Vigo Industries glass shower and bathtub doors

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. First aid

   Made Jul 31, 2023 · , sent to the company Aug 2, 2023 · , published by CPSC Aug 16, 2023

   The product, in the report: Elan Hart 56 to 60 in. W x 66 in. H Sliding Frameless Tub Door in Matte Black with 3/8 in. (10mm) Clear Glass

   This complaint is regarding the Vigo shower bath sliding door Model# VG6022MBCL6066 (Elan Hart 56 to 60 in. W x 66 in. H Sliding Frameless Tub Door). Just after a couple of months of use, the rollers for sliding the door started coming off. Once they got stuck between the rod and the glass door while my 7 yr old son was in the shower. He couldn’t even open the door and was trapped for several minutes. I informed Vigo about the problem and they didn’t do anything because I couldn’t get the receipt from my contractor who installed the door.

   A few days back my son was sliding the door open to get inside the shower and glass door came off the sliding rod and fell inside the tub. The entire glass door shattered into thousands of tiny pieces splattering all over the bathroom. Several shreds hit my son’s body and got lodged in the skin causes bleeding at several places. Unfortunately, the door didn’t fall on him, otherwise it would haven been a major disaster.

   Model

   VG6022MBCL6066

   Bought from

   https://www.homedepot.com/

   Bought

   Jun 7, 2022

   Where

   Foster City, California: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 7, Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   My Child

   As this report names them

   Brand Vigo Industries Elan Hart, made or sold by Vigo Industries LLC

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional

2. No one hurt

   Made Aug 7, 2018 · , sent to the company Aug 15, 2018 · , published by CPSC Aug 29, 2018

   The product, in the report: Frameless shower door

   I purchased a VIGO frameless shower stall #VG6051STCL48WR from Lowe’s (Home Depot also sells these, which is where I originally saw it on display) two years ago. A licensed and insured contractor installed the unit while following directions and using all necessary parts. While I purchased the 36x48 size, but there are multiple sizes and models that I’m confident have this same, very serious, and dangerous, issue.

   The issue is that Vigo has a new design where they have eliminated two of the metal brackets on one side of the shower (attaching pictures to show), which leaves only 2 very tiny screws on the bar and one flimsy metal piece at the bottom, to hold an 80 pound glass panel. These are absolutely not capable of holding anywhere near 80 pounds.

   The end result is that my stationary glass panel fell- very fortunately my children were not in the bathroom, as it broke a tile AND cracked the granite countertop- I know for 100% certain that if one of my children had been standing in the bathroom (as they often are), it would have killed them. I have never been more certain of anything in my life. To be clear- this ONE panel is 80 pounds- not the entire shower.

   I contacted Vigo Industries, during the first call the customer service rep indicated that the NEW version has two less brackets, and that he could send me the “old version” panel which has the holes drilled to screw in the brackets to the wall (and the two extra brackets).

   After several days of not hearing back, I called to check the status and the story has completely changed, he connected me to a manager who first insisted we used a different base than what the kit came with (patently untrue, this shower was an entire kit), then they accused of using different screws, not true, then said not installed properly- we had a licensed and insured contractor install. At the end of the day- these are all distractions from the truth- Vigo Industries has reduced costs by no longer drilling the holes in one of the panels, and providing two less brackets. I would have paid $100, $200, or more for a safe shower.

   I no longer feel comfortable with this shower and will be writing to Lowe’s for resolution. My reason for writing to your organization is in hopes to protect future customers from this same issue, and to hopefully have the opportunity to warn other customers. I urge you to review this product’s safety issue, and I strongly recommend that anyone who has purchased this shower be given an option to receive some type of bracket to hold this 80 pound panel in place- I realize that Vigo is never going to recall and provide a whole new panel with holes drilled, but there has to be some type of bracket that will make this shower safe.

   Again, considering the weight of this glass and the fact that it cracked tile and damaged a strong granite countertop- I am 100% certain that my child would have died if she had been in the bathroom on the day that this fell. It is very scary, and eventually someone is going to be seriously injured or killed by one of these showers.

   Model

   VG6051STCL48WR

   Bought from

   Lowe’s, Connecticut

   Bought

   Jun 28, 2016

   Where

   West Hartford, Connecticut: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Unknown

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Unspecified

   As this report names them

   Brand Vigo Industries, made or sold by Vigo Industries LLC

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

3. Emergency room

   Made May 31, 2015 · , sent to the company Jun 10, 2015 · , published by CPSC Jun 24, 2015

   The product, in the report: Vigo Industries 36x36 inch neo-angle shower enclosure in clear/chrome (model number: VG6061CHCL36). The product was professionally installed. The left-most panel is the one that exploded (when facing the shower) and was the panel to which the door was attached with two manufacturer-supplied hinges.

   We purchased Vigo Industries’ frameless shower (model number: VG6061CHCL36 in clear/chrome) in late 2007 or early 2008 and had it professionally installed. The product performed as expected until two days ago, when one of the fixed glass panels suddenly--and inexplicably--exploded as I stepped out of the shower. The panel that broke had no weight on it and the shower door was closed. It was the panel to which the shower door was attached with two metal hinges. The door itself fell into the shower as a result of the panel explosion but did not break, and the other fixed panel remained intact. Prior to the incident, there was nothing to indicate a potential issue with the shower: no chips, no cracks and nothing loose.

   The exploded glass fell in sharp pieces as far as six feet across the bathroom and with significant force. Having just stepped out of the shower, I was wearing nothing but a towel draped around my midsection, but fortunately had my back to the closed shower door. I suffered numerous cuts across my shoulders and down the right side of my body, including my right arm, wrist, hand, leg and foot. My hair was full of glass as well.

   After getting immediate assistance from my closest neighbor (who is a retired neurosurgeon), I ultimately was treated at an urgent care clinic. Two cuts on the back of my right hand and wrist required a total of 13 stitches. It took a nurse 90 minutes to pick glass shards out of my shoulders, upper back, arms, legs and feet.

   I was lucky that I was not facing the shower and that I got no glass in my eyes. And I was most fortunate that the flying glass did not hit an artery. Likewise, I was lucky the door fell into the shower when its supporting panel exploded (rather than onto me, which would have pushed glass into my skin) and that the door did not shatter as well.

   Model

   VG6061CHCL36

   Where

   Thornton, Pennsylvania: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 56, Female

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand Vigo Industries Neo-Angle Shower Enclosure, made or sold by Vigo Industries LLC

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources