GE Dishwasher Recall: May Pose Risk of Fire

About 174,000 GE Profile and GE Monogram dishwashers have been recalled after being linked to a series of fires that may have been caused by a short circuit in the appliances. 

The GE dishwasher recall was announced on October 26 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after the manufacturer received five reports of fires. All five of the fires were limited to minor damage to kitchen countertops and cabinets, as well as smoke damage. There were no injuries reported in connection with the defective dishwashers.

According to the CPSC, the dishwashers can short circuit when water condensation drips onto the electronic control board. This can cause a connector to overheat and potentially lead to a fire.

The dishwasher recall affects GE Profile dishwashers manufactured between July 2003 and December 2005, with the model numbers PDW9200J, PDW9280J, PDW9800J, PDW9880J and PDW9700J. The recall also affects GE Monogram dishwashers manufactured between January 2004 and December 2006 with the model numbers ZBD6800K00, ZBD6800K01, ZBD6800K03, ZBD6800K10, ZBD6880K00, ZBD6880K01, ZBD6880K03, ZBD6880K10, ZBD6890K00, ZBD6890K01, ZBD6890K03, ZBD6890K10, ZBD0700K00, ZBD0700K01, ZBD0700K03, ZBD0700K10, ZBD0710K00, ZBD0710K01, ZBD0710K03, and ZBD0710K10. The full list of serial numbers is available in the CPSC recall notice. The model numbers and serial numbers can be found on the inside front left of the dishwasher tubs.

The dishwashers were sold in white, black, bisque, stainless steel and with custom panels at retail and appliance stores, as well as through authorized builder distributors, from July 2003 through December 2006 for between $750 and $1,400.

The CPSC recommends that consumers stop using the recalled dishwashers immediately and disconnect its electricity supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker controlling it. All users of the dishwasher should be informed about the risk of fire. GE can be contacted for a free in-home repair or $200-$400 rebate at www.geappliances.com/recall.