Viking Range, LLC is expanding the recall for 36-Inch wide refrigerators with bottom freezers manufactured between November 1, 2005 and August 10, 2012.
Back in June 2009, Viking initially recalled 45,000 48″ and 36″ stainless steel built-in refrigerators manufactured through 2006 because the door could detach and hurt consumers.
Today, Viking is expanding the dates for the recall because the weld securing the pivot plate to the door may break. To tell if your refrigerator is at risk, inspect the door to see if it is sealing properly, if it is sagging, or if it is not opening and closing normally.
Viking has received 30 reports of the door detaching and causing serious injury and property damage. Viking will repair all refrigerators subject to the recall at no cost to consumers.
To determine if your refrigerator is part of this recall, locate the model and serial number of the unit. The identification plate is located on the ceiling inside the refrigerator compartment. if your model is a match, you will next need the first six numbers of the serial number. These first six numbers correspond to the date of manufacture in [mm][dd][yy] format. Check your numbers against the chart below.
Viking says you can still cautiously use your refrigerator – watch out for your toes!- while you wait for it to be repaired. To schedule your free repair, call Viking Range with your model and serial number at 1-877-546-0136 Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST.
I’m not sure how many refrigerators are included in this recall but adding 6 years to the affected date probably puts it in the 5 figure range. I’d try to schedule a repair as soon as possible to avoid a potentially long waiting period.
History:
In December 2012, Viking Range Corporation was acquired by Middleby Corporation of Elgin, Illinois. The commercial cooking equipment maker said then that the acquisition would help the company get a foothold in the residential kitchen appliance market. Middleby did $1 billion in sales in 2012.
Middleby is a leading producer of commercial cooking and food processing and packaging equipment for the foodservice industry. With more than 30 brands; such as TurboChef, Jade and MagiKitch’n, Middleby manufacturers, sells, distributes and services its products worldwide.
Middleby’s plan to grow Viking include eliminating the cooking schools outside of Greenwood and eliminating the company’s cutlery, cookware and small electric appliance business. The cooking schools in Memphis and Ridgeland will operate through the end of March. The Alluvian boutique hotel will stay open.