Recall:Frigidaire and Kenmore Smoothtop Electric Ranges Due to Fire Hazard
Name of Product: Certain Frigidaire and Kenmore Elite Smoothtop Electric Ranges
Units: About 200,000
Manufacturer: Frigidaire, a division of Electrolux Home Products Inc., of Augusta, Ga.
Hazard: Depending on the model, the surface heating elements can: 1) turn on spontaneously without being switched on; 2) fail to turn off after being switched off; or, 3) heat to different temperatures than selected. This poses a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Frigidaire has received 126 reports of incidents, including four reports of minor burns and two reports of minor property damage.
Description: This recall involves Frigidaire, Frigidaire Gallery, Frigidaire Professional and Kenmore Elite smoothtop electric ranges with rotary knobs and digital displays. The following model and serial numbers are included in the recall:
| Frigidaire (Serial Number Range VF122xxxxx – VF831xxxxx) and Models Beginning with | |||||
| FEFBZ90GC FEFLMC55GC FEFLZ87GC |
GLEF396AB GLEF396AQ GLEF396AS GLEF396CQ GLEF396CS GLEFM397DB |
GLEFM397DQ GLEFM397DS GLEFM97FPB GLEFM97FPW GLEFM97GPB GLEFM97GPW |
LEEFM389FE | PLEF398AC PLEF398CC PLEF398DC PLEFM399DC |
PLEFMZ99EC PLEFMZ99GC PLEFZ398EC PLEFZ398GC |
| Kenmore Elite (Serial Number Range VF122xxxxx – VF334xxxxx) and Models Beginning with | |||
| 790.99012 | 790.99013 | 790.99014 | 790.99019 |
The model and serial number can be found by opening the range drawer at the base of the unit.
Sold at: Sears and other national chain and independent retailers nationwide from June 2001 through August 2009 for between $1,000 and $2,500.
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled ranges immediately and contact Frigidaire or Sears to schedule a free repair.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Frigidaire at (800) 449-9812 between 8 a.m. and midnight ET Monday through Saturday or visit the firm’s recall Web site at www.smoothtoprangerecall.com. Consumers who purchased their products at Sears should call Sears at (800) 449-9810 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
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I have the oven in the recall notice. A technician came to my home and installed the kit necessary to keep the moisture from the oven out of the controll portion of the stove thereby causing shorting of the controlls. Now there is no way for the moisture from the oven to escape except from the front of the oven. I roasted a very moist chicken on convection and moisture from the chicken continually ran down the front of my oven. It was a complete mess. The water mixed with grease ran down the oven door onto the floor of my kitchen. I called the repair company, they sent someone out to make sure that the repair was done correctly. They assured me that it was completed correctly and told me that I would have to live with the situation. They also told me that no one else had complained. I can only imagine what will happen at Thanksgiving.
I would like to know if my frigidaire rangeand oven is on the recall list,I have not had any problems,but I heard of several of then catching on fire.My model #FEFL79DBK,serial# VF64519969.I would appreciate a reply.
Thank you!
Chantal Clark
Your model is not listed in the recall, but if you want to double check, you can use the contact info for Frigidaire at:
(800) 449-9812 between 8 a.m. and midnight ET Monday through Saturday or visit the firm’s recall Web site at http://www.smoothtoprangerecall.com. Consumers who purchased their products at Sears should call Sears at (800) 449-9810 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
My range is part of this recall. The first scheduled appt was cancelled because the sears tech called and said some other company had to come and fix it, so I called again and was told that parts are back ordered and they don’t know when they will be available. Are Sears or Frigidaire offering any discounts to replace this range? I dont want to have the same problem as Helen whenever I use the oven. I would certainly consider purchasing a new range BEFORE I have a fire in my remodeled kitchen.
I called on 9/29 in response to the letter I received which notified me of the recall. The company that I contacted have called me numerous times to “resechedule” my appointment (which was never made) however, I have never received the replacement part. I called today and talked to Sears and was informed parts are back ordered and will not be available until 12/9. Is there any help out there?
I have tried to get a solution to this range problem. I bought a top of the line Kenmore Elite Range and now is recalled because of fire hazard. I do not want them to bandage the problem. I would not trust the Range to work properly and believe they should just replace it. I have no service tech’s with in 150 miles. The idea that there is not a course of action is ridiculous. I bought a Kenmore Elite and thats all i would expect. Its been three weeks since i called the center and sears store where i purchased it. Nothing. Telling me not to use it…what the hell am i suppose to use? Where is the service? responsibility. I need to get this taken care of , hopefully before Thanksgiving…when everyone comes to our house.
We purchased a top of the line kenmore elite convection which is under recall. It was serviced with the retrofit in mid September and today the front element turned on by itself and I was unable to turn it off until I continually tried to turn the control to the off position numerous times. It appears the retrofit did not work and now I am required to take an additional day away from work to be here when the service rep is scheduled to be here – between hours 8:30 and 4:30. This range is now becoming a very expensive as I now have lost two days from work and now do not trust the applicance. I too agree that this unit should be replaced due to the inferior product which we paid top dollar for. – go figure – Sears never again. Elite??????????? For information only, the interim solution of turning off the breaker will shorten the overall life of the breaker. A breaker is designed to shut off periodically or if overload, breaker then shuts down?? Do we get new breakers?????????????
I have a smooth top stove NOT COVERED by recall. It is a 2003 we have had it for a few years now and have questioned its safety since day one! We complained that we heard arc sounds as the eye turned off and on. We were told this was normal. Then I kept burning things on low on the front burner. I was told OPERATOR ERROR!!!!!!!! So when the oven light turned itself off and on for a few months we assumed it was our immagination!!! Well tonight the circuit board shorted out or something while cooking dinner. I guess it cant handle the top burners and the oven on at the same time anymore! When it cooled off, we pulled it away from the wall and wires are burnt and it melted a place on my wall! Nothing was wrong with it while it was under warranty of course now we can pay a repairman to fix a problem that I KNOW HAS BEEN SINCE DAY ONE!!!!!! I guess my family will just have to learn to eat it raw because this is not in the budget!!!! Any one have any suggestions!!!!!
I to have one of the nicer smooth top ranges, that according to the Kenmore recall center – my model number was not one of them. But when I came home for lunch- (Thank god I went home for lunch) My dogs were at the door freaking out, I walked into my kitchen and my lights were on the stove top – like it was left on, the house was at 85 degrees- hooter than hell.. I had to shut down the stove by the fuse box. The whole door was already browned and burt, if I would have not went home for lunch when I did, My house and dogs would have burned down.. Called the phone numbers on recall list I was transfered several times, they had nothing in file showing I had purchased this. According to Sears they purged all sales information after 5 years. My stove was bought 7 years ago. I found my reciept and went to the local Coon Rapids store, they tried to help me, but according to them that type of stuff was out of there hands. They would send a service over to check out my stove but I would have to pay the service charge— Even though my HUUSE and poor DOGS would have burned up..this is what they told me. Today I am out shipping for a new stove- Guess what I am not Buying Sears Kenmore NO MORE…. Any brand suggestions would be helpful. Other than sears.. Also Stoves are not cheap..
Sorry for the mispelling on the note above – I should have used spellcheck
I bought a new home in January of 2007 and the range came along with it. It is NOT covered by the recall, but has exhibited problems #2 and #3 listed above for the past 2 to 3 months.
A service tech came out to service other appliances we had from Sears and looked at the range (for a cost) and said that he had seen these problems many times with similar ranges and that it was the switches that needed to be replaced. He left with a check for about $60 for his 10 minutes of checking and an estimate for more than $300 for the repairs. Kenmore and Frigidaire both have declinded to do anything except send a repair tech out to fix the problem at my cost.
My attorney has told me that the warranty avenue is not pursuable since it limits the implied warranties to one year. After reading the other posts I am now considering a class action law suit. If anyone is willing to be a part of it and show some support to see if I can get it off the ground, please email me at jnjbingham@gmail.com
My oven has caught fire twice in six years. Sears is refusing to replace it, they are repairing it again. My house almost burned to the ground and Sears says it does not qualify for a replacement. I will never buy anything from Sears again. So I am suppose to wait for it to catch on fire for the 3rd time. What a terrible company! The repair man even said he wouldn’t have my oven in his house. His suggestion was to buy a new oven.
We purchased a Kenmore smoothtop in 2001, not on the recall list, but should be. Front burner went out within 2 months of purchase-used only a couple of times, burner lights stay on for hours after burners are turned off, burners/lights come on by themselves and burner is hot to the touch, oven comes on very hot and will not cool down-doors have to be opened and kitchen windows opened to let the extreme heat out. Have had to turn breakers off before leaving house for a weekend (in the winter!!). I thought it was just our oven. Can’t find a replacement part. We are having to be really careful-OCD about checking the oven, because we cannot afford to buy a new one and it is not on the recall list to fix. Model number 95802000 and SER number RK4431720.
I have a Kenmore that a month ago decided to go into the hottest oven mode possible and would not shut off.I had open the breaker outside the house.I opened the back of oven the next day and cleaned all the contacts to the circut board and control panal and that seemed to have fixed it.A week later it did the same thing.I did the same fix.I am very worried that this could happen when we are not inthe house or sleeping.I heard of the recall last week (not by Sears) and called yesterday.First I talked to a very nice man who was going to take care of it by transfering me to the people in charge of this.I was transfered to India to a very noisy phone room.This man listed all the appliances I bought from Sears accept the oven.After a lot of questions it was discovered that the wrong phone nuber was in the system.Then I was told that your’s is not covered.Too bad.WHY IS SEARS ALLOWED TO SELL SOMETHING THIS DANGEROUS AND NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT??After reading the other posts I think I had better get another oven to be safe and drop this one in front of the door at Sears with a big warning on it.
This week our Frigidaire range model: GLEF378ABD overheated to the EXTREME. We were unable to reduce the temperature or turn off the elements which were red hot. There was scorching around the window area. ‘F1′ flashed on the display. We unpluged the range, waited the instructed time, and pluged in again to see in the temperature control would reset. No luck.
We will not replace the damaged control panel, as there is only a reconditioned panel available, and we have absolutely no confidence in this product.
We feel this range presents a grave danger due to the extreme overheating, inability to turn it off, and failure of the door locking mechanism to function with the extremely high temperature.
This range should appear on the recall list!
I had mentioned to my husband that I had been unable to turn a burner off twice on our 2 year old Kenmore smoothtop stove. He thought I must have been mistaken. This morning he turned around to flames after it spontatneously turned on and lit a paper plate and gladware container. The house is still full of smoke. I have no faith that this one will be fixed after my experiences with their repairmen with regard to the refrigerator and I do not want to risk the house burning down over the price of a stove. Guess we are off to buy a new stove, but never again will I buy a appliance from Sears.
I have a 2001 and the burner
does not go off now, three times. Had to use the breaker, but the surface burners stays on the entire time. Never again.
I have the Kenmore Elite not covered by the recall, although it has only one number difference from the recalled ones and is having the same problems.
The three-ring burner was on, turned to low/simmer, and the middle ring came on high. When I saw the pot boiling at high level, I turned the burner off. The two other rings (inner and outer)turned off, but the center one remained on. Regardless of repeated efforts to turn it off, it would not. We had to turn the circuit breaker off.
The technician came out today, at our expense, and told us that it was the Relay Box, and that it is a common problem with many of these rangers. He, too, was surprised that it had not been recalled yet.
We have to pay $129 for the service call plus over $100 for the part for a total of $273 to correct a problem that should be handled by the Consumer Protection Service. Sadly, it is my impression that CSPA is corporation-friendly and not really set up to protect the consumer.
Wonder if President Obama could change that?!
We are having the same problems with our Kenmore Elite Smooth Top Range: Left front element will not turn off. Discovered after coming home to a smoke-filled house after a turned-off element continued to cook on high, and burned the contents of the pot on the cook top. Our range is not included in the recall either, and I have not called Sears yet, but I did file a report with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
I urge all of you to do the same, or we may never get Sears/Kenmore to accept the responsibility for their dangerously shoddy product.
copy this link https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx
or go to http://www.cpsc.gov for more information
I have Kenmore stove model 95802000 and this is the second time it has had a problem with the oven. The stove goes into broil and the only way you can turn it off is the circuit breaker. We repaired it once by replacing a part and now a year later it starts all over again.
We purchased a Kenmore Elite Range – model #970-698234. This is the worst stove we have ever owned, The front left burner which changes from small to medium to large will not turn off. This model is not included in the recall which is a mistake. I turned off the stove and went to the other room to find it red hot. It is a good thing a returned to the room and saw the problem. This could burn down your home. We called a repair man and was told the price to repair this and it would be over $600. I might as well buy a new stove, but it will not be Kenmore!
I have a Sears Kenmore Elite, NOT the mentioned model, that I purchased about a year ago and just used the self cleaning control for the second time. I came back in the kitchen about an hour later to the smell of hot/burned wood and the heat coming off the oven was intense from a few feet away. I opened the cupboards next to the stove and the sides were scalding to the touch and the pans in there were hot to the touch too. I immediately turned off the oven, left the cupboard doors open and opened the back door to the 0 degree temps outside to help cool things off quicker. Very scary and now I am scared of my stove!! I am dreading the call to Sears because of the horror stories all over about response…or lack of response.
Model 790.xxxxxxxx electric range broiler stuck on when baking at 350 degrees. Broiler would not shut off using controls. Breaker was used to shut off electricity to oven two times before broiler turned off. I am now worried this may repeat and have concerns regarding safety.
Mr. Kennaway,
My suggestion is that you contact the CPSC at http://www.cpsc.gov/ and report your problem. The CPSC is the Federal agency that issued the recall and they will want to hear of ranges having the same or similar problems. Sometimes the recall is expanded to include additional models.
Please come back and let us know how this works out.
I have a Frigidaire Range from the Gallery series and had been getting F 1 errors on my control panel…didnt know what they meant…would just turn oven off and restart….well today I had my oven on at 300 degrees and was in another room when I heard popping sounds and it sounded like the convection part of my oven was operating…I went to the kitchen and flames were shooting out of the control panel…I had to go to the basement ant remove the fuse for the stove…all the upper part of the stove is blackened and melted…I hate to think what would have happened had I not been there…I have run the oven at times using the delay start when I wasnt home…what would have happened?….the stove is Model # CGLEF3840S1 and isnt on the recall list….maybe it should be…would not recommend this stove to anyone…my extended warrenty ran out in December…of course….
I had a dangerous thing happen with my Kenmore range> I had it set for 350 degresa and it went outof control to anwhopping 500 +. I had a roast in at the time and it cookd is in 10 min. I had to swithch the circute off to end the problem. What a feary thing.
My Kenmore Range went out of control. I had it set for 30 degrees and it raced up to over 500. I could not lower it or shut it off untol I switched the circute breaker off. This is very bad and unsafe.
After the technician applied the repair patch to our range, it stopped working COMPLETELY! The tech was able to come back well over a week later and get some features working (the bake feature doesn’t work AT ALL, though) while additional parts were ordered, but nothing has been done since. The unit now shuts down on its own, sometimes the burners won’t turn on, the outlets on top may/may not work, and the oven still will not heat up when set to ‘bake’ (the convection bake works, but it shuts itself down regularly). We’ve contacted Sears several times since November, and they finally responded today (the end of January) stating that the repair work order has been closed and any additional repair work would be our responsibility to arrange and pay for. The fact that the unit worked before the repair patch and doesn’t now, due to the repair patch, doesn’t seem to matter. I am so frustrated and disgusted. The unit was supposed to be top of the line, goodness knows we paid enough for it. What do we do now, go out and buy a brand new one? If it turns itself off, will it turn itself on? I can’t trust it anymore.
I have a Kenmore flat-top stove that is not under the recall but showing the same symptoms. it is model number 79096009601/vf65151653, Sears has refused to fix the problem without a Large Price Tag!!!!
They front right eye is turning on its own and going straight to HIGH. The only way to turn it off is to cut the breaker. I have a wife and kid on the way, and being a Executive Chef this is a major FIRE HAZZARD….. Please join me in making this item A RECALL. Be warned SEARS wants nothing to do with this extreme HAZZARD without MONEY. This Item was purchased in 2007. The Mother-Board has already been replaced as well as the Thermostat… Again please join me in getting this model added to the RECALL
I have informed CPSC!!!!
My mother was cooking in her kitchen when her Frigidaire FEFL74ASA started making those pop pop noises in the oven and flames started shooting out of the oven. She had to struggle to reach over the flames to turn the oven off to try to stop it from burning her house down. It was terrifying.
We called Frigidaire who said that she was out of luck since it was not on recall. They told us that had anyone been harmed or killed they would have replaced it but unless there was a death they would do nothing. We think that something needs to be done because had someone been harmed we would be in a completely different situation and at that point do you think we would want another one of their products? Wow…
We have had similar burner staying on problems with Sears Smooth Top Stove. Stove came with new house – July 2007. Within a year (still under warranty) had one front burner stay on. Tech came, replaced burner switch. Two months later – other front burner did the same thing – still under warranty – tech came back – replaced that switch. He said at that time that the front burners were a problem. Now, last nite – front burner stayed on again. This already had one switch replaced. This stove is less than 3 years old. Sears won’t do anything – this model isn’t being recalled. I contacted Consumer Product Safety Agency. Will keep everyone posted as they are sending paperwork for us. If we don’t get satisfaction we will be calling our local ABC TV station who just loves these product safety stories – then let’s see what Sears says. NEVER another Sears product – shame on builders – but we know they probably are getting a kick back from Sears. Had a GE smooth top for 10 years with never a problem. Not willing to pay Sears another dime to fix this hunk of junk.
I have a Kenmore Electric Range Model number 79096002601 and
serial # VF73148200. NOT on the recall list. The front right burner will not go off and when turned off went to HIGH. My Husband had to turn the switch back and forth from on to off about 25 times before it would finally go off.We took the knob off to prevent anyone from accidentally turning it on. We called Sears and were told “Sorry it’s not on the recall list”,so it cannot be fixed free of charge. I called CPSC at 800-638-2772. If they get enough reports the recall can be expanded. Suggest anyone with a problem with these stoves call CPSC.
Hi,
HOW TO REPLACE KENMORE FLAT TOP ELECTRIC ELEMENT (HOW TO OPEN)
COULD YOU PLEASE SEND DIAGRAM OR PICTURES WITH INSTRUCTION.
MODEL # C880665539H2
SR. # IMM1755179
I have a sears kenmore electric range model #790.95379802 serial # VF93038861 which turned on by itself last night.
Is this under recall? and what should i do?
alan
i have a kenmore smooth top model# 665.95022101 and the broil element will NOT TURN OFF weather i try to bake or use the range. I have to trip the breaker to turn it off. very scary and dangerous! This should be on the recall list as well. And of course, since it is not under warranty, sears wants no part in correcting this unless i pay $129 just to have the tech come see what the problem is.
I have a Kenmore Elite smooth top model # 911.99004991 and the broilelement came on by itself and would NOT turn off. I had to pull the plug. This is a manufacture defect which should be covered, but just like Alyssa I will have to pay $129.00 plus parts to get it fixed. Not happy with Sears or Kenmore products. Purchasing these products in the future is unlikely enless this is recalled.
called sears spoke to someone i couldn’t understand and wanted
me to spend 300.00 getting it fixed by using a credit card
found out stove is part of recall would like to have the stove
replaced because of their rudeness
I too have a frigidaire oven that is not on the recall list but the burner stays on high after it is turned off. Or it goes on high when it is turned to low. The model is FEF362MXESD. I called them and they offered to pay for the parts but I would have to pay for the service. I told them no and then they offered me a 60% rebate off a new oven of equal or lesser value. The problem is that I got a good deal on mine and now I can’t find a decent stove for the same price.
Same issue with my 2007 Kenmore smooth top electric range. (model # 790.96129409) I filed a report with the CPSC back in November 2009 and have heard nothing, as I suspected. The front left burner had been turning itself on all by itself. Now it won’t even work at all!
Guess I have no other choice but to pay for the repair. Keep filing those complaints with the CPSC, people! Sears isn’t will to help, that’s for sure!
I wish I had read this before we bought our stove. Kenmore Elite,NF74215284 also not on the recall list but Sears said it was and sent a tech out. However the tech said it wasn’t the right one, proclaimed it safe and went on his way. (Aug 2009) Well to my surprise, today while I was on the phone the front left element turned on by itself and proceeded to change settings while not letting me turn it off! Thank goodness I was in the room, we have since unplugged the stove and now tomorrow we will phone Sears, but judging from the remarks I am doubtful they will do anything.I am not looking forward to this.
I too have problems with Kenmore Smoothtop Range Model #790.99123405. Yesterday I had a pot of chili on low on the 3 size left front burner and the small burner turned to high by itself. I had to turn it off at the circuit breaker. Sears tells me this model isn’t on the recall list so the repairs are my responsibility. I did report to CPSC today. This is the second repair to this range- bought in 2005 – spent $500 on repairs in early 2008 and now without the use of a stove/oven again. Sears/Kenmore should be held responsible for fixing this hazard. As a single parent I don’t have the cash to get this fixed again. Consumers are getting ripped off left and right and no one it seems can help on this issue. I plan to be very vocal and if I have to put it in my yard with a big sign on it or dump it in Sears parking lot I certainly will……
Anyone else who is having problems with Kenmore Smoothtop Range Model #790.99123405 (see above post) please contact me. I’m looking for attorney for class action lawsuit. I don’t think the CPSC will do anything and writing to Sears again is like trying to talk to the dead.
My two-year old Frigidaire Smooth top with model number FES365ECE and serial number NF72712444 has the same problem. One of the front burners stays on after turning it off. You have to try turning the swtich several times until you can get it to switch off. My serial number is not in the recall list. I called CPSC at (800)638-2772 to file a report. I think it is very important to report unsafe products such as these ASAP before someone really gets hurt.
We also have a Kenmore flattop that isn’t on the recall,(3 years old from SEARS). It has the same problem described, the left large burner is possessed and it freakin cranks when it decides to not shut off and go to high. I don’t use that burner. Stupid huh? I dont think the stove costed enough for me to spend 300 on a tech to fix it. Any readers know how to “fix it yourself?”.
I have the Kenmore Elite stove I purchased in 2007 Model NF64529572. The left front burner comes on and stayes on high. We turned it off at the breaker.
After reading the comments and calling all the Sears numbers and Cpsc Recall hotline, it is a joke.
I am not on the recall list, Sears says they do not make this model it is Frigidare. I purcased from Sears, I thought they stood behind their product. I asked, if there was a list to complain to Sears, so if they got a lot of complaints against this model, they would look into it. Not concerned.
Has anyone had any luck.
At this point, I am afraid to have this in my home even if fixed.
Sears will get none of my business.
I’m happy to join in a class action effort. My model with similar problems is 790.96112409 (2007 Kenmore). Filed a complaint with CPSC. I’m not paying for repairs at this point– product is unsafe. Time to find a new, non-Kenmore range on craigslist. SEARS is on my s#!t list.
Well I don’t have this kind of problem. My Kenmore Elite range is model #79046803992. However there is a serious design flaw with my stove and likely most. The thermocouple leads are connected to the circuit breaker thru a Molex type connector. This type of connector is designed for power connections. Thermocuples have virtually no current, hence require a dry circuit connector (typically gold plated). As a result of this my oven goes into an error code conditon and won’t work until I remove the connector from the PCB and reconnect it, which whipes away the oxide from the Molex connector. Then it works.
I’d join in a class action lawsuit also.
Is there a lawyer reading this?????
I have a Frigidaire PLEC30S9EC. I came in the house to smoke from the kitchen and found a rag on fire on stovetop. Stove knob was turned to off and I was unable to get burner to turn off until turning off circuit breaker. If I had not been home, the house would have burned to the ground. I called Frigidaire explaining issue and that they needed to come get this stove top and determine how this could happen. They declined, only offering to send a repairman at my expense. This was a year ago! Now I see this is finally happening to others as I told them it would. And to add insult to injury, my model is not included in recall. I have again discussed with Frigidaire and same result, fix it at my expense. I issued complaint to CPSC April 2009 and they responded they would not investigate due to capacity restraints. How many people have to burn to death before our government agency will take action? I am starting a search for attorney today. I would also be interested in joining class action suite. This company has ignored a huge safety concern. I could care less if it quit working out of warranty. I lost the bet on exteded warranty and I would pay for repair. But to have a stove top turn itself on is a complete engineering design failure. I keep the circuit breaker off on this product, it is still in same state as when first incident happened. I have dated documents and pictures of element coming on while knob in off position and would be happy to testify or provide documents for anyone involved in suite. todd90210@gmail.com
My Kenmore smoothtop oven came with my home when purchased in 2003. Model 790.95309102–Serial VF230xxxxx. I was cooking in the oven at 350 degrees when the oven decided to heat up on it own to more than 500 degrees, I got a continuous beep with the digital panel reading F1. I hit the cancel button but that did not turn the oven off. I ended up going to the breaker box to turn off the curcuit. Right now I am unable to use the top burners and have to buy food out everyday. Called Sears and they indicated my model and seial number is not on the recall list. I too will be writing to CPSC.gov with my complaint. Seems as though Sears only cares about the money and not the consumer which are the people who keep them in business. Wake up Sears you are going to be like Toyota due to being aware of the hazard you pose on the consumer.
I have a Kenmore, Mod#790,96011407 Serial#VF71661777 Which of course is not on the recall list either. I came across this because of searching for what could cause our burner to stay on high no matter what number we set it at and then not turn off when we try to shut it off because it has burnt what we were cooking. I hav completely stopped useing that particular burner. But after ready some of the other post about this problem I am now afraid to leave my 74 year old mom home by herself with this stove in the house. We bought it brand new from sears about 3 years ago when we go the trailer. And I cannot afford to have it fixed at my expense for there defective product. Dont understand why the will only fix the “ELITE” models when all these others have the same exact defect.
Same problem with smoothtop countertop range by fridgedare. Reported it before but told it was not on the recall list. Now it has seriously turned on and burnt the counter as well as the dinner. model no. FEC30S6ABA. I do not want a repair! I want a replacement or I will buy another model , and never cross Sears threshhold again.
I have a “made in Canada” Kenmore smooth top manufactured in Sept 2004. Not on the list but fried the circuit board as many of you are describing. Sears Canada wants $272 plus 13% tax plus 10% shipping fee plus instalation.(Basically the screwing you are getting is to be continued as long as you will be a valued customer of Sears)
I found a site, “ApplianceTimers.com” that sells remanufactured timers (defect is removed) that are warrantied for a year (beats the 90 day Sears warranty) and was $123 Canadian with your old timer. I happen to live an hour from this repair center so I picked up and installed it myself…incredibly simple ..
The fellow I dealt with “Howard” showed me how the board burns out and why it is defective and it is a very common issue. “Junk” is how he described the poor quality board. You might find him a valuable source of info for your lawsuit.
Have had No assistance from Sears Canada other than “should have bought the extended protection”.They won’t get my money. Hope this helps some of you save a lot of money and stop Sears from gouging its customers on a seriously defective part that goes way beyond the models listed.
We are having the same problem with the oven of our Kenmore Smoothtop Model # 790.95201100 not turning off and getting dangerously hot. My husband took the control part of the stove back to Sears and they said that this was unusual and wanted us to pay $150 for a new control. We can see by your posts that Sears has a real problem with their line of Kenmore stoves!
We have a Kenmore Elite smoothtop range also with burner problems. We purchased ours in Dec of 2006. We have the touch controls and it is difficult to turn burners off and on. It requires continued pressing of control. Once it is on the heat changes on its own and now just the outside ring works. Our model number matches up with some of the ones having burner problems but not on recall list. Our warranty says it has an additional 4 year warranty for defective elements. We would have to pay labor cost. Question is if it is considered defective. Will keep you all updated on our progress.
I replaced my power board before the recall came out and have been trying to get reimbursed by Frigidaire since the recall came out. I have been told twice that the check is in the mail – once about 6 months ago and once about 3 months ago.
One of the burners quit working about 3 months ago and another one quit working today. I moved the stove away from the wall and tapped on the relays (because this was the cause in the past – stuck relays in the power board) and the power board started on fire.
Called again today to check on status of reimbursement to apply towards a new non-electrolux range and got the runaround from Sears, Electrolux and Frigidaire. Transferring to phone numbers that are not in service, to numbers that request you to pay $5 if you want to connect, etc.
Just waiting for a lawsuit…
My Kenmore
model 79096009600 has the issue with the 2 front burners. They won’t turn off or down unless you play with the knobs. Called Sears and they were not helpful at all. I filed complaint with the CPSC. My question is it the knob themselves or sometype of control board. My opinion is it is the control knob since when I play with it it will shut off.
What happened to the days when Sears and Kenmore stood for Quality????
WOW! i am disgusted w sears and kenmore right now!! ive been on the phne for over 3 hrs now being told the same thing everyone else has!! that repairs r my responsibility. i have a kenmore electric range 790 that turns on by its self. it wont even turn off by flipping the breaker! i have to unplug the stupid thing..it stayed on for 3 hrs last nite and nearly started a fire in my kitchen! i too am a single mom that cannot afford costly repair bills and definitly should not be EX^PECTED to in this situation! if something like this is a safety issue ud thnk they would repair this at their cost..would they prefer to have a legal case on their hands because someone burned themselves on their product or a house burnt down!!!!????
if i do not see results from sears tht i find satisfactory i WILL speak w someone about legal rights! farrahdouglas@live.ca
I purchased a Kenmore in 2003(Model #665.95002102). It’s not on the recall list but I have also experienced problem with the oven not turning off, broiler turned itself on when I set oven on bake, and the whole oven unit heating to a high temp. while I had only one of the stove tops turned on. I want to record my comments here so if there is any future law suit, I would like to be part of it.
I fixed the issue with my 2 front (large) burners not adjusting correctly or not turning off. I purchased to new control knobs. I used partsadvantage.com and got both knobs for 34.00 plus 8 shipping and handling. They were very easy to install and fixed the problem. I had seen these controls locally and online for as much as $50. dollars each. I am not endorsing a product or web site only stating what worked for me. In all it took less than 1/2 hour to fix. Couple of hints. First turn off the breaker and unplug the stove ( if equiped with a plug better safe than sorry). Remove top back cover on stove. Remove know from front of stove. Remove 2 screws holding know control in place. Remove knob controls. Remove 1 wire at a time and reconnect to new control be sure to match letter and number on old and new controller wire position. (letters and numbers are stamped next to connector). Like I said project took me a 1/2 hour and saved at least 150 dollars in labor and parts. Good luck
Brian
I have a Kenmore Elite smoothtop range. The front burners do not turn off, so I have to unplug it. Now the control panel is not working, I get an F5 and 01 on the panel, will not turn on and only beeps.
Serial #790.99123405
Model # VF51746735
Has this model been recalled?
Finally got a letter back
from CPSC about a month ago. I first Called them in Feb. They will send complaint to Sears….anyone think that’s gonna work? Tired of dealing with this. Husband went out and bought a new stove this past week. I will never buy another thing from Sears.
I have the same issue that is described above multiple times. My broiler turns itself on and will not turn off until the breaker is shut off. They offered a replacement part, if i paid for the service call, but i do not want this fire hazard in my house. I was also told a supervisor would call me 2 days ago, but have not heard anything.
I, too, had a problem with my Kenmore Elite smoothtop range 790.99124400. Mine has digital controls (no knobs). I had a burner on, then turned on the oven to 350 and within a minute, heard a radio static sound. Looked over at the range and the display was erratic and black smoke was coming up from the back. Then, there was a loud pop and the circuit breaker tripped. Thankfully no kitchen fire or worse! After investigating, the circuit boards (EOC) had fried! Nothing works on mine at all. Have filed complaint with CPCS. Got nowhere with Sears or Kenmore. This model is not part of the recall either!!!! The new part is over $200 and may not fix it for long, as seen from other complaints. Looking for a recall soon…
I have a Kenmore stove C970-648181 and the electronic board just quite on me. The stove is only about 5 years. Now I can’t use the oven and we want $390.00 plus taxes for another board. I’m retired and have a small pension and every pennies counts…this electronic in sears stoves should be with higher quality and sears should have a better quality control on the supposebly high quality products when the sale is done! And I know that I’m not the only one with this problem…
I have a Sears Kenmore Electric Range. The model number is 665.95788. This morning it decided to turn on the broiler when I set the oven to bake at 425 degrees. I turned the oven off, but the broiler would not shut down. I opened the breaker and waited an hour. When I turned the power back on, the broiler came on again! The control panel showed no signs of anything being on!
How can I get some satisfaction from Sears? It doesn’t sound like this unit is covered by any recall.
A Kenmore electric range model #790.96222404 was in our home when we purchased it. I recently used the self-cleaning feature due to a spill over and since then the oven over heats and the cook top gets so hot you can’t touch it, even though the burners are not on. It doesn’t sound like Sears is standing behind their products. Has anyone got any results for Sears or the CPCS? I don’t plan to pay for repairs on this piece of junk when it will probably happen again.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! I had no idea that this was such wide spread problem. We have had our oven since 2003. We have replaced 2 of the 4 infinity switches on this oven already. And we use the breaker to control the power in fear of burning down the house. Sears also told me that it was not covered by the recall!!!! We were very lucky that our house didn’t burn down the first time our burners turned them selves on. Model #790 46803 992 Kenmore Elite.