Lawsuit claims Samsung washing machines are exploding
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Samsung in the U.S. over claims of exploding washing machines. Customers from Indiana, Texas and Georgia have reported these incidents; so far there have been 21 reports of Samsung washing machines exploding. Samsung has confirmed that it is currently in discussions with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to address these safety issues.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 recall
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 which was unveiled a month ago is now part of a massive recall. Dozens of users reported brand new Note 7s spontaneously combusting; many suffered burns and reported property damage. On September 15, Samsung issued a voluntary recall for 2.5 million phones and halted sales of Note 7. Users can return phones for a refund or exchange for another model.
Note 7 banned on flights
In the U.S. alone, 92 incidents of Note 7 exploding were reported. Given the serious risk, airlines in UAE, Japan, India and the U.S.A. issued strict warnings and instructions to passengers to neither stow, charge or use the phone on domestic or international flights.
Authorities react
With respect to top-loading Samsung washing machines manufactured between March 2011 and April 2016, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning to users that some of these machines may have "safety issues". Samsung's statement 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."
What happens now?
Although Samsung is in talks with the U.S. consumer watchdog, a recall has not been issued yet. Samsung has however recommended users to switch to a lighter cycle when washing bulky items of clothing such as bedding. The company also offered consumers to check if their machines could be potentially defective by entering the machine's serial number on Samsung's website.
2013-2015: Samsung recalled washing machines in Australia
In 2013, Samsung recalled 144,000 top-loader washing machines that had led to 95 fires across Australia. 19 of these fires or explosions happened in 2015, two years after the recall by Samsung.
