Kellie McCann is happy to have her laundry room in working order again after her 5-year-old Kenmore washing machine recently exploded.
"Back in September, my son’s girlfriend was outside with her dog and she heard a really loud boom. She didn’t know what it was," McCann said.
"She went upstairs and found that the washer, the whole top had blown off. The washer had moved away from the wall. I was so thankful no one was standing there."
McCann went online and discovered that her Kenmore Elite machine was part of a 2012 recall because excessive shaking due to unbalanced loads could cause the drum to come loose.
“We never received any notification, phone call, letter or anything like that,” she said.
The Kenmore had been purchased at Sears, so McCann called them and they referred her to the manufacturer.
"I called the 800 number, and then it was a lot of back and forth - 'We see it as a recall, we don’t see it as a recall,'" she explained.
Sears eventually offered to repair the broken machine, but McCann felt uneasy about the fix.
"I’m like - 'This machine is all dented. How do I know that replacing a part is going to actually fix the machine?'" she wondered. "I don't have confidence in the machine anymore."
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After five frustrating weeks trying to resolve the issue, McCann emailed NBC Boston Responds. We talked to Sears, and they offered her a new replacement washer of her choice.
In a statement, Sears told NBC Boston:
"At Sears, our top priority is the satisfaction of our members. Because Ms. McCann’s washer issue involved a recall from several years ago, we’d like to remind your viewers the importance of responding to any product recalls they receive. Our members services team has resolved Ms. McCann’s issue and Sears has replaced her washer."
McCann said she is very happy with her new Maytag.
"I am more than happy," she said. "I have my new washing machine, and I don’t have to go to the laundromat anymore, so it’s great."
If you want to know if an appliance or product you own has been recalled, visit recalls.gov. You can sign up there to receive recall alerts via email, and if you receive a product recall in the mail, be sure to always follow up on it.
