Broken Door Glass Photos
This page collects photographic evidence of shattered washing machine door glass submitted by readers, alongside a breakdown of 122 reported incidents by brand. Reports have come in steadily since 2008. In around a quarter of cases, the glass shattered spontaneously while the machine was switched off and not in use. For the underlying causes, consumer rights, and what to do if this happens to you, see the main exploding door glass guide.
Read the main article: washing machine exploding door glass.
Photographic evidence: shattered door glass
The photos below were submitted by readers who experienced washing machine door glass shattering. The majority of incidents occurred while the machine was running, most commonly during the spin cycle. However, a significant number of reports involved glass that shattered spontaneously while the machine was switched off and not in use, in some cases having not been used for several days.
Which brands are affected?
The table below shows the breakdown of shattered door glass incidents reported to Whitegoods Help. The total covers reports received via comments on the original door glass article from 2008, and reports submitted directly from December 2014 onwards.
Including 30 cases where the washing machine was not in use at the time. Some machines had not been used for several days before the glass shattered spontaneously.
The rate of new reports has slowed considerably since the initial peak around 2008 to 2009 and has been a slow trickle in recent years, suggesting this issue is not getting worse over time.
| Brand | Total incidents | Of which: machine not in use |
|---|---|---|
| Beko | 45 | 8 |
| Miele | 14 | 5 |
| LG | 9 | 5 |
| Bosch | 8 | 3 |
| Hotpoint | 8 | 0 |
| Samsung | 6 | 3 |
| Hoover | 5 | 1 |
| Indesit | 5 | 0 |
| Zanussi | 5 | 1 |
| Candy | 2 | 0 |
| Electrolux | 2 | 2 |
| John Lewis brand (made by Zanussi) | 2 | 0 |
| Whirlpool | 2 | 0 |
| AEG | 2 | 1 |
| Brand not specified | 2 | 0 |
| Baumatic | 1 | 0 |
| Haier | 1 | 0 |
| Ignis | 1 | 0 |
| Logik | 1 | 1 |
| Tricity Bendix | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 122 | 30 |
These figures represent only incidents reported directly to Whitegoods Help via article comments and email, not all incidents that have occurred. Beko’s high count should be read in the context of their very large market share in the UK during the period covered. The data does not allow any reliable comparison of risk between brands. For a discussion of causes and context, see the main article: washing machine exploding door glass.
What should you do if your door glass shatters?
Shattered washing machine door glass can produce very sharp shards and dagger-shaped pieces. Wear sturdy shoes and protective gloves before clearing up. Vacuum or sweep thoroughly to catch tiny fragments, paying particular attention to areas where children or pets might walk. Do not handle bare glass. If glass has entered the drum, check the drum, door seal, and sump area thoroughly before next use to prevent damage to the machine or laundry.
The main exploding door glass guide covers the causes, who is responsible under consumer law, how to claim, and whether the door can be safely repaired or the machine should be replaced.
Has your door glass shattered?
Read the main guide for advice on causes, responsibility, and your consumer rights. A repair engineer can assess whether the door glass and frame can be safely replaced.
Frequently asked questions about the door glass data
Does this data show that one brand is more dangerous than another?
No. The figures reflect incidents reported to Whitegoods Help via comments and email submissions, not the underlying rate of failure across all sold machines. Beko’s higher count needs to be read in the context of their very large UK market share over the period covered – a brand that sells many more machines will accumulate more reports even if its actual failure rate is the same or lower than smaller brands. This data does not support any reliable comparison of risk between manufacturers, and should not be used to make brand-specific safety claims.
How common is washing machine door glass shattering?
It is uncommon as a proportion of machines sold, but not so rare as to be a freak event. The 122 incidents reported to Whitegoods Help over the period covered are a small fraction of UK washing machine sales, but well above the rate that would be expected from a properly designed and manufactured component. Tempered safety glass is widely used in domestic products and very rarely fails when correctly specified. The clustering of these incidents across multiple brands suggests the issue is real but exact rates per brand are not publicly available.
Why do some machines shatter while not in use?
30 of the 122 reports (around one in four) involved machines that were switched off, with some not used for several days before the glass spontaneously shattered. This pattern is consistent with delayed tempered-glass failure caused by microscopic damage or a nickel sulphide inclusion in the glass – a known mechanism in toughened safety glass where internal stress and tiny impurities cause failure long after manufacture, sometimes years later. The main exploding door glass guide covers the causes in more detail.
Is the door glass on washing machines safety glass?
Yes. Washing machine door glass is required to be toughened (tempered) safety glass, which breaks into many small relatively blunt pieces rather than large dagger-shaped shards when shattered. However, the photographic evidence shows that some of these failures produce larger and sharper fragments than the safety standard would predict, including the dagger-shaped shards seen in several submitted photos. This is one of the reasons the issue has been a recurring concern for affected users.
Is the data still being collected?
Yes, Whitegoods Help continues to log incidents as they are reported. The rate of new reports has slowed considerably since the 2008 to 2009 peak, which may reflect improvements in door glass manufacturing, changes in consumer reporting habits, or a genuine reduction in the underlying rate. If your washing machine door glass has shattered, you can contribute to the data by reporting it through the main article.
Can the door glass be replaced on its own?
It depends on the model. On some machines the door glass is fitted into a frame that can be split, allowing the glass alone to be replaced. On many modern machines, the door glass and frame are supplied only as a complete sealed unit and must be replaced together, which costs significantly more. Your retailer or manufacturer should advise on availability for your specific model. If the failure occurred within a reasonable lifetime for the appliance, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 may apply.
26 Comments
Grouped into 13 comment threads.
1 reply Our 6 month Electrolux just exploded , the warranty will cover it this time Miami Florida
1 reply Hi, my Miele wed125 wc door found broken today when I came to empty it. Same thing happened with my previous Miele machine in 2021 causing us to replace it.
Hi, my Miele wed125 wc door found broken today when I came to empty it. Same thing happened with my previous Miele machine in 2021 causing us to replace it.
Hi that sounds extremely unlucky. Despite the many reports on my website it still only amounts to 120 reported incidents since 2008, so as far as I’m aware this problem is still extremely rare. Is it possible that something is being washed inside that has metal buckles or metal buttons that could be hitting the door glass? Having said that I believe that the door glass in washing machines should easily be strong enough to cope with such things.
1 reply My beko 8kg washing machine door exploded whilst coming to the end of cycle this morning. It's 14 months old so out of warranty. Huge shards of glass all over contents & floor. Please add my machine to your list.
0 replies The glass door on a GE W650SSN2WW washer imploded; the machine had not been used for over two weeks (we were not at home during this time). This is a new machine, it came as part of a new home about two years old, but the machine has been used very infrequently because this is a second home.
The glass door on a GE W650SSN2WW washer imploded; the machine had not been used for over two weeks (we were not at home during this time). This is a new machine, it came as part of a new home about two years old, but the machine has been used very infrequently because this is a second home.
1 reply so our 4+ year old Miele glass just shattered while on a light load. this is the third Miele but first time its happened. while it has a 10 year warrant the small print doesn't cover glass! the other downside is the cost, as the door is sealed you can't just replace the glass, so you buy as a single unit . quoted £309 by Miele, without labour - this would be more than a third of the cost of the machine! weighting up value in changing door as could buy a new machine from a reasonable brand at this price! disappointed Miele designed it this was not to mention the very high cost which can't be justified? are they really saying the cost to them is that high?
so our 4+ year old Miele glass just shattered while on a light load. this is the third Miele but first time its happened. while it has a 10 year warrant the small print doesn’t cover glass! the other downside is the cost, as the door is sealed you can’t just replace the glass, so you buy as a single unit . quoted £309 by Miele, without labour – this would be more than a third of the cost of the machine! weighting up value in changing door as could buy a new machine from a reasonable brand at this price! disappointed Miele designed it this was not to mention the very high cost which can’t be justified? are they really saying the cost to them is that high?
It is so sad to constantly hear of these ludicrous spare parts prices for Miele appliances. I’ve always been a massive fan of Miele, and have written glowing reviews of their products. But I’ve been forced to reappraise my opinion of them as it seems it is only wise to buy one of their products at premium prices if you are what I would call, rich.
Even accounting for the fact that you have to buy the entire door as one unit can’t justify charging more than it costs to buy some washing machines brand-new. I have my own experience of ludicrous Miele spare part prices when I bought a brand-new Miele oven recently and they wanted to charge me nearly £100 just to buy a spare metal grid shelf. Fortunately I found one from Neff, which was virtually the exact same size for £23. I examine them both carefully and I would say that the Miele one was definitely better quality, but only marginally, and the Neff one was perfectly suitable.
Regarding the fact that the door glass has shattered, I can only recommend you fully read this article, its comments, and the main article that this subject is linked to in order to get a really good understanding of the situation. But in a nutshell, it is very difficult to prove why the door glass has shattered. I suspect there is some sort of design issue at play, either small flaws in manufacturing or the fact that they are not designed strong enough to not break. But it remains a relatively rare thing to happen. Some people have had them replaced, but others haven’t. If you had any rights it will only be with the retailer but only if you can prove it’s a manufacturing fault, which would need a glass expert’s report.
0 replies I bought a Bosch 8 months ago, it had an error code come up on the screen saying the filter needed cleaning, i cleaned it out and there was some hair and small leaves. i looked inside and it was clean and empty and put the machine on drum clean. Half an hour later i could hear loud noise coming from the laundry. The glass had exploded and was still washing with all the glass inside.
I bought a Bosch 8 months ago, it had an error code come up on the screen saying the filter needed cleaning, i cleaned it out and there was some hair and small leaves. i looked inside and it was clean and empty and put the machine on drum clean. Half an hour later i could hear loud noise coming from the laundry. The glass had exploded and was still washing with all the glass inside.
0 replies Our Miele W1 door imploded last evening while on a normal wash cycle. It had not yet reached a spin. Glass all over the clothes in tiny shards. The machine is less than 3 years old and under a 5 year warranty. Now waiting for the Miele man to diagnose. I cannot see how it could be reused again without every piece of glass being removed.
Our Miele W1 door imploded last evening while on a normal wash cycle. It had not yet reached a spin. Glass all over the clothes in tiny shards. The machine is less than 3 years old and under a 5 year warranty. Now waiting for the Miele man to diagnose. I cannot see how it could be reused again without every piece of glass being removed.
1 reply Electrolux (not in use) 5/2023 I have never heard of the glass door of a washing machine exploding until it happened to me. This was a new machine, used only 7 times. We were not in the house at the time. My grandson, next door came to check on the house since we were gone. He called and shared pictures of the exploded glass door. We immediately contacted Spencers Appliance in Scottsdale where we bought it. They sent their repair person out to look at it. They were willing to replace the door and drum (but I said I would Never wash anything in it again with possible glass chards left behind). The Appliance store had us call Electrolux directly, who also sent out their repair person. He basically didn't believe we weren't home and accused us of harming the machine. We went back to Spencers Appliance who made good by delivering a new machine the next day and taking the broken one back to repair and then sell to a refurbisher. They were going to eat the loss. Spencers Appliance A+; Electrolux F
Electrolux (not in use) 5/2023
I have never heard of the glass door of a washing machine exploding until it happened to me. This was a new machine, used only 7 times. We were not in the house at the time. My grandson, next door came to check on the house since we were gone. He called and shared pictures of the exploded glass door. We immediately contacted Spencers Appliance in Scottsdale where we bought it. They sent their repair person out to look at it. They were willing to replace the door and drum (but I said I would Never wash anything in it again with possible glass chards left behind). The Appliance store had us call Electrolux directly, who also sent out their repair person. He basically didn’t believe we weren’t home and accused us of harming the machine. We went back to Spencers Appliance who made good by delivering a new machine the next day and taking the broken one back to repair and then sell to a refurbisher. They were going to eat the loss. Spencers Appliance A+; Electrolux F
Hello Jean. Your photo did not appear, only a filename, so I deleted reference to it. That’s good news that the retailer replaced the washing machine. I think it worked in your favour that it happened so soon after purchase. Retailers tend to be more inclined to replace something when it happens so quickly and less so as time goes on, even when it is still their obligation in consumer law.
Fortunately this article and the main article about broken door glass constitute very strong evidence that many of these incidents do happen when the washing machine is not in use, and sometimes when it’s not even been in use for several hours or more. I will add your case to my figures, which should make 29 instances where the door glass exploded when the washing machine was not in use.
3 replies We bought a new home to us where the sellers put in all new appliances and waited for it to sell. It sat empty for several months before we bought it. It's be about 5 month and we still haven't moved in yet. We were out of town for several days and upon returning we went to check on the condo and clean up some snow and discovered that the ELECTROLUX washing machine glass door exploded while we were out of town and nobody even being in the our condo. (New appliances on 01/07/2022) (Discovered Exploded Glass Door on 03/10/2023.) (We haven't moved in due to some unexpected medical issues and we have needed t travel 6 hour (one way) to get medical care (8 times in 9 months). We did take "Pictures and an Eye Opening Video" that really leaves your month open and Wondering How in the World Did That Happen. Sturdyinsd
We bought a new home to us where the sellers put in all new appliances and waited for it to sell. It sat empty for several months before we bought it. It’s be about 5 month and we still haven’t moved in yet. We were out of town for several days and upon returning we went to check on the condo and clean up some snow and discovered that the ELECTROLUX washing machine glass door exploded while we were out of town and nobody even being in the our condo. (New appliances on 01/07/2022) (Discovered Exploded Glass Door on 03/10/2023.) (We haven’t moved in due to some unexpected medical issues and we have needed t travel 6 hour (one way) to get medical care (8 times in 9 months). We did take “Pictures and an Eye Opening Video” that really leaves your month open and Wondering How in the World Did That Happen. Sturdyinsd
We went to the business where they were bought and ended up talking to the head of the service dept. When doing warranty service work they need to describe the “ to, what, where, why, and how” type of questions. He said he would be at a loss of words for this case. They had a spare one that they were staling part off and the took the entire door and swapped it today. There are benefits when you buy from a Hometown appliance store. A big box store wouldn’t be able to make a repair in such a quick time.
Thanks for the update Ray. It’s usually much more difficult to get any redress when you buy appliances through a builder, or with a new house. When you do this the builder is the retailer, but I’ve never come across any that seems to accept this, or even realises it. So when something goes wrong, they just want to pass you on to either the manufacturer or the wholesaler that they bought from. In the UK this is incorrect.
Of course, for normal repairs under guarantee, that’s fine. We should contact the manufacturer and get the appliance repaired. But if we have a claim under the consumer rights act 2015, that’s when they become responsible.
In your case, I’m glad you managed to get a speedy repair, and that a repair was acceptable to you. There’s no reason to believe there is anything else wrong with the washing machine.
0 replies Door glass on my Logik L814WM20 shattered yesterday while not in use. Seems to have imploded as the glass is all inside the drum. Majority of the glass was small pebbles but the rim was big sharp shards.
Door glass on my Logik L814WM20 shattered yesterday while not in use. Seems to have imploded as the glass is all inside the drum. Majority of the glass was small pebbles but the rim was big sharp shards.
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1 reply Came across this helpful site while googling ‘lg washer glass door broke’ I’m in the US and today I came home from work to an empty house, with a shattered glass door on my 3 year old lg washer. It was off at the time, and hadn’t been in use for two days. I called them and they told me it was user error, that I would have to buy a new door myself, which of course is on backorder. Frustrating because it’s a fairly new appliance and I am meticulous about checking pockets, removing belts etc etc. Small comfort to know it is happening to others as well.
Came across this helpful site while googling ‘lg washer glass door broke’
I’m in the US and today I came home from work to an empty house, with a shattered glass door on my 3 year old lg washer. It was off at the time, and hadn’t been in use for two days. I called them and they told me it was user error, that I would have to buy a new door myself, which of course is on backorder. Frustrating because it’s a fairly new appliance and I am meticulous about checking pockets, removing belts etc etc. Small comfort to know it is happening to others as well.
4 replies Thanks for adding your incident Christina. I have added it to my list. It's a shame that Samsung are not accepting any responsibility for this. Unfortunately as my main article on the subject suggests manufacturers are blaming customers Exploding door glass who’s fault is it? and unless an independent body investigates and finds evidence to the contrary there is very little that can be done about it.
Thanks for adding your incident Christina. I have added it to my list. It’s a shame that Samsung are not accepting any responsibility for this. Unfortunately as my main article on the subject suggests manufacturers are blaming customers Exploding door glass who’s fault is it? and unless an independent body investigates and finds evidence to the contrary there is very little that can be done about it.
Likely replying to Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp)
Hi Andy, Came home last night to find the door in my LG condensing dryer had exploded while we were out. it was drying 3 towels only. Unfortunately the drum had continued to turn for a while causing the shards to hack into the plastic walling around the door. Thus another ‘LG’ for your list!
0 replies This is a really interesting article. My Samsung eco bubble (new only 3 months old) has had this exact problem. Glass shattered whilst not in use (hadn't been used for a couple of days). I'd be interested to know if people who are still having this issue in 2021 as Samsung are refusing to fix under warranty. In the meantime, please add another 1 to your Samsung tally.
This is a really interesting article. My Samsung eco bubble (new only 3 months old) has had this exact problem. Glass shattered whilst not in use (hadn’t been used for a couple of days). I’d be interested to know if people who are still having this issue in 2021 as Samsung are refusing to fix under warranty. In the meantime, please add another 1 to your Samsung tally.
Our 6 month Electrolux just exploded , the warranty will cover it this time
Miami Florida
Just had our indesit innex BWA 81483 washing machine door glass shatter while on spin cycle, no metal objects in there only things were clothes towels and pair of lightweight trainers. As it was on fast spin glass was thrown across the kitchen and all the items have fine shard in them so will have to dispose of them.