South Korean consumer electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics has begun to voluntarily offer free repairs of its defective front-load washing machines whose doors are prone to explosion for Korean consumers, according to consumer watchdogs on Monday.

The organizations, the Korea Consumer Agency and Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, urged customers who bought three models of Samsung’s Bespoke Grande AI washers to “immediately request a repair” of glass doors to Samsung’s customer service channels. The request for repairs will be accepted from Monday until the end of November.

Samsung has manufactured 106,173 large home appliances that are subject to similar defects during the period of September 2021 and May this year, and 91,488 units of them have been sold to consumers in Korea.

Samsung has told the watchdogs that the glitch originates from loose attachment of an outer glass cover and an outer door frame, often caused by foreign substances in between, in its manufacturing process.

Samsung’s decision to offer repairs has tentatively stopped the watchdogs from taking the next step, which would be an investigation in response to a series of consumer complaints filed with the KCA over the shattered outer layer of the glass doors after the explosions. Some victims have also turned to online communities, where the accidents associated with defective washers have gone viral.

The KCA said Friday it has submitted a formal letter calling for an explanation.

Watchdogs Monday pledged to keep close tabs on Samsung‘s next steps on the matter.

(consnow@heraldcorp.com)