What's happened
Curtis International has added 330,000 Frigidaire minifridges to a recall due to fire risks. The fridges, sold at Target, have caused six fires and pose a burn hazard. Owners are urged to stop using them and request refunds via Curtis’s website. The total recalled units now reach nearly 1 million.
What's behind the headline?
The expanded recall highlights ongoing safety concerns with low-cost consumer appliances, especially those with electrical components prone to short circuits. Curtis International, which licenses and distributes various electronics, is under pressure to improve quality control. The recall's timing suggests a response to increasing fire incidents, emphasizing the importance of consumer vigilance. The fact that these fridges were sold at a low price point ($30) at Target indicates a broader issue of affordability versus safety in mass-market appliances. The recall also underscores the regulatory role of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in protecting consumers, but it raises questions about the effectiveness of pre-market safety testing for such products. Moving forward, stricter standards and better oversight are likely to be enforced to prevent similar hazards.
What the papers say
The Independent reports that Curtis International added 330,000 units to an existing recall, bringing the total to nearly 1 million units. The company states owners should stop using the fridges immediately and follow refund procedures. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has linked six fires to these models, which were sold at Target for about $30. The previous recall involved similar models sold at Walmart and Amazon, with prices between $36 and $40. Both articles emphasize the electrical short circuit risk and the importance of consumer safety. The AP News article echoes these points, highlighting the manufacturing dates and the specific model number EFMIS121. While all sources agree on the fire risk and recall details, The Independent provides more detailed instructions for consumers to request refunds, including cutting the power cord and sending photos. The coverage collectively underscores the ongoing safety issues with these appliances and the regulatory response.
How we got here
Last year, Curtis International recalled about 634,000 minifridges over fire hazards linked to electrical short circuits. The latest recall involves models sold exclusively at Target, with manufacturing dates from January 2020 to December 2023. The recall was prompted by reports of fires causing property damage, with six incidents reported so far.
Go deeper
More on these topics
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Frigidaire Appliance Company is the American consumer and commercial home appliances brand subsidiary of European parent
company Electrolux.
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Target Corporation is an American retail corporation. It is the 8th-largest retailer in the United States, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index.
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Electrolux AB, commonly referred to as simply Electrolux, is a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm. It is consistently ranked the world's second largest appliance maker by units sold, after Whirlpool.