GE PDWF200P00WW

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20200218-EF81F-1955530. Severity: Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received. Product: GE PDWF200P00WW (GE Dishwasher with Stainless Steel Tub). Incident: General Electric Dishwasher Model PDWF200P00WW Stainless Steel Tub. Near fire. Product is a fire hazard. Dishwasher has completed its cycle. Clean light was on. Went to bed at 8pm. Awoken at 1:30am by burning smell. Entire kitchen countertop for 8 feet around dishwasher terribly hot. Opened dishwasher, terrible heat from heating element, terrible smoke. Shut off power to dishwasher. Took several hours for [REDACTED] countertop to cool, and now it is warped. After the smoke cleared, found melted plastic from entire bottom of silverware basket on the heating element and the bottom of the dishwasher and also coating much of the silverware. It is very clear to me and my husband (an engineer), that the heating element did not shut off when the dishwasher finished its cycle. This event could easily have caused a terrible house fire and multiple deaths. My husband and I were exposed to terrible fumes and smoke, presumably from burning/melting plastic.