Samsung Recalls Washing Machines Due to Fire Hazard

Samsung has received received reports of smoking, melting, overheating or fire, and reports of injuries, involving the washers.

If you're about to put clothes into your Samsung  (SSNGY)  washing machine, you may want to hold up for a minute.

The South Korean electronics giant and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Dec. 22 announced a recall of more than 660,000 top-loading washing machines because a short-circuit can cause the appliances to overheat and catch fire.

Samsung has received 51 reports of smoking, melting, overheating or fire involving the washers, according to a CPSC filing. Ten of them resulted in property damage. Three people have reported injuries due to smoke inhalation.

The Washers That Are Covered by the Recall

The 663,500 washers covered by the recall were sold at Best Buy  (BBY) - Get Free Report, Costco  (COST) - Get Free Report, Home Depot  (HD) - Get Free Report, Lowe’s  (LOW) - Get Free Report and other appliance stores nationwide, and online at Samsung.com from June 2021 through December of this year for between $900 and $1,500.

The washers were sold in white, black, champagne, and ivory colors and include model series WA49B, WA50B, WA51A, WA52A, WA54A, and WA55A. 

The model and serial numbers are found on the washer’s label attached to the inside of the top lid. An additional label is located on the rear of the washer.

Consumers are advised to immediately check whether their washer’s software has been updated to prevent the hazard.

"Samsung is working cooperatively with the CPSC to quickly provide affected consumers with an important software update to remedy this potential smoking, melting, overheating, or fire hazard," the company said on its website. "Consumers should immediately update their products before using." 

Owners Must Check for Software Update

Consumers should stop using the washers until the software is updated.

Instructions on how to check whether a washer’s software has been updated can be found here: https://www.samsung.com/us/support/tlw-sw-update 

Samsung said that Wi-Fi equipped machines should remain plugged in to their power source. 

All Wi-Fi-equipped washers that are plugged into a power source and actively connected to the internet will automatically download the free software repair over-the-air. Owners will do this using the SmartThings app.

Consumers who have Wi-Fi-equipped washers but have not connected them to the internet should contact Samsung for instructions on how to download the software repair.

Consumers whose washers don't have Wi-Fi capability or who otherwise wish to receive a free software repair without connecting to the internet should also contact Samsung directly. The company will provide a free dongle to plug in and download the free software repair.