The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereCPSC·09739·Announced 2009-05-07

Unilever Recalls Fricon Upright Freezers Due to Fire Hazard

Unilever is recalling about 960 Fricon Upright Freezers sold to grocery stores because an incompatible controller can overheat and cause fires.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a fire hazard with four reported incidents of fire resulting in property damage, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' under the Severe (4) classification.

Plain-English summary

Unilever, dba Good Humor Breyers United States, is recalling approximately 960 Fricon Upright Freezers with model number VCV1V. These commercial one-door freezers were manufactured by Frigocon - Indústria de Frio e Congelação S.A. of Portugal and are typically used in grocery stores and other commercial settings. The model number is located on a label in the upper right corner on the back of the unit or inside the unit on the lower left side.

The recall is due to a fire hazard. The controller of the freezer is incompatible with the unit and can overheat, which may melt the relay. Unilever has received four reports of fires resulting in damage to the unit and/or displayed product. No injuries have been reported.

The freezers were sold nationwide by Unilever distributors from May 2007 through March 2009 for about $105 per unit. Retailers and distributors should immediately disconnect the freezers and remove them from service. Unilever has notified all retailers and distributors directly and will replace the controller of the freezer free of charge. For additional information, consumers can contact Unilever at (800) 800-7900, x3828 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

The recalled product

Product
Fricon Upright Freezers
Manufacturer
Frigocon - Indústria de Frio e Congelação S.A., of Portugal
Category
Consumer Product — Commercial Appliances
Hazard
Affected units
960

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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