RECALL: Maytag Recalls Dishwashers Due to Fire Hazard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 3, 2010 Release #10-255

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 544-5513 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7601

Maytag Recalls Dishwashers Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Dishwashers
Units: About 1.7 million in the United States
Manufacturer: Maytag Corp. of Newton, Iowa or Maytag Corp. of Benton Harbor, Mich.
Hazard: An electrical failure in the dishwasher’s heating element can pose a serious fire hazard.
Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received 12 reports of dishwasher heating element failures that resulted in fires and dishwasher damage, including one report of extensive kitchen damage from a fire. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recall includes Maytag®, Amana®, Jenn-Air®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand dishwashers with plastic tubs and certain serial numbers. The affected dishwashers were manufactured with black, bisque, white, silver and stainless steel front panels. The brand name is printed on the front of the dishwasher. The model and serial numbers are printed on a label located inside the plastic tub on a tag near the left side of the door opening. Serial numbers will start or end with one of the following sequences.

SERIAL number STARTING with	OR	SERIAL number ENDING with
NW39, NW40, NW41, NW42, NW43, NW44, NW45, NW46, NW47, NW48, NW49, NW50, NW51, NW52, NY01, NY02, NY03, NY04, NY05, NY06, NY07, NY08, NY09, NY10, NY11, NY12, NY13, NY14, NY15, NY16, NY17, NY18, NY19		JC, JE, JG, JJ, JL, JN, JP, JR, JT, JV, JX, LA, LC, LE, LG, LJ, LL, LN, LP, LR, LT, LV, LX, NA, NC, NE, NG, NJ, NL, NN, NP, NR

Sold at: Department and appliance stores and by homebuilders nationwide from February 2006 through April 2010 for between $250 and $900.
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dishwashers, disconnect the electric supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker controlling it, inform all users of the dishwasher about the risk of fire and contact Maytag to verify if their dishwasher is included in the recall. If the dishwasher is included in the recall, consumers can either schedule a free in-home repair or receive a rebate following the purchase of certain new Maytag brand stainless-steel tub dishwashers. The rebate is $150 if the consumer purchases new dishwasher models MDB7759, MDB7609 or MDBH979; or $250 if the consumer purchases new dishwasher models MDB8959, MDB8859, MDB7809 or MDB7709. Consumers should not return the recalled dishwashers to the retailer where purchased as retailers are not prepared to take the units back.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Maytag at (800) 544-5513 anytime, or visit the firm’s website at www.repair.maytag.com

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CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Not Appliance Related but Important: McDonald's Recalls Movie Themed Drinking Glasses Due to Potential Cadmium Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2010 Release #10-257

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 244-6227 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

McDonald's Recalls Movie Themed Drinking Glasses Due to Potential Cadmium Risk

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: "Shrek Forever After 3D" Collectable Drinking Glasses
Units: About 12 million
Manufacturer: ARC International, of Millville, NJ.
Distributor: McDonald's Corp., Oakbrook, Ill.
Hazard: The designs on the glasses contain cadmium. Long term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: The "Shrek Forever After 3D" collectable drinking glass are 16 ounce glasses that came in four designs, Shrek, Fiona, Puss n' Boots, and Donkey.
Sold exclusively at: McDonald's restaurants nationwide from May 2010 into June 2010 for about $2.
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: McDonald's is asking consumers to immediately stop using the glasses out of an abundance of caution and return the glasses to any McDonald's for a refund of $3 each.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact McDonald's toll-free at (800) 244-6227 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.mcdonalds.com
Note: CPSC was made aware of issues with this product through the Office of Congresswoman Jackie Speier from California.

LATEST APPLIANCE RECALLS: GE Recalls Front Load Washers Due to Fire and Shock Hazards

 FOR MORE PHOTOS AND DESCRIPTION SEE
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10259.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2010
Release #10-259 Firm's Recall Hotline: (888) 345-4124
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
GE Media Contact: (888) 240-2749
GE Recalls Front Load Washers Due to Fire and Shock Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: GE Front-Load Washing Machines

Units: About 181,000

Manufacturer: GE Appliances & Lighting, of Louisville, Ky.

Hazard: 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.

Incidents/Injuries: GE is aware of seven incidents in which flames escaped the units and caused minor smoke damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves GE front-load washing machines without auxiliary water heating. Model and serial numbers are listed in the chart below. Recalled washing machines were manufactured between December 2006 and February 2010. The model and serial numbers are located on the bottom right side and on the bottom door frame of the washers.
Brand Model Number Begins With: Serial Number Begins With:
GE WBVH5 AM, AR, AS, AT, DM, DR, DS, FM,
FR, FS, GM, GS, HM, HR, HS, LM,
LR, LS, MM, MR, MS, RM, RR, RS,
SM, SR, SS, TM, TR, TS, VM, VR,
VS, ZL, ZM, ZR, ZS

Sold at: Department and various retail stores nationwide from December 2006 through May 2010 for about $700.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled washers, unplug it from the electrical outlet and contact GE for a free repair. Consumers should not operate the washer until it has been repaired.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact GE toll-free at (888) 345-4124 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.geappliances.com

Joe Says Be Careful Folks! Some 'Energy Star' Appliances May Not Be That Green

The Government Accountability Office concluded that the Energy Star program is susceptible to fraud and abuse, after investigators received certification for 15 phony appliances, including a gasoline-powered alarm clock.
An Energy Star label is displayed on a washing machine at a Best Buy store.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images


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Some 'Energy Star' Appliances May Not Be That Green

by NPR Staff

April 14, 2010
Listen to the Story at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125912545


An Energy Star label is displayed on a washing machine at a Best Buy store.
Enlarge Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Government Accountability Office concluded that the Energy Star program is susceptible to fraud and abuse, after investigators received certification for 15 phony appliances, including a gasoline-powered alarm clock.
text size A A A
April 14, 2010

At tax time, many consumers are cashing in on tax credits and rebates that come from making their homes more energy-efficient. One key tactic: Buy an appliance approved by the government's Energy Star program. But there is evidence that products with the Energy Star seal don't always live up to their billing.

"We find that not all of the products are as efficient as they claim to be," says Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman, deputy home editor for Consumer Reports.

The tax benefits are aimed at encouraging homeowners to replace outdated and energy-hungry furnaces and appliances. But Kuperszmid-Lehrman tells NPR's Steve Inskeep that not all of the newer models skimp on power consumption.

"We found, particularly, problems with refrigerators," she says of tests Consumer Reports conducted on certified products.

The magazine reported that two of the refrigerators it tested used about 50 percent more energy than the numbers on their labels. Another pair used 39 percent more and 33 percent more.

Part of the problem, Kuperszmid-Lehrman says, is that the Energy Star program is self-certifying — meaning the government doesn't independently confirm the data it gets from manufacturers.

There are some serious problems ... because you do have manufacturers self-certifying — and you don't have anyone checking on them.

- Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman, deputy home editor for Consumer Reports

"They're the ones that say, 'Yes, my product is energy-efficient,' " she says. "And for the most part, that's working very well, but there are some serious problems with that, because you do have manufacturers self-certifying — and you don't have anyone checking on them."

In a recent test by the Government Accountability Office, the agency submitted 20 completely bogus products for Energy Star certification. Of the 20 applications, 15 were approved — including one for a gasoline-powered alarm clock.

"One of the things that I found very disturbing about the report, in addition to the bogus products that got the Energy Star" certification, says Kuperszmid-Lehrman, "was how quickly they got the Energy Star — how quickly those products became listed on the Department of Energy's Web site.

"So that if a consumer was looking for a product, they would think that that product was more efficient."

The Department of Energy has said it will soon change the system to include third-party verification.

Kuperszmid-Lehrman says that's a good start — but she also thinks the Energy Star testing system needs to be retooled.

"Many of the tests themselves are woefully out of date, and they don't necessarily replicate the experience that the consumer's going to have in the home," she says.

Still, Kuperszmid-Lehrman doesn't think that people shopping for energy efficiency — and a tax break —- should ignore the Energy Star program altogether.

"I think it's a good relative rating," she says. "But there are instances like I've mentioned with refrigerators, with freezers, that the numbers are not quite what they seem to be."