Reports of Exploding Samsung Washing Machines Prompt Safety Warning

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WASHINGTON (CBS) -- First it was their smartphones, and now Samsung is dealing with a new problem: Reports of exploding washing machines.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating reports that some top-loading washers exploded while in use. Safety regulators are recommending that owners of the machines only use the delicate cycle when washing bulky items like bedding.

The affected machines were made between March 2011 and April 2016.

Where to find your washing machine's serial number (Image credit: Samsung)

Check To See If Your Washer Is Impacted

In one reported incident, a man says his washing machine "exploded" after his wife put in a small load of laundry.

"After a few minutes, she felt what she explained to me as 'a car driving into our house,' the 'whole house shook,'" he wrote.

Samsung said in a statement it's working with the CPSC to address the issues.

"It is important to note that Samsung customers have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011," the company said.