WHIRLPOOL HAS issued an updated recall for a series of its brands of tumble dryer, with over 500,000 models now affected.
Whirlpool announced last December that ‘more than half a million’ washing machines needed to be recalled ‘because of the risk of them catching fire’, after having already recalled thousands of driers. Earlier this year, consumer group Which? stated that the company should ‘do the right thing’ for UK consumers caught up in the latest recall, before – in February – it was reported that owners of Hotpoint and Indesit units ‘may have to check again to see whether their model’ needed recalling, as an extra three models had been added – meaning potentially 5,000 extra units.
Whirlpool had admitted in July 2019 ‘there could be as many as’ 800,000 fire risk driers in UK homes, after being ordered last June to recall up to half a million ‘four years’ after concerns were first raised. Since 2004, over 750 domestic fires ‘are thought to have been started’ by affected dryers under the Hotpoint, Creda, Indesit, ProLine and Swan brands, with ‘fluff in contact with the heating element’ or lint building up around the rear drum seal, falling onto the heater.
lt has replaced or repaired around 3.8m dryers after identifying the fault in November 2015, but did not issue a recall, notifying customers that ‘they could continue to use their dryer while waiting for modification’. This was provided dryers were ‘not left unattended’, but advice changed in February 2017 when it told consumers to ‘unplug and stop using the machines’, though even ‘upgraded’ versions have caught fire, ‘prompting the new demand for a formal recall’.
In May 2018, BBC Watchdog Live ‘uncovered cases’ where dryers caught fire ‘after being fixed’, Whirlpool having faced criticism for failing to recall up to 1m dryers, and its appliances caused ‘three times more’ London fires than any other manufacturer, according to London Fire Brigade. In 2017 a Welsh coroner said the company’s ‘reluctance to digest inquest lessons’ was an ‘obstacle to preventing further deaths’, after two men died in a flat fire in Llanrwst, North Wales in 2014.
The government’s business, energy and industrial strategy select committee was scathing of the revelation that 1m faulty dryers are still being used in the UK, and told the government Whirlpool ‘should be made to’ recall fire risk tumble dryers. It had been angered by the decision to close a replacement scheme, and in February 2019 Which? called for ‘clarity’ after 30 people reported fixed dryers had caught fire, produced smoke or a burning smell.
The Office for Product Safety Standards (OPSS) began an investigation in May 2018 into the ‘effectiveness’ of Whirlpool’s approach and ‘handling’ of the modification programme, but when its report was released in April 2019, Which? criticised it as ‘fundamentally flawed’, stating that it ‘appears to favour Whirlpool’s interest over people’s safety’, before Whirlpool said it had recalled 65,000 units.
Most recently in April this year, Whirlpool extended the recall to 55,000 more units, with another 21 models added, and it also reported it had located 210,000 affected units on its original recall list – or 40% of the units – since its campaign began. The extended recall came after integrating Indesit’s computer system revealed additional ‘at risk’ machines.
Whirlpool pointed out that 3.1m people had contacted it to check if units were affected, with over 95% of customers ‘given peace of mind’ that theirs were not included. It also aimed to ‘reassure’ owners that machines could be repaired or replaced for free during the COVID-19 lockdown, as engineers were required to ‘adhere to’ social distancing and wear ‘full personal protective equipment’.
The National Fire Chiefs Council added that there were now 45 models confirmed to be affected, and urged people to recheck Hotpoint units. It also advised consumers to unplug and stop using machines if they are included in the recall, and is ‘committed to supporting the campaign to ensure as many machines are identified and removed from homes or repaired’ as possible.
Daily Record has now reported that the company has updated its recall, and urged owners of unmodified machines to ‘check their model as soon as possible’, with 5,706 ‘identified as needing no further action’. Around 124,220 customers have come forward since the recall was announced, and 108,980 cases out of those have been ‘fully resolved’.
There have also been 84,705 visits to the company’s designated recall checking website, with the average time taken from a customer registration through to resolution 40 days. Affected customers are entitled to a free replacement dryer, including collection and disposal of the original device, ‘a free in-home modification’ and a discounted upgrade, or alternatively a refund.
Whirlpool’s vice president Jeff Noel stated that the company is ‘redoubling the efforts of this campaign by issuing a full recall of all unmodified dryers’, and added: ‘Safety is our top priority and tackling the issue with our tumble dryers has been one of the biggest challenges we have ever faced. We value our customers more than anything and we recognise that we let many of you down. You deserved better from us and for this we apologise to you all. We work continuously to build better, safer products and help to drive change that improves safety across the industry.’