Samsung Top-Load Washing Machine
DROP ITby Samsung
Last verified September 13, 2026
💬 — ask a question or share feedback →Samsung's 2016 recall of 2.8 million top-load washing machines documented 733 reports of the washer's top detaching during high-speed cycles with heavy loads -- the exact use case marketed -- including 9 injuries such as a broken jaw and an injured shoulder.
Samsung marketed its top-load washing machines around high-speed cycles and large-capacity performance for handling heavy loads like bedding and bulky items, without disclosing any structural risk in the washer's top/lid assembly.
CPSC's official 2016 recall notice documents a real structural defect: the washer's top could detach unexpectedly from the chassis during use, typically when washing bedding, water-resistant, or bulky items on a high-speed cycle -- the exact use case Samsung marketed the machines for. Samsung received 733 reports of excessive vibration or top detachment, including 9 related injury reports covering a broken jaw, an injured shoulder, and other impact or fall-related injuries. The recall covered 34 models sold nationwide between March 2011 and November 2016, affecting roughly 2.8 million units.
This is a defect that manifested during exactly the use case the machines were marketed for -- heavy loads on high-speed cycles -- not some edge case outside normal use. Nine real injury reports, including a broken jaw, out of 733 total incident reports on a 2.8-million-unit recall is a serious, well-documented safety record for a machine meant to sit unattended in a laundry room.
- CPSC official recall notice — The washer's top could detach unexpectedly from the chassis specifically during high-speed cycles with bedding or bulky items, the exact use case marketed, causing 9 documented injuries among 733 incident reports.
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Why were Samsung top-load washers recalled?
CPSC's 2016 recall found the washer's top could detach unexpectedly from the chassis during high-speed cycles, especially with bedding or bulky items, posing an impact-injury risk.
Were people actually injured by the Samsung washer defect?
Yes. Samsung reported 9 injuries among the 733 total incident reports, including a broken jaw and an injured shoulder.