SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20251203-BC6A8-2147325924. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Kitchenaid KOCE500EWH09 (It is a Kitchenaid 30" microwave/combo wall unit in white - 30 Inch Double Combination Smart Electric Wall Oven with 6.4 cu. ft. Total Capacity, Even-Heat True Convection, Temperature Probe, Backlit Knobs, Assisted Cooking Modes, Fresh Pizza Mode, Touch-Activated Controls, LCD Display, Sabbath Mode and STAR-K Certified:). Incident: During normal use, my built-in KitchenAid microwave/oven combination (installed new in 2019) caught fire inside the microwave cavity. The fire originated in the waveguide/magnetron area a sealed internal component that consumers cannot access. Flames were visible, and the interior wall of the microwave burned and melted before we were able to contain the fire. Details: Whirlpool sent a certified technician who inspected the unit. His written report states: The magnetron is grounded to the frame, the unit is sparking when in use, Whirlpool technical support deemed the appliance unrepairable. The case was reviewed with Whirlpools safety team Because the fire occurred inside a sealed internal component and the magnetron shorted to the chassis, this was an internal mechanical failure, not improper use or installation. The microwave is integrated into the oven chassis, so the entire appliance is compromised and cannot be repaired. We were fortunate to catch the fire quickly. My husband is a firefighter and happened to be home at the time. We have three young children, and this incident could have been far more serious. Whirlpool has declined to provide written documentation of their position. They are offering only partial cost coverage toward replacement, which still requires me to pay thousands of dollars for an appliance that failed due to a documented internal safety defect. I am filing this report so the internal fire hazard can be properly documented.