Law InfoNet

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in

cooperation with GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Kentucky, today announced a voluntary recall of aproimately 2.5 million GE Dishwashers.

Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

The hazard associated with the recall product is that liquid rinse-aid can leak from its dispenser onto the dishwasher's internal wiring which can cause an electrical short and overheating, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

GE has received 191 reports of overheated wiring including 56 reports of property damage. There were 12 reports of fires that escaped the dishwasher. Fire damage was limited to the dishwasher or the adjacent area. No injuries have been reported.

The recall includes GE built-in dishwashers sold under the following brand names: Eterna, GE, GE Profile(tm), GE Monogram(r), Hotpoint(r), and Sears-Kenmore.

The dishwashers were sold in white, black, almond, bisque and stainless steel. The brand name is printed on the dishwasher's front control panel. Model and serial numbers can be found inside the dishwasher tub on the front left side of the dishwasher. A table of relevant model and serial numbers can be found on CPSC's web site.

The product was sold at Department and appliance stores from September 1997 through December 2001 for about $400.

The product was manufactured in United States.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dishwashers and contact General Electric for a free repair, a $150 rebate towards the purchase of a new GE dishwasher, or a $300 rebate towards the purchase of a new GE Profile or GE Monogram dishwasher.

Consumer, for more information, should contact General Electric toll-free at (877) 607-6395 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday. Consumers also can visit the firm's Web site at www.geappliances.com