Recalls: Stoves Catch Fire; EV Doors Fly Open; Organic Tea Pesticides

ACROSS AMERICA — The maker of certain Frigidaire and Kenmore electric stoves is reannouncing an earlier recall because heating elements can turn on spontaneously and catch fire.

Also, an organic tea that claims to support immune health has been recalled because the tea was contaminated with pesticides, and national highway safety regulators have launched an inquiry after a dozen complaints from people who said the doors on their Volkswagen electric crossover vehicles flew open while they were driving.

This week’s recall roundup is based on reports from the Food & Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food Safety Inspection Service and the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission.

Multiple Fires Associated With Ranges

Electrolux has preannounced an earlier recall of more than 200,000 of its Frigidaire and Kenmore electric ranges because heating elements may “turn on spontaneously” or fail to turn off, posing a fire hazard.

Since the initial recall in 2009, the company has received at least 212 reports of the “ranges behaving erratically,” including 14 that caught fire. Eight people have sustained burn injuries to their hands and arms.

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 fire and burn hazards to consumers.

The stoves were sold at Sears and independent stores nationwide from June 2001 through August 2009 for between $1,000 and $2,500.

Consumers with the affected models, found on the CPSC website, should register online to be part of the recall. Based on the serial numbers, some may be repaired. More information is available by:

• Calling the Electrolux Group at 888-845-8226 from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday;
• Sending an email to potentiometerrecall@electrolux.com or
• Going online to this link or this link and clicking on “recall information” at the top of the page.

Cream Cheese Recalled Due To Salmonella Fears

Cream cheese products sold at various retailers, including Aldi, have been recalled due to concerns over salmonella.

Aldi is recalling its Happy Farms whipped cream cheese spread, chive and onion cream cheese spread, cream cheese spread and strawberry cream cheese products.

The affected products were sold in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Click for specific information.

Elevated Pesticide Levels Make Organic Tea Unsafe

East-West Tea Co. has voluntarily recalled more than 877,000 bags of its Organic Yogi Echinacea Immune Support tea because pesticide residues detected at unsafe levels were detected, making the tea unsafe to consume, according to a notice on the FDA website.

The recalled tea bags were sold nationwide in boxes of with four packs containing 1 tea bags, and marked with the following UPC: 0 76950 45010 3. The CASE GTIN on the recalled products are 60076950450105 and 20076950450107.

The FDA is continuing its investigation into the contamination. Click for specific information.

Volkswagen EV Doors May Fly Open

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a recall investigation into certain Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover vehicles built between 2021 and 2023 after 12 people complained the doors flew open while they were driving, potentially ejecting motorists or passengers.

As many as 51,500 vehicles may have the defect, according to a report submitted by the Office of Defects Investigation.

“Some consumers report the vehicle’s door intermittently opens while driving with no reasonable detectability,” the report said. “Consumers also report the vehicle door handles will not allow occupants to enter or exit the vehicle. Consumers also report the vehicle door handles will not allow occupants to enter or exit the vehicle. Vehicle doors opening while driving have a high risk of occupant ejection or excessive intrusion in a side impact collision.”

No injuries or fatalities have been connected to the defect.

Two previous door-related ID.4 recalls were meant to fix the problems created when water ingresses into door handles, but the fixes by two separate suppliers did not meet Volkswagen’s specifications, regulators said. When water gets into the mechanisms, it can cause the door handles to read an “open door” command, which would typically only happen when the user pulled on interior or exterior door handles. Click for more specific information.