Whirlpool $11.5 million civil penalty for delayed KitchenAid cooktop defect reporting — In June 2023, Whirlpool Corporation agreed to pay a $11.5 million civil penalty to settle charges that it failed to immediately report a safety defect in glass cooktops sold under the KitchenAid, JennAir, and Whirlpool brands. The defect was the subject of the August 2019 recall covering 26,300 cooktops.
Why this matters
Federal law requires manufacturers to report known safety defects to CPSC promptly. Whirlpool began receiving reports of cooktop burners turning on by themselves in November 2017, but did not file an initial report with CPSC until significantly later. By the time Whirlpool filed the report, at least 157 incidents had occurred, including 14 reports of property damage, four reports of objects igniting, and two reports of minor burn injuries. The delayed reporting allowed affected cooktops to continue in use while the hazard was known to the manufacturer.
Affected models
- 17 different KitchenAid, JennAir, and Whirlpool glass cooktop model families with touch controls
- All were covered by the subsequent August 28, 2019 voluntary recall (CPSC Recall 19-189)
- See our separate 2019 glass cooktop recall page for full affected model information and remedy steps
What the civil penalty means for owners
- The $11.5M penalty does not replace or extend the original 2019 recall remedy — repair is still available through Whirlpool
- If your KitchenAid cooktop is affected, call (888) 900-7897 to arrange the free fix that has been available since 2019
- Whirlpool has also agreed to enhance its internal compliance program to prevent future reporting delays
Urgency level
Reference. This is an informational record of the civil penalty. The underlying recall (2019-189) remains the actionable alert.