I was heating up a cup of coffee a couple of weeks ago, and after about 20 seconds the oven started making a crinkling sound (like crinkling up a sheet of paper). Right after that, clouds of smoke poured into the microwave, and even more smoke came out of the back of the microwave oven. The odor was horrible, and the "taste" didn't leave my nostrils and lungs until the next day. The odor stayed in the kitchen for three days. I notified Panasonic, but they're taking their good old time about answering me. I have emphysema, and that cloud of smoke has just made it all the worse. I thought I would warn people about this. The smoke did not smell like burning wiring or insulation. It smelled poisonous--maybe like burning plastic. So far, Panasonic's response was for me to unplug the microwave and not use it. Good grief! I offered to send the microwave oven to Panasonic so they could inspect it and make sure that they corrected this deficiency before someone gets hurt. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had to heat something for five minutes and left the kitchen area. Panasonic assigned a case number to me and said they would evaluate my case in the order my problem was received. Two weeks later they sent me another e-mail asking for my phone number so they could contact me. I guess that, in another two weeks, Panasonic will send me another e-mail asking me to verify the phone number that I sent to them. This is dangerous stuff!

I had almost the exact same experience with our model NN-T965SF microwave last night. I put some food in to reheat for 10 seconds and toxic smelling smoke started pouring out. Like you said, I'm so glad I didn't have something in there for longer and walked away, I fear the house would have caught on fire or been filled with smoke. I sent an email to Panasonic about my experience. We'll see what they say. The unit is only 3 1/2 years old. I'd suspect it's the magentron that is burning up, which has a 5 year warranty. Unfortunatly labor is only covered for 1 year, so it would probably exceed the value of the unit IMHO. Time to go shopping for a new micro I guess unless Panasonic miraculously comes through for me with a replacement!

Don't hold your breath waiting for Panasonic to reply. You would think they'd get on this problem quickly. Maybe a lawsuit would get their attention. As I said in my first E-mail, I even offered Panasonic my microwave oven so they could fix this problem in their microwave ovens. I'm not a litigious person, but my worsened emphysema has not cleared up yet since inhaling that smoke. I'm glad that you also thought it seemed toxic. Did it take a day or so to get rid of the "taste" in your nostrils and lungs? How about the odor in the kitchen?

Well, I only had the timer set for 10 seconds and I was standing there watching it when it happend, so I stopped it right away and we had a nearby window open, so most of the smoke went away quickly. I then took the unit outside and plugged it in and started it and smoke immediately began pouring out again. It was nasty smelling, like burnt plastic and metal. Like I said, I'll be shopping for a new micro. Most likely won't be sticking with the Panasonic brand.