Dishwasher recall could cost Bosch-Siemens €700m

The recall of millions of dishwashers at risk of catching fire could cost German electronics group Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete (BSH) up to 700 million euros, German weekly Focus reported on Saturday. In an announcement published on its website in late August, the household appliances group said dishwashers manufactured between 1999 and 2005 and branded Bosch, Siemens, Neff, Constructa and Junker+Ruh ran the risk of overheating and catching fire because of a faulty electrical part. The recall affects some five million dishwashers worldwide. According to Focus magazine, a BSH official said during an internal crisis meeting in Munich several weeks ago that the recall could cost the joint venture up to 700 million euros. In 2009, half a million BSH dishwashers suffering from the same malfunction were recalled in the United States, where 51 incidents and 30 fires were recorded. In Germany alone, BSH has recorded a total of 69 dishwasher incidents involving overheating.