636,000 Hoover/Maytag Vacuum Cleaners Recalled

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and Maytag jointly announced a recall of 636,000 vacuum cleaners manufactured by Maytag under the Hoover name.

According to the CPSC, "the recalled vacuums have defective on-off switches that can overheat the handle and toolholder areas of the vacuum, resulting in a fire hazard." The government report also stated that 249 cases of vacuums overheating had been reported to Maytag.

The vacuum cleaners were sold between May 1998 and July 2000 at various outlets throughout the country. The affected models are:

U6423-900
U6425-900
U6425-950
U6445-900
U6445-960
U6449-900
U6450-900
U6451-900
U6455-900

The recalled models include serial numbers 0598xxxxxxxx through 1199xxxxxxxx, with the first four digits of the serial number indicating the month and year of production (e.g., 0598xxxxxxxx is May 1998).

Consumers should contact Maytag directly at (800) 250-6075 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday if they own one of these appliances.

posted by Consumer Help Web Editorial Team at 9:30 AM |