Pam McCroskey has been cooking in her Piedmont home for more than three decades. She said five years ago she and her husband, Sam, decided to purchase a new Frigidaire Electrolux range. They say it's worked well since then, but a few months ago Pam got concerned when she was walking past it and noticed it was on.
"I heard the fan running in the oven and I thought 'Why is that fan on?'," said Mrs. McCroskey.
McCroskey said she thought it was odd since she hadn't even used the oven for three days. So she tried to figure out why the fan was running.
"I turned the oven on to preheat and the panel lit up and then I pressed all clear," Mrs. McCroskey said.
That's when she says flames shot out from the top of the oven door. She said she immediately turned off the power to the kitchen and the fire went out. The cost to get it fixed: nearly $600. And since the extended warranty had already expired the McCroskey's were out of luck.
"Even though we were out of the warranty I felt that due to the circumstances they should do something," Mr. McCroskey said.
They said Electrolux sent them a letter regarding their model (PLCS389DCB) offering a manufacturer's rebate on the purchase of a new appliance. Not satisfied, the McCroskey's complained to 7 On Your Side.
We knew Electrolux didn't have to pay for the repair since the warranty was up, but the company sent the McCroskey's a $591 check to cover what they spent.
"They were pretty prompt about it," said Mr. McCroskey. "As matter of fact they Fed Ex'd it."
Electrolux spokesperson Tony Evans told us the fire was caused by an electrical short affecting the oven door switch. Evans said the incident is "highly unusual" and not related to any recalls.
Good news is the oven is working better than before. They McCroskey's are just glad someone was home when it caught fire.
To sign up for e-mail notification of recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission click here or call the toll-free consumer hotline at 800-638-2772. You can also report unsafe products by calling that same number.
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