SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260328-C2D2E-2147321226. Severity: Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional. Product: GE GSS25GYPJCFS (GE refrigerator, model number GSS25GYPJCFS, serial number VZ452665). Incident: I purchased a new GE refrigerator, model number GSS25GYPJCFS, serial number VZ452665, in June 2025 at Lowe's for approximately $1,300. On March 22, 2026, the refrigerator began shooting sparks from the bottom and delivered an electric shock when touched. This created an immediate and serious electrical safety hazard, posing risks of fire, electrocution, or further injury. I immediately unplugged the unit and have not used it since. I contacted GE Appliances promptly and a GE-authorized repair technician was dispatched. The technician inspected the refrigerator but reported "no issue" found. I followed up continuously between 3/22/2026 and 3/27/2026 over the phone, especially after not receiving any calls back or follow-ups from GE. My final follow-up with GE occurred on Friday, March 27, 2026, and was told that the matter had been referred to their Safety Department. Despite my explicit statement that I would contact regulators if I received no resolution or timeline by the end of that day, GE provided no further response, no repair, no replacement, and no timeline. Because the unit remained a documented safety hazard and GE failed to provide any meaningful remedy after inspection and escalation, I had no reasonable alternative but to purchase a replacement refrigerator, which arrived on March 28, 2026. I thoroughly documented the defective unit with dated photos and videos (including the model/serial tag and the bottom area where sparks occurred) before arranging responsible disposal in accordance with New York environmental regulations for refrigerant recovery. I am seeki