SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260105-F460D-2147324861. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Whirlpool WRS571CIDM01 (Refrigerator + freezer, side by side. The freezer door dispenses ice and water). Incident: I am reporting a significant safety defect regarding the wiring harness on my Whirlpool refrigerator (Model WRS571CIDM01). The internal wiring harness, which provides power to the freezer door's ice maker, water dispenser, and control panel, is damaged and frayed at the lower door hinge due to repeated opening and closing of the door. Upon inspection, two different qualified appliances technicians discovered exposed, energized copper wires that have broken through their insulation. These frayed wires are located in a high-moisture environment directly adjacent to the unit's plastic water supply line. This creates an immediate risk of electrical arcing, fire, and potential electric shock. According to the technicians, Whirlpool has designed this unit such that the wiring harness is non-serviceable. The only way to remediate this electrical hazard is the total replacement of the freezer door assembly. This design flaw forces consumers to a $1,000+ structural replacement, which will eventually fail in the future again.