Maytag Recalls 1.6 Million Refrigerators Due to Fire Hazard

[AJ]

Maytag Recalls Refrigerators Due to Fire Hazard WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product.

Name of product: Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand refrigerators  

Units: About 1.6 million

Manufacturer: Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa

Hazard: An electrical failure in the relay, the component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor, can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received 41 reports of refrigerator relay ignition, including 16 reports of property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive kitchen damage.

Description: The recall includes certain Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand side by side and top freezer refrigerators. The affected refrigerators were manufactured in black, bisque, white and stainless steel. They have model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the top middle or left upper side of the refrigerator liner and have the following model and serial number combinations:

	Serial Numbers ENDING with	AND Model Numbers BEGINNING with
Side by Side Refrigerators	AA, AC, AE, AG, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AR, AT, AV, AX, CA, CC, CE, CG, CJ, CL, ZB, ZD, ZF, ZH, ZK, ZM, ZQ, ZS, ZU, ZW, ZY, ZZ	ARS, CS, JC, JS, MS, MZ, PS
Top Freezer Refrigerators	AA, AC, AE, AG, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AR, AT, AV, AX, ZK, ZM, ZQ, ZS, ZU, ZW, ZY, ZZ	AT, CT, MT, PT

Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are not included in this recall.

Sold at: Department and appliance stores and by homebuilders nationwide from January 2001 through January 2004 for between about $350 and $1600.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately contact Maytag to determine if their refrigerator is included in the recall and to schedule a free in-home repair. Consumers should not return the refrigerator to the retailer where it was purchased.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Maytag toll-free at (866) 533-9817 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.repair.maytag.com

Representative Models:

Figure 1: Side by Side model



Figure 2: Top Freezer model



Figure 3: Model/Serial Label

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09145.html

Maytag Expands Recall of Refrigerators Due to Fire Hazard

[whirlpooltech]

About 1.6 million

 

Just another Maytag problem Whirlpool now has to deal with.

[apptech]

 

[AJ]

Some  more information from Whirlpool about the recall can be found here.

http://www.servicematters.com/maytag_refrigeration_recall/recall_main.htm

[RAH52]

I would think embraco is going to be on the hook for this one .

[Icehouse]

Whirlpool owns Embraco. They bought it back in the seventies when Amana teamed up with "Aspera". Another gem. 

[JWWebster]

another wonder from south of the border

[Al Capone]

Glad I own a Whirlpool refrigerator.

[Icehouse]

  Sorry Al, but Whirlpool has been using Embraco Compressors since they bought them out.   

[theoldstoveguy]

So they are using cheaper starters on the other guys stuff?

[Icehouse]

They have been using PTC's for years. The problem with them is there is actually "trace voltage" going to the compressor at all times.

[theoldstoveguy]

I remember doing PTC relays for Maytag for years (Red Carpet service)but never saw anything like the new units until about 2-3 years ago.

[Repair-man]

They won't admit this, but a large number of the PTC failures is just what Ice said, bleed voltage coming from the ADC board to the compressor. Keeps the PTC hot as heck.

[radio_davio]

What is the actual repair?

I bought mine used and the serial number has a few numbers damaged and unreadable so Maytag won't touch it.

[JWWebster]

Put a hard start on it don't go back with the PTC is what I would do.