Will Your Washing Machine Explode? Samsung In Talks With U.S. Regulators Following Reports Of Exploding Washers

In more trouble for South Korean electronics giant Samsung, the company is reportedly in talks with The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after the latter issued a warning to the company following reports of some Samsung washing machines exploding. According to an ABC News report, the warning was issued after the CPSC received complaints about “several” Samsung washing machines exploding. Initial reports are that only some top loading models from the company are affected by this problem. According to the report, the CPSC has asked Samsung to issue a fix to the problem – spelling more trouble for the company which is already reeling from a worldwide recall of its top-of-the-line Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 which, believe it or not, faces a similar problem.

As for Samsung washing machines, initial reports are that only some units of the company’s top loading washing machines suffer from the fault – all of them manufactured between a five-year time period starting March 2011 to April 2016.

The ABC News report cites the case of a customer identified as 32-year-old Melissa Thaxton from Dallas, Georgia who claims that her Samsung washing machine was “perfect” until on the morning of April 8, 2016, it simply exploded while she was standing right next to it. Melissa recalls the incident.

“It was the loudest sound. It sounded like a bomb went off in my ear. There were wires, nuts, the cover actually was laying on the floor. I just remember covering my head and leaning towards my son and just screaming this scream that I didn’t even know I could scream.”

Luckily, she and her 4-year-old son escaped unhurt.

Meanwhile, Thaxton said that Samsung did offer her a refund after she reported the incident to them. She, however, refused the offer and decided to take legal action against the company because she wants other people also to be made aware of this problem.

“If that would have hit my child, there is no telling — it would have been catastrophic. And that’s why I’m speaking out,” Thaxton told ABC News.

Another case of an exploding Samsung washing machine was reported from Holly Springs, North Carolina, where another lady, identified as Sarah Price claimed that her 2-month-old top-loading Samsung washing machine too exploded for no apparent reason.

Government agency issues warning over 'exploding' Samsung washing machines https://t.co/LiWJOc4NTH pic.twitter.com/8eOxGFWtGY

— AppleInsider (@appleinsider) September 28, 2016

Upon further investigation, by the “GMA” investigates team, they realized that in the past year alone, there were 21 separate reports made to the CPSC by owners of Samsung washing machines saying that their machines simply blew up while being used.

Following the revelation that these washing machines do have some issues, Thaxton and several other plaintiffs affected by the problem have decided to sue Samsung in a federal court in New Jersey. According to Jason Lichtman, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, the problem with the machines stem from the fact that a support rod used by the washing machine is not strong enough to hold the rotating tub in place and becomes unfastened during a spin cycle – causing the explosion.

“The rod can slide right out. And that’s what causes the washing machine to blow apart. 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. It is important to note that Samsung customers have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011.”

Meanwhile, as a temporary safety advisory, both the CPSC and Samsung asked people who own the affected units to use the delicate cycle when washing, that too only if necessary. According to Samsung, since the delicate mode results in an overall slowness in the operation, the risk of impact injuries or property damage caused by any untoward explosion would be minimal.

To find out if you have a Samsung washing machine that could be possibly affected by this problem, click on this link to find out.

[Featured Image by Samsung]