SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260723-E7659-2147313506. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Whirlpool WDT750SAKZ (Whirlpool Eco Series 24-in Top Control Built-in Dishwasher (Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel) with third rack, sensory cycle with AI Intelligent wash, soak and clean.). Incident: Our whirlpool dishwasher was running a normal wash and dry cycle when we began smelling smoke in our house. After searching for several minutes, we determined it was coming from the dishwasher. A dishwasher-safe plastic lid fell onto the heating element, ignited, and caused a fire inside the dishwasher. The unit was being used for standard household dishwashing. No one was operating it manually as it was mid cycle. There were no injuries. The unit had been installed only 18 days before this happened. The heating element and surrounding area show scorching and melted plastic residue as a result. I have photos documenting the damage. I contacted Whirlpool, they sent a link to the product instruction manual and stated that plastic items falling onto the heating element are not a safety concern. They did not provide a clear resolution other than telling me to scrape off the heating element with a wooden spoon and run a rinse cycle with [REDACTED] dishwasher cleaner.