Consumer Reports Warns: These Microwaves Could Turn On By Themselves

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If you've ever worried that your electronics may have a mind of their own, this story could increase your fears of home appliance dangers. In June 2026, Consumer Reports (CR) issued a safety alert that certain Toshiba microwave units were causing scary issues like smoking, sparking, and even igniting fires. This was caused by the microwaves or air fryer and microwave combos overheating. The reports indicated that this stemmed from the units starting on their own or adding heating time without the button being pressed. 

Between January 2023 and April 2026, customers filed 28 incident reports about the appliances with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, according to CR. Owners of the appliances have also been turning to social media to warn about these safety issues. Consumer Reports is urging people who own these microwaves to be extremely careful. Toshiba air fryer and microwave combination models ML2-EC10SA, ML2-EC10SA(BS), and ML2-EC09SA are of concern. Regular microwaves with model numbers EM131A5C and EM925A5A-SS were also reported. 

Juan Alberto Arguello, PhD, CR's test program leader for product safety, explained the dangers of these malfunctions and the precautions to take. "If you have one of these appliances, your safest bet is to monitor it while it's operating, don't leave it unattended while in use, avoid storing items inside the microwave, and unplug it after using it," he said, adding. "Plastic and insulation overheating can produce hazardous fumes, including formaldehyde or other toxic compounds, depending on the plastics and coatings involved." 

Waking up to find your microwave running and heating nothing in the middle of the night sounds like something out of a nightmare. Unfortunately, that's just what one Redditor reported with their Toshiba microwave and air fryer model ML2-EC10SA. Others in the post's comments agreed that their appliance exhibited strange behavior, with one noting that the automatic turn-ons eventually led to a fire.

Despite both models having 4 stars or more on Amazon, reviews of the Toshiba appliances corroborate these same scary stories. On Amazon, one reviewer wrote, "I purchased this Toshiba EM131A5C-SS about 2 years ago, and it worked fine at first. Then one day it started running even with the door open; the turntable spins and the interior light turns on as soon as you open the door. This is a serious safety issue with the door interlock switches." Other reviews on Amazon's listing of the ML2-EC10SA(BS) claim the microwaves smoke and pose a fire risk.

Midea, the manufacturer of the Toshiba microwaves and air fryers, asserted that the appliances were safe to Consumer Reports despite confirming their knowledge of the incidents. Besides publishing a safety alert, CR also sent a letter to the Acting Chairman of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This formal letter urges the agency to investigate the Toshiba appliances and take measures to keep people safe, such as possibly issuing a recall. If you want to choose the best kitchen appliances, you may want to avoid these Toshiba microwave models. And no matter what brand you buy, you should stop using your microwave immediately if it's smoking or creating sparks.