Costa del Sol News: Urgent Warning for Expats in the Costa del Sol Over Recall of Faulty Whirlpool Hotpoint and Indesit Washing Machines

HALF a million Whirlpool washing machines have been recalled over their serious risk of fire, the company has revealed today (December 17).

The firm said that a door locking system in Whirlpool’s Hotpoint and Indesit branded machines creates a fire risk as a result of overheating.

The affected machines were on sale for more than five years, with up to 519,000 washing machines believed to be affected, about 20% of the total number sold, in Britain as well as in the Costa del Sol, Spain.

Whirlpool has created an online model checking tool where customers who purchased a machine after October 2014 are advised to enter their model and serial number, located inside the door or on the back of the machine, to see if it is affected.

However, the product recall will not begin until early January, leaving customers facing months without their washing machines. As Euro Weekly News understands, so far Whirlpool has refused to offer refunds for affected machines. 

Whirlpool vice president Jeff Noel said:

“We know this will cause some concern. We especially understand that the washing machine is so important to family life, and in Christmas holiday season it will be even more of an important matter and, for that, we apologise.”

He added that the firm is adding staff to its customer service department and recruiting more engineers to tackle the issue.