SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Explosion / rupture

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20180524-A3370-2147387755. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Sears Sears Kenmore Elite Washer Model #11031633611 (Sears Kenmore Elite Washer Model #11031633611 Ser. No. C74170743). Incident: We purchased a Kenmore (Sears) Elite Large model Washing Machine in November 2017 with full extended warranty. On May 14, 2018 after a loud "thumping" sound was heard, loud "explosion" type sound occurred: the lid of this washer made of glass had shattered suddenly and violently for no apparent reason. The lid, made of a type of safety glass had blown slivers of glass all over our laundry room, and inside the bowl of the washer itself. The majority of the glass remained in the frame, cracked into hundreds of pieces. I called Sears service and initially they did not want to "cover" the incident under warranty, essentially claiming we had somehow dropped something on the lid or otherwise negligently caused the breakage, a completely incorrect assumption. After insistence that they do something to honor the warranty they agreed to send a serviceman to inspect the washer. He came out the next day. His assessment was that the washer was exhibiting a problem he characterized as a "Manufacture's Design Defect" and remarked that he had encountered this problem two months previously on the same model washer. He added that the lid latching mechanism, both the mechanical elements and/or electronic control board and associated electronics were at fault and had caused the explosive shattering of the glass by stressing the metal frame of the lid at the time of breakage. He also reported that he had ordered a full set of components to replace the various latching elements and that DURING his installation of the new control board that same thing happened--the lid exploded right under his f