Samsung on Friday announced a formal recall of 2.8 million top-load washing machines – more than a month after the U.S. government first issued a warning that the machines are unsafe. It is the biggest washing machine recall in history in terms of units and reported incidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC.
The washers can become dangerous when washing bulky items, such as comforters, which can cause the machines to vibrate violently or even burst apart. The CPSC listed the recall Friday, saying that Samsung has received 733 reports of faulty machines. Nine resulted in injuries, including a “broken jaw … and other impact or fall-related injuries,” the agency said.
Customer complaints submitted to the government described washers that exploded and lodged debris in the walls, levitated or ripped sockets from their screws. The recall affects 34 models sold between March 2011 and November 2016. The CPSC’s website has a full list of the affected models. Front-load washers are not included in the recall.
“Before you do another load of laundry, contact Samsung and respond to this recall. These top-loading washers present a risk of injury when used on a high-speed spin cycle,” said CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye in a statement.
Samsung did not respond to a request for comment. But the company is offering a number of remedies to those who’ve bought the faulty washing machines, including a free visit by a technician or rebates toward the purchase of a new washer, either another Samsung or some other brand.
Samsung was already dealing with a massive recall of its new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, which was prone to exploding because of faulty batteries. After recalling its initial batch and issuing replacements, Samsung had to issue a second recall when the replacement phones also began catching fire.
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