GE Recalls Front Load Washers Due to Fire and Shock Hazards

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #10259) was formally reported on June 10, 2010. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. GE Appliances & Lighting, of Louisville, Ky. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 181,000 units are affected, a scale large enough to require multi-state distribution tracking.

The documented reason for this recall is: A wire can break in the machine and make contact with a metal part on the washtub while the machine is operating, posing fire and shock hazards 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 stop using the recalled washer, unplug it from the electrical outlet and contact GE for a free repair. Consumers should not operate the washer until it has been repaired. — 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 16 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.