Secondhand Purchases

Buying a Used Major Appliance? Check Recalls First.

Secondhand appliances save money - but a recalled appliance with a fire or flooding hazard is a risk worth checking in two minutes.

5 min read — Secondhand & Safety

The Risk with Used Major Appliances

Major appliances have a history of significant recall events - Samsung washers for fire risk, LG refrigerators for compressor failures, GE dishwashers for wiring hazards. A secondhand appliance may have an unaddressed recall remedy that the previous owner received notice of and ignored, or never received notice of because the appliance was never registered.

The good news: recall remedies are available to current owners regardless of purchase history. If your secondhand appliance has an active recall, a free fix is available - you just need to know about it.

Major appliance recalls for fire, electrical, and flooding hazards are common
Previous owners may have ignored or never received recall notices
Recall remedies are available to current owners regardless of when they purchased

The Secondhand Appliance Checklist

Before first use: (1) Find the model and serial number on the data plate (refrigerator inside compartment, dishwasher inside door frame, washer/dryer door frame or back panel, range inside storage drawer). (2) Search cpsc.gov/recalls by brand under 'Household Appliances.' (3) If no active recalls, register in your name. (4) If recalled, apply for the remedy before using the appliance.

Find model + serial on data plate before anything else
Search cpsc.gov/recalls under 'Household Appliances'
Apply for recall remedy if active - it is free regardless of purchase status
Register in your name after confirming no active recalls

The previous owner might have left a recall unaddressed. Check before the first cycle - the fix is free regardless.

Bawte Consumer Guide

Warranty on Secondhand Major Appliances

Warranty transferability for major appliances varies. Many brands do not transfer the base 1-year warranty, but extended component coverage (compressor, motor) sometimes transfers to subsequent owners upon registration transfer. Check the specific brand warranty policy. Even without warranty coverage, registration provides recall protection for the full life of the appliance.

Long-Term Safety Through Registration

Major appliances last 10–20 years. Registration provides ongoing recall monitoring for the full ownership period. Bawte stores your registration permanently and sends automatic alerts if any new recall is issued for your specific model.

Recall protection for the full ownership period
Not limited to warranty coverage window
Automatic alerts for your specific model and serial number

How Bawte Makes It Simple

Recall Check + Alerts

Bawte integrates CPSC recall data. Register your used appliance and we'll flag active recalls and alert you to future ones.

Ownership Transfer

Bawte can help transfer registration from the previous owner to your account - serial number is all you need.

Quick Registration

Key Takeaways

Always check cpsc.gov/recalls before first use of any secondhand major appliance

Recall remedies are available to current owners regardless of purchase history

Find model and serial on the appliance data plate before searching recalls

Warranty transferability varies by brand - check before assuming coverage

Recall protection is model-based, not warranty-based - any appliance can be recalled

Bawte provides ongoing recall monitoring for the full ownership period

Check Recalls and Register
Your Used Appliance Today

Two minutes of checking. Years of automatic recall protection through Bawte.

Connect →

Sources

Clyde / Cover Genius. (2022). Consumer Warranty Engagement Report.
Registria / GlobeNewswire. (2017). Product Registration Trends Report.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2024). cpsc.gov.