Samsung Electronics, which is already reeling from a global recall of its Note 7 smartphones, said yesterday it is in talks with a US watchdog to address potential safety problems related to some of its washing machines.
The South Korean tech company’s comments came as the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned of problems with some of Samsung’s top-load washing machines, following media reports that they had exploded. Certain top-load washing machines made between March 2011 and April 2016 were affected, the CPSC said.
“In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items,” Samsung said on its website. The company said consumers with affected models should use the lower speed delicate cycle when washing those materials.
Samsung did not mention the models impacted but asked customers to enter their washing machine’s serial number to determine if their machine is affected. It was not immediately known how many units were involved, but a Samsung spokesperson said models sold outside North America are not affected by the issue. Samsung is also facing a lawsuit from US customers who, according to a filing in a New Jersey court on August 12, said their machines “explode during normal use”.
Samsung, the world’s top smartphone maker, announced on September 2 a global recall of at least 2.5mn Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in 10 markets due to faulty batteries causing some phones to catch fire.