Whirlpool microwave recall

[funnybone]

I don't have one of these, but in case someone out there does, here is some info I came across:

CPSC, Whirlpool Announce Recall of Microwave-Hood Combinations

WASHINGTON, D.C.- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Whirlpool Corp., of Benton Harbor, Mich., is voluntarily recalling about 1.8 million microwave-hood combinations. These units can overheat and catch fire.

Whirlpool has received seven reports of fires involving these microwave- hood combinations. These incidents have resulted in extensive property damage. No injuries have been reported.

These are microwave oven and exhaust fan hood combination units that are installed above ranges. They were sold under the Whirlpool®, KitchenAid® and Kenmore® brand names. They have serial numbers that begin with XC. Open the door to locate the serial and model numbers. Department, electronics, home and appliance stores, as well as builder and remodelers, sold the microwave-hood combinations nationwide from January 1998 through September 2001 for between $249 and $749.

Consumers with recalled microwave-hood combinations should immediately stop using them and disconnect the units by unplugging them. Consumers can call Whirlpool Corp. for a free repair. Consumers can contact Whirlpool at (800) 785-8897 anytime. Consumers also can visit Whirlpool's web site at www.whirlpool.com . Consumers should have the model and serial number of their unit available when they call or visit the web site.

Whirlpool has developed a new "Consumer In-Home Service Repair Information" Pamphlet (pdf format). This pamphlet will provide consumers with detailed information concerning the cause of the fires and what the in-home repair will entail.

Countertop microwaves are not included in this recall.

[Kristilyn1]

Thank you so much for posting this!!! Guess who's brand new microwave fits this description???

I'm so glad I bothered to fill out the cards and mail them in..........

Kristi

[clairea]

Funnybone,

Thanks so much for posting this. I do have one of these microwaves and, in fact, had on my to-do list to call the electrician because the circuit breaker it is plugged into keeps tripping!

A little more information for anyone who has one: you need to unplug the microwave immediately (as soon as they identified mine as part of the recall they asked me to unplug it before we continued the call). If you need help unplugging or disabling the microwave Whirlpool will arrange to have someone come do it for you. Do not use even the hood, light or clock on the microwave. It may take several weeks to get a repair. If you do not have another microwave that you can use while waiting for repair, Whirlpool will reimburse you up to $100 for a countertop microwave. This can be any brand, purchased at any store, you just have to send in the original receipt with a reimbursement form you can get from Whirlpool.

Claire

[lindrusso]

Oh my! Thank you soooo much for posting this! I ignored the post until I saw you mention "Kenmore" on the Great Food board. Sure enough - we've got one. Ours is wired directly into the wall, so I can't unplug it. :eek:

Between the stain that seems to be living (literally) in my carpet (admittedly much less serious than this recall) and this, I'm going to be doing a lot of dealing with repair people!

Thankfully we do have an extra microwave unit to use in the meantime....

[funnybone]

Just moving this up in case someone missed it. Apparently there are other manufacturers involved.

[lindrusso]

Well, the Sears guy came to disable my microwave, but to my delighted surprise, he also came with repair kit in hand! It didn't take long to put the new part in and it should be fine now. Whew!

We did have an alternate microwave to use, but we could not use it and have the outside Christmas lights on at the same time. Apparently the outlet we were using for the alternate was on the same circuit as the outside outlet and the microwave was tripping the circuit breaker! :rolleyes:

The Sears man said that they had not released repair kits for all the different models yet, so it may be a while for some of the others.

Just wanted to thank you again for bringing this to our attention! This board has done more for me and my household than I could ever have imagined! :)

[funnybone]

You know what they say, "if it can help one person, then it is worth it" (or something like that). I'm glad you were well taken care of by Sears, too!

[NydiaC]

Guess, what? It's my microwave too! ...and probably a lot of people in my neighborhood as well. This microwave was installed as an upgrade in the homes in my new subdivision.

Thanks you so much for letting us know. I never saw the article in the newspaper, though my friend did, so I know it was in there.

I called Whirlpool last night and they were great. They told me that if I needed to, I could go buy a countertop microwave and they would reimburse me up to $100. Guess what I'm doing today...?