Following at least one home fire, and two other blazes involving surrounding cabinets, Whirlpool Corporation today has announced the recall of some 15,200 Whirlpool brand microwave hood combinations due to a fire hazard. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled microwaves, unplug the units and contact Whirlpool for a free replacement product.
The Benton Harbor-based appliance giant, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, says that "internal arcing during use can ignite an internal plastic component, posing a fire hazard."
The microwave ovens were sold in stainless steel, black and white. Model numbers and serial numbers are located above the oven cavity on the left hand side. The following model and serial numbers are included in this recall:
WMH53520CE TR33500000 to TR34899999
WMH53520CH TR33500000 to TR34899999
WMH73521CS TR33500000 to TR34899999
WMH73521CW TR33500000 to TR34899999
WMH73521CB TR33500000 to TR34899999
WMH73521CE TR33500000 to TR34899999
WMH73521CH TR33500000 to TR34899999
Whirlpool has received five reports of incidents including one home fire, two fires involving the surrounding cabinets, one report of smoke, and one report of a burning odor.
Microwave hood combinations of this type were sold to consumers in the United States at Best Buy, HH Gregg, Lowes, Sears and other home improvement, home appliance and retail stores and by homebuilders nationwide from January of 2014 through April of 2016 for between $370 and $470 each. All were manufactured in China.
You can reach Whirlpool Corporation regarding this recall at 1-800-990-6254 from 8am until 8pm ET Monday through Friday or online at the repair link listed above. Consumers can also visit www.whirlpool.com and click "Product Recall" for more information.
