SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Electrical shock / short

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20230816-A0FFF-2147345784. Severity: No Incident, No Injury. Product: Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ00 (Whirlpool Side by Side Refrigerator). Incident: There is a risk of shock or electrocution in the design of whirlpool refrigerators. The problem is well known, when the service technician came out he immediately knew the 120 volt AC wiring in the door had failed it is exposed not insulated. When a consumer opens a Whirlpool refrigerator, there's insufficient protection in the electrical wiring. That 120 volt AC powerand other wiring powers the ice maker and 120 volt AC ice dispenser motor. I believe Whirlpool considers this the source of revenue when customers ice makers break which is a common occurrence due to unsafe wiring and sheath which has a high probability of failure, customers have their refrigerator serviced. The problem is there is a risk of electrocution or shock to small children near the exposed wiring when the refrigerator door is opened, as well as someone barefoot. I don't know if the refrigerator door is properly grounded once the wire breakage occurs, Whirlpool has known about this and their substandard safety practices put the general public at risk. UPDATED ON 8/23/2023: [I have contacted Whirlpool Corporate who refuse to put me in contact with the CEO [REDACTED], instead I'm on an endless loop with Whirlpool Customer Support. I am formally requesting a recall of all Whirlpool appliance which endangers Whirlpool customers. In my case I have found out based service technicians familiar with this issue, that all Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerators have 120 VAC electrical exposure problem and that Whirlpool will not fix this even on new appliances. I am holding Whirlpool and the CPSC liable and respons