Maytag® and Samsung™ Brand Front Loading Washing Machines Recalled Due to Fire Hazard

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #07135) was formally reported on March 21, 2007. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., of South Korea is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 250,000 Maytag-brand units and about 20,000 Samsung-brand units 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: Water leakage onto the electrical connections to the washing machine's thermal sensor could cause an electrical short and ignite a circuit board, posing a fire hazard to consumers. 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: Consumers should immediately contact the firm for information on how to receive a free repair. Consumers should not return the washing machine to the retailer where it was purchased. — 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 3 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 19 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.