Bay Area woman finds metallic particles in brand new oven

Byby Randall Yip and Michael Finney KGO logo
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Bay Area woman finds metallic particles in brand new oven
A Bay Area woman became concerned when she found dust-like metallic particles in her brand new oven.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A Bay Area woman became concerned when she found dust-like metallic particles in her brand new oven. She turned to 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney for help.

Marcia Elia wanted to spoil herself, so she put in a new granite counter top in her kitchen, refinished her cabinets and brought a brand new oven.

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The first time the oven was used, she found mysterious particles sprinkled on the inside of her appliance.

"The whole bottom of the oven was covered with those and a fine dust. So very strange," she said.

She called Kitchenaide, but was immediately referred to parent company Whirlpool.

A rep advised her to clean the oven and try using it again and she did.

"The next morning I came out, opened up the oven. It had flakes again," said Marcia. "Didn't have as many flakes. It had little flakes, but it had like a dust."

Marcia took a picture of the particles in her oven.

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Marcia said it concerned her because she didn't know what they were.

She asked that the oven be replaced under her one year manufacturer's warranty. The company declined because it was beyond the 30-day return period.

"That is the point in time I said, Michael Finney On Your Side because I know, I'm getting nowhere," she said.

We contacted Whirlpool and Marcia says it sent out a service technician who came to look for chipped paint in the oven.

Eventually the company agreed to replace the oven altogether.

Whirlpool told us, "Although we cannot speculate about what happened with this particular product, Whirlpool is committed to delivering safe, innovative products to consumers."

"Thank God for Michael Finney because otherwise I would have still sat with that oven and it would be a boat anchor," said Marcia.

We'll update this story if we learn what the substance might have been.

Click here for a look at more stories by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.