SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20251101-F493A-2147326643. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: SCHLAGE ENCODE BE489WB (The product is the Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt (Model BE489WB), a connected smart lock designed for residential entry doors. It includes: 1. A touchscreen keypad exterior (typically in satin nickel, matte black, aged bronze, or bright chrome) 2. An internal motorized locking mechanism 3. Wi-Fi connectivity for use with the Schlage Home App, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant 4. A built-in alarm Approximate dimensions: 3 wide x 5 tall (keypad portion), with interior housing approx. 3 wide x 7 tall The smart lock is positioned as a keyless, connected deadbolt meant to allow remote locking/unlocking, smart home integration, and secure entry without a traditional house key. It replaces the standard deadbolt lock on a residential door. The specific unit I purchased was MATTE BLACK, used on a standard-sized apartment entry door, with no modifications to the product.). Incident: I purchased a Schlage Encode Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt less than a year ago. The product has malfunctioned three separate times by locking me inside my apartment with no way to exit, even when I attempted to unlock it manually from the inside. Each time, the internal locking mechanism jammed and would not respond to the keypad, app, or thumb turn. I was the only person in the apartment, and I was using the lock exactly as intended, installed on my entry door, for normal daily use. I was unable to exit the property until I forcibly removed the smart lock from my door. If a fire, medical event, or emergency had occurred, I would have been trapped inside with no safe means of leaving. While no physical injury happened, the potential for injury or death was present and significant. I reported the issue to the manufacturer, but instead of sending a full replacement, I was sent only a single mechanical deadbolt latch, which does not replace or repair the smart lock syst