Washer recalls covered, says F&P

NZ Herald

4 Sep, 2012 05:30 PM2 mins to read

Photo / Richard Robinson

Whiteware maker Fisher & Paykel Appliances says the $3 million it has put aside in its accounts to pay for "legacy product issues" will more than cover the cost of two major recalls it has underway.

In July the East Tamaki-based company issued a recall on selected DishDrawer dishwasher models built between 2000 and 2007.

And last month it recalled selected models of its DW60 dishwashers manufactured between 2006 and 2009.

F&P Appliances spokesman Matt Orr said the recalls affected "a few hundred thousand" products across Australia and New Zealand.

"All are legacy products and while the need to recall any product is disappointing, we stand by our products 100 per cent," Orr said.

At the company's annual shareholders meeting last month, chief executive Stuart Broadhurst acknowledged that while the quality of its current products had "never been better", earlier appliances had not been as reliable as the firm would have liked.

"We have been steadfast in our resolve to ensuring that the quality of our product builds and enhances the reputation and value of the Fisher & Paykel brand," he told shareholders.

"We know our customers demand quality products and we have invested heavily in systems and processes in order to improve the quality of our products across design, manufacture and installation."

Orr said it had been found that in rare circumstances a small foreign object, such as a piece of glass, could become lodged in the DishDrawer's pump rotor, causing an internal leak that had the potential to give users a mild electric shock.

In the case of the DW60 dishwasher, there had been a few reported instances of a leak developing around the door latch.

There was potential for a fire or melting of components within the handle, although there had been no reports of injuries to users, he said.

Orr said affected DishDrawer customers were having the replacement rotor posted to them, while a technician was required to install the replacement part for the DW60 dishwasher.