SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Explosion / rupture

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20161011-E8AA9-1600308. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Matched catalog product: Kenmore 796.29002000. Source model text: 79629002000. Incident: Back in late July, my top loader Sears Kenmore Elite Washing Machine exploded, the top blew open and it flew against my dryer. I am lucky I was not near this machine at the time it exploded. It is a top loader machine, model number 79629002000, serial number 205KWEL42996. I looked up recalls on Sears Kenmore and I thought it may be included in the washing machines that were recalled by Kenmore, but was told this machine model was not. It still exploded during the spin cycle and as I said, I was lucky I did not get hurt by this. I took photos of the machine which I enclose with this email. I also called the Sears Repair Department and they came out and looked at it and could not believe that this happened and the repairman took a video of it and said he never saw anything this bad. The washer tub came completely off its axel and rammed into the side of the machine. My husband and I thought that someone crashed into our house as this was such a loud bang and explosion, we both were afraid something bad happened. When the Sears Repairman came a few days later, I was charged a $99 visit fee (which I feel I shouldn't have been charged) and was given an estimate of repair at the cost of $821.54 (copy enclosed) as this was not covered at all by the recall of these type model machines. I was told that Sears doesn't make the outer casing of this machine any longer. I declined repair services of course as the cost of repair is way too high and I can purchase a new washing machine for t