200,000 Frigidaire and Kenmore ranges recalled that pose fire hazard

Frigidaire has recalled 200,000 Frigidaire and Kenmore smoothtop ranges after getting 126 reports of the units turning on spontaneously or failing to turn off, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The company has received four reports of minor burns and two of minor property damage.

Depending on the model, the surface heating elements can turn on spontaneously without being switched on; fail to turn off after being switched off; or heat to different temperatures than selected. This poses a fire and burn hazard. The recall involves Frigidaire, Frigidaire Gallery, Frigidaire Professional and Kenmore Elite smoothtop electric ranges with rotary knobs and digital displays. Check the recall notice for model and serial numbers.

Made in the U.S., the ranges were sold at Sears and other national chain and independent retailers nationwide from June 2001 through August 2009 for between $1,000 and $2,500.

The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using the ranges and contact Frigidaire or Sears to schedule a free repair. For more information, contact Frigidaire at (800) 449-9812 between 8 a.m. and midnight ET Monday through Saturday or visit the firm’s recall Web site at www.smoothtoprangerecall.com. Consumers who purchased their range at Sears should call Sears at (800) 449-9810 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.

Comments

[Brian]

BE SURE you are contacting and letting the Consumer Product Safety Commission know about these problems!! That's the only way the recall will be expanded.

[David Karns]

I've had the same problem with the 790.9611 model stove - I nearly set fire to a jar of peanut butter when the thing turned on by itself. Sears has been unwilling to do anything to address the problem without a $129.00 service call. I've already filed a complaint with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, and am writing a letter to the BBB and Colorado Attorney General's consumer affairs division to see if we can 'help' Sears recall this dangerous product.
David

[Brian K.]

We almost had a fire with our Kenmore model 790.9611 tonight. Sparks and smoke. We also experienced the problem of the burner not turning off.

[Mary Taylor]

I have a Frigidaire Gallery Professional Series Convection Range and the board to the plug wires at the back broke in half and had to be replaced if not found and smelled smoke it would have burned the house down, then the clock board burned out with the timers and al and as the rest of you the burners will not go off and now the glass top is cracked and you can't even get the part to this stove. The model number to mine is FEF389WFCG and if you put it on self clean look out as the door will not open when finished. If you put it to the small burner the large one stays on and this elevates the heat also. Help What can we do as consumers???

[patricia]

I had the same problem, burner wouldn't turn off, warranty was up and I had to pay for the service call and repair, I guess we need to sue to get our money back

[Jim]

I agree, the 790.9611 needs to be part of the recall as well. My front left burner cooks at the temp it wants to, and then doesn't shut off and turns on by itself. I find myself shutting the breaker to the stove off because I don't want it to turn on on its own while I am not home. I now have to find a switch, buy a switch, and chang the switch out. I can handle it, but I have no idea why it is not part of the recall like the others are. Are not enough people with this model complaining?

[Robert Hipfner]

A repair man stopped and was'nt sure where the aluminum
tape goes.Do you have a proper guide to show where they go.

[B Gerken]

We bought a stove Frigidaire stove model #FEF375EBA & it too should be on the list, one of the burners, (once turned on high) will NOT cool down until you turn it off which is so scary when it happens. We also bought a Kenmore Elite washer & the signal that tells you its done stopped working ages ago, (its only about a year old), & now you have to hit the start & other buttons a few times before they'll work!! VERY frustrated & annoyed!! Especially with the washer that we paid $1000 for!

[Steve Lambert]

I too purchased a Sears Kenmore Elite smooth-top range with this problem. I had to turn off the range off at the circuit breaker after each use because the left front burner came on completely by itself. Who knows how long the problem was occuring and we are lucky that my family was not killed or injured or that our house burned down. Sears in Ramona, California first said they would provide a pro-rated credit for the 3 year old range toward the purchase of another range of my choice, but then retracted their offer. It was during the time when K-Mart purchased Sears. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars at Sears over the years and would have likely spent thousands more in the future, but after that experience, I vowed to never shop at Sears again. Dirt bag company.

[Shirley Bird]

I had a Kenmore Elite smoothtop range (model# 790.46719600, S/N NF63318634) delivered in August 2006 (installed December 2006) and one of the "warm burner" warning lights never turns off. We are presently awaiting delivery of the sensor bar that is supposed to rotate when a burner is turned on, then rotate back when it is turned off (the part that tells the warning light to turn on/off). The new part is scheduled for installation September 14th.

Thankfully, our range was still under warranty when we made the initial appointment for repair of this item, so we won't have to pay for this repair.

Now, of course, I'm going to keep extra-close watch on my range, in case it develops any behaviors of the recalled models of Kenmore Elite smoothtop ranges!

[JT]

Same thing, the burner came on and would not turn off- we had to turn the breaker off when not in use. Called Sears and they said no recall. Said they would send someone out- never did. I got tired of calling and talking to people who did not believe this was a problem. We too ordered the replacement part (which was different than the original) and replaced it ourselves and have no other problem. Poor customer service. How many fires were caused by this and people thinking they had left their stove on.

[B. Murphy]

Are Sear's products, including stove tops, being made in Mexico now? I had a Kenmore washing machine top of the line and its motor burned out and top of tub rusted out after about a year. When the motor was delivered to my house, I found out that it was made in Mexico. Is this what is happening with all of Sears' products--they are made out of the country? Perhaps the quality control is not as good out of the country?

[James Wieber]

I have a Kenmore smoothtop electric range, Model 790.9611 which was delivered to my home on 1/11/2007. Although this model apparently is not part of the recall, it should be. It too had a burner which this spring failed to turn off after being switched off and which heated to temperatures different than selected. I ordered a new switch from the Sears parts department and changed it myself, which corrected the problem. I wish I could be reimbursed the $58.83 that I paid for the switch.