaced their recalled units under the original rebate program to contact GE right away to schedule a free rewiring or participate in the or… — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 26 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.