Scripps Dishwasher Fire Investigation
Scripps television stations across the nation joined together to take an unprecedented look at dishwasher fires. Our investigative teams in 13 cities from coast-to-coast looked at this serious problem that's on the rise. Tune in to the broadcast to see what we uncovered and browse our website to discover even more.
Take a tour of our interactive video-map to hear consumer stories of dishwashers catching fire all across the country. Search our databases for customer complaints and CPSC investigations. Explore our charts, graphs polls and other resources to make sure you're informed. We hope that this section will spark the public debate to bring about change.
- Press Play for Slideshow
- Dishwasher Incidents by State
- * Incidents Vs. Investigations
- MORE DISHWASHER DANGERS
- Company Statement
“Whirlpool Corporation builds its dishwashers with, among many other state-of-the-art safety features, components that turn off power to the electronic control board in the extremely unlikely event that the control board begins to overheat. The safety features are designed to limit potential damage to the unit.
Product quality and consumer safety are among Whirlpool Corporation’s top priorities. We are currently investigating incidents that have been brought to our attention and, as always, working closely with the appropriate agencies in doing so. We encourage consumers to contact us if they experience any difficulty with our products at 1-800-422-1230. “
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"GE takes pride in the quality and safety of its dishwashers. Product safety is a fundamental commitment at GE, and our appliances—including all GE dishwashers—meet applicable third-party industry safety requirements. GE investigates reported safety issues, and initiates corrective action when appropriate, including notifying consumers in cooperation with appropriate agencies. Consumers with questions or concerns about any GE appliance product are encouraged to contact the GE Answer Center® toll free at 1-800-626-2005."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Statement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
“We care deeply about the safety of families impacted by dishwasher fire incidents and we have conducted numerous investigations into incidents reported to CPSC in recent years. To date, most of the fire or smoldering incidents were contained inside of the dishwasher, where the lack of oxygen and combustible materials prevented a larger incident from occurring. However, incidents of fire or overheating are a serious concern for CPSC, and will be investigated thoroughly.
In the past two decades, we have announced 15 voluntary recalls of dangerous or faulty dishwashers. Consumers are encouraged to check CPSC.gov to see if their dishwasher has ever been recalled. CPSC staff continues to investigate dishwasher incidents, so we encourage consumers who experience a safety problem with their dishwasher to log on to our website SaferProducts.gov and report it to our agency.”
