We're hearing about this one a little late, but any time a product failure could burn your house down or cause serious injuries, we think it's important to spread the word. With that in mind: On August 8, 2024, South Korean manufacturing giant Samsung kicked off a massive recall of its Slide-In Electric Range product line. The following is what we know, courtesy of Samsung and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Which Samsung Products are Affected by the Recall?
According to the CPSC page about the products, the recall pertains to around 30 models of electric slide-in ranges, all reportedly manufactured in Thailand under the Samsung name. An estimated 1,120,905 units, sold from mid-2013 through late 2024 across the country and online, are part of the recall.
The following are the model numbers of the potentially-affected units. Alternating models are bolded just to help separate the similar-looking numbers from one another.
- NE58K9430SS/AA
- NE58N9430SG/AA
- NE58R9431SG/AA
- NE58R9431SS/AA
- NE58R9431ST/AA
- NE58F9500SS/AA
- NE58K9500SG/AA
- NE58F9710WS/AA
- NE58K9850WS/AA
- NE58K9850WG/AA
- NE58K9852WG/AA
- NE58H9950WS/AA
- NE58R9311SS/AA
- NE63T8111SG/AA
- NE63T8111SS/AA
- NE63T8311SG/AA
- NE63T8311SS/AA
- NE63BG8315SS/AA
- NE63CB831512/AA
- NE63BB851112/AA
- NE63T8511SG/AA
- NE63T8511SS/AA
- NE63T8511ST/AA
- NE63A8711QN/AA
- NE63BB871112/AA
- NE63T8711SG/AA
- NE63T8711SS/AA
- NE63T8711ST/AA
- NE63T8751SG/AA
- NE63T8751SS/AA
Those wanting to know if their electric range is on the list can look for their model number "on the inside upper left corner of the oven door or inside the storage bin located on the bottom of the oven." Be sure to read through the list of models carefully, as many of the designations look similar at a glance.
What's Wrong with the Recalled Samsung Ranges?
According to the recall,
Front-mounted knobs on the ranges can be activated by accidental contact by humans or pets, posing a fire hazard.
That may not sound so bad, but consider that even being weakly bumped by a child or animal might be enough to turn the knob and activate the range. That strongly suggests that even a minor nudge from the right angle could turn one or more burners up to full blast.
The highest setting might not even be necessary to start a fire, though; if anything combustible or meltable was left on or near the activated burner, that could eventually catch fire and then spread. That's not just worst-case speculation, either: Samsung allegedly got more than 300 reports of unintentional activation since 2013, 250 of which involved at least some degree of fire outbreak. Of those fires, 18 caused serious property damage.
Has Anyone Been Hurt by the Defect?
Among the 300 or so recorded incidents of the defect, the CPSC said around 40 injuries were reported—8 of which needed medical attention. Seven reported fires also involved pet deaths, though the circumstances of those deaths aren't clear.
What Can People with Samsung Ranges Do?
As with most products prone to hazardous defects, consumers are first advised to stop using their Slide-In ranges if possible. Since that's not a hugely practical solution for anyone who uses their stove, Samsung encourages people to at least keep their kids and pets away from the knobs and exercise greater care themselves until a fix is installed. As always, owners are strongly encouraged not to leave anything flammable on top of or even close to their ranges, as items left on the top of any range that is accidentally activated or left on could cause fires.
To be clear, Samsung isn't asking people to just treat their stoves as lost causes and put DoorDash on speed dial. Instead, the company plans to send out knob locks and/or covers compatible with a consumer's particular model of range. Both safety features are meant to keep anyone, including children and pets, from bumping the knob in a way that activates the cooktop. Some have called the solution inelegant since it adds steps that ideally wouldn't be necessary, but even critics agree it's better than a kitchen fire.
Why Should Consumers Care about the Samsung Recall?
Despite the clear hazards posed by a ticklish stove knob, and the sad reports of some pets killed by allegedly-related fires, we aren't suggesting it's time to panic. If the reported statistics are more or less accurate, only a small fraction of the recalled appliances have ever caused trouble. However, I often feel the need to take a closer look when I see that a major corporation—one with plenty of experience making a huge range of goods for the better part of a century—spent ten years offering 30 or so models' worth of potential fire hazards to trusting consumers.
That's the part that trips me up most: Samsung's been hearing about these defective knobs for a decade. Maybe when it was just a handful of reports in 2013 executives brushed it off as user error, but what went through their heads as they kept hearing about the same problem causing fires? Do they plan to do anything for the people who lost property and/or got injured because of the defective products—something a little more comprehensive than a plastic knob cover?
Sadly, the answer to that last question is almost certainly "no." A company may acknowledge the possibility of a product defect by issuing a recall for it, but that doesn't mean they accept liability for any damages the defect already caused. People whose property or bodies were harmed by a surprise stovetop fire would most likely have to pursue a civil case against Samsung, and while I'm not telling anybody what to do I hope some will consider it. Mailing a knob cover to someone whose kitchen burned down feels a little like offering a Band-Aid for a severed limb. Victims of the faulty product, made by a company that should and could reasonably have done better, deserve more.