T-fal's kettle plug: a cord-pull 4.18 million kettles could not survive

T-fal's electric kettle was a staple of Japanese kitchens, sold in tens of millions of units. But across 28 models made between October 2021 and July 2024, the power plug could break depending on how the cord was handled — and a broken plug risked smoke or fire at the outlet.

The brittle plug was a specification decision, not a one-off failure: it affected an entire production window. By the time Groupe SEB Japan acted there had been 16 accident reports in Japan, including at least one case of minor burns.

On September 16, 2025 the company offered free replacement of the power base or the whole kettle for roughly 4.18 million affected units. The product was not discontinued — the plug design that could not take a normal tug was. A part chosen for cost failed the way people actually use a kettle.