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My husband and I purchased a Kenmore Elite Trio refrigerator in May of 2006. On Friday morning, August 29, 2008, I opened the refrigerator door and smelled something burning. When I touched a Mason jar containing tomato juice on the top shelf, the jar was extremely hot. A bowl next to it was likewise extremely hot, so much so that I couldn’t pick it up without using a potholder. In investigating further, I noticed that the light fixture cover was warped and the light fixture itself was burnt and scorched. I held in both of the door closure buttons and the lights would not go out. Concerned that the heat from the two 60-watt bulbs could cause a fire, I tried to remove the bulbs using a potholder to keep from getting burned. I was able to remove one of the bulbs but could only partially unscrew the second one due to expansion of the light socket caused by the extreme heat. We had to wait for the unit to cool down before the second bulb could be removed.
A month or so prior to this incident, my husband said the top of the freezer door was hot and questioned what may have been causing that. Apparently the lights in the freezer were staying on as well. Although we have had no further problems with the lights in the freezer, it is conceivable that it was caused by the same faulty components that are causing the hazardous condition with the lights in the refrigerator.
I contacted Sears and was told they are not aware of any problems with the lights in these refrigerators. I find that hard to believe since there are a multitude of postings on the internet regarding the lights in this refrigerator and numerous complaints have been filed with the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Sears’ suggested plan of action is to have a technician come out and apprise the situation, but I will be required to pay for the service call, which, I am told will be refunded up to $150.00. If Sears can refund the cost of a service call, then I am certain they can have a technician assess the damage without my having to pay up front. I fully intend to pursue this with a vehemence because someone’s home is going to burn down if something isn’t done about the defect in these refrigerators.
Purchased ours in 2006 and have had NO problems whatsoever with it other than replacing a broken drawer. Bought the extended warranty a couple of years ago and had regular checkup done in January for a door on the water filter that wouldn't stay closed. They said parts were no longer available so they gave me $2000 to replace it. It still works! The warranty was the best thing we ever did since we'll now get a fridge that can hold a 1 gallon bottle where this one never could. It was only a disappointment due to it's limited storage configuration.
I have the same problem light bulb assembly in the upper portion of the Kenmore Elite Refrigerator Model number 795.[protected] did not turn off with the doors closed. The bulbs became extremely hot and melted the entire light fixture and top of the fridge itself. All the food on the top shelf was extremely hot. In order to remove the bulbs, an oven mitt was required. I am certain that this would have caused a house fire if not discovered.
This is an intermittent problem. I plugged the light assembly back in and shut the doors and the bulbs did once again turn off.
Looking online after this occurred I researched this issue online. This is a common problem with the model fridge. Individuals online have also indicated this is an intermittent problem.
Same issue. It appears to be intermittent but too random to control. Food is hot. There should be some extended warranty given this is a defect. Has anyone seen a recall on this?
I too am having the same exact issue as EVERYONE on this forum! It is now 11 years since purchasing my Kenmore Trio Model #795.[protected] and I just had the whole light compartment completely melt off the top of the fridge! The sockets are completely scorched and the white plastic casing is all melted. I have removed the light bulb contraption and only left the temperature mechanism inside the fridge until it gets repaired! I also called Sears and was being told I'd have to set up a service with a tech and pay $89 for a diagnostic fee, but I complained and asked if there was someone I could speak to regarding this FIRE HAZARD and that a RECALL should have been made for this! I mentioned I had read multiple incidents with the same situation and was told there is no recall for this model. I continued to insist on having someone to speak to about filing a complaint about this major fire hazard and that I did not want to spend money out of my pocket for something that is a manufacturer's defect. I was given an 800 number, which was wrong, it went to Whirlpool dishwasher department! I hung up and searched on the internet for Kenmore Customer Care/Products and found a number [protected]. The prompt asks whether you've purchased it at Sears/Kmart or other store, so I chose other store because I did not want to speak to a Sears person again, because they got my nowhere. A woman, Norma, answered and proceeded to ask for my model # and serial # and what the problem was. I explained the situation and that I needed to know about a recall or assistance with this serious matter. She set up a tech to come this Friday and did not mention any out-of-pocket costs to me. I will update on here once the tech has hopefully resolved this matter. I am worried, though, that they will just replace that one part, but what if it's the actual wiring inside the fridge that causes this malfunction? Hopefully that's not the case.
Thanks to this forum hopefully no one else will have so many steps to take to fix this problem and hopefully something is done. I hope there is a class action lawsuit and people get compensated for these headaches! Shame on you Sears!