Hoover U6423-900, U6425-900, U6445-900, U6449-900, U6450-900 Release Note

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2005
Release #05-156

CPSC, Maytag Corp. Announce Recall of Hoover Self­Propelled Upright Vacuum Cleaners

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the
firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product.
Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Hoover Self-Propelled Upright Vacuum Cleaners

Units: About 636,000

Firm’s Recall Hotline: [phone]

CPSC Recall Hotline: [phone]

CPSC Media Contact: [phone]

Manufacturer: Hoover Co., of North Canton, Ohio. Hoover Co. is part of the Maytag Corp.

Hazard: The recalled vacuums have defective on-off switches that can overheat the handl e and

toolholder areas of the vacuum, resulting in a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received 249 reports of vacuums overheating, which caused the
handle area to smoke, melt or catch fire. One minor burn injury requiring no medical attention was
reported.

Description: Hoover Self-Propelled Upright Vacuum Cleaners are plastic, upright vacuums with
the brand name “Hoover” and words “Self Propelled” printed on the front of the product. The
model and serial numbers are printed on a label on the back of the vacuum.

The following model numbers are included in the recall:

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

Only those Hoover Self-Propelled Upright Vacuum Cleaners manufactured between May 1998
and November 1999 are included in this recall. 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).

U6425-900 U6425-950

Sold at: Household appliance and floorcare retailers nationwide from May 1998 through July
2000 for between $259 and $279.

Manufactured in: U.S.

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled product immediately and contact Maytag to

obtain the name and address of the nearest Hoover repair center to schedule a free repair.
Consumers should not return their vacuum cleaners to retailers.

Consumer Contact: Call Maytag Corp. toll-free at [phone] between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET
Monday through Friday or visit the firms’ Web sites at

www.maytag.com or www.hoover.com

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Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged

with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than
15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property
damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. Th e
CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire,
electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the
safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household
chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries
associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800)
638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at [phone], or visit CPSC's web site at

www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to
www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at

CPSC's Web site at

www.cpsc.gov.