| Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 18, 1999 Release # 00-006 |
GE Recall Line: (800) 599-2929 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Ken Giles, (301) 504-7052 GE Contact: Kim Freeman, (502) 452-7819 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), General Electric (GE) Appliances, of Louisville, Ky., is voluntarily recalling about 3.1 million GE and Hotpoint brand dishwashers, manufactured between April 1983 and January 1989. The dishwashers have a slide switch that allows consumers to choose between heat drying and energy saver functions. Over time, the slide switch can melt and ignite, presenting a fire hazard.
GE and CPSC have reports of 50 fires, seven of which spread beyond the dishwashers. In three cases, the structure of the house or apartment was damaged. No injuries have been reported.
The GE and Hotpoint dishwashers that are being recalled are model GSD500D, GSD500G, GSD540, HDA467, HDA477 or HDA487 with a serial number that has a second letter of A, M, R, S, T, V or Z (for example, BM12345). The model and serial numbers are located on a rectangular label that is on either the right or left front edge of the inner tub. The GE or Hotpoint brand name is on the front of the dishwasher.
Consumers should stop using the recalled dishwashers immediately. Keep the dishwasher door unlatched to prevent the flow of electric current from the latch to the slide switch. GE is offering consumers a rebate toward the purchase of a new dishwasher. Contact GE at (800) 599-2929 anytime or www.geappliancerecall.com for information on how to participate in the rebate program.
Consumers can also view a video clip about this recall (Transcript). It is about 10 megabytes long and the download time depends upon the speed of your Internet connection.