Whirlpool Class Action Says Glass Cooktop Recall Isn’t Enough

Although Whirlpool recently recalled their glass cooktops due to a defect, a class action claims that the company should provide consumers with monetary compensation as well.

In August 2019, Whirlpool recalled several of their glass cooktops sold under Whirlpool, Kitchen Aid, and Jenn-Air brands.

According to Whirlpool, the defective cooktops are capable of turning on by themselves which can pose a fire hazard and risk burning consumers.

The company has reportedly received 133 reports of the cooktops turning on by themselves, 14 of which allegedly resulted in “heat damage to nearby items and four reports of items catching on fire.” One report involved property damage and two reports involved burn injuries.

If consumers had purchased a defective cooktop, they were directed to contact Whirlpool for a free installation of a replacement cooktop. While waiting for the replacement, consumers were instructed to turn off the unit circuit breaker.

More than 26,000 units were recalled in the United States, in addition to 2,800 units in Canada and 128 units in Mexico. With each cooktop costing around $2,500, there is reportedly $65,750,000 worth of recalled cooktops in the U.S. alone.

Although the company initiated a recall of their products, the Whirlpool class action filed by plaintiff James Rosenbaum claims that the company has not done enough to remedy the issue.

“Whirlpool has noticeably failed to account for the fact that purchasers of Whirlpool’s Defective Cooktops are at grave risk of personal injury and property damage, including, but not limited to, the destruction of their homes,” the Whirlpool class action claims.

Rosenbaum has allegedly contacted Whirlpool multiple times for a replacement but the company has yet to replace the appliance or address his concerns about fire hazards.

“Whirlpool is fully aware of the fire risk presented by the Defective Cooktops but has failed to adequately address that risk,” Rosenbaum’s class action claims.

The Whirlpool class action states that Rosenbaum and other consumers would not have purchased the cooktops, or would have paid significantly less for them, if they were aware of the fire hazards and risk for personal injury.

Rosenbaum seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased a “glass cooking surface, radiant and downdraft radiant models sold under the Whirlpool, KitchenAid, and Jenn-Air[] brands.”

Did you purchase a Whirlpool cooktop that was later recalled? Let us know what you think of this class action in the comment section below.

Rosenbaum and the proposed Class are represented by Daniel E. Gustafson, Karla M. Gluek, Amanda M. Williams, and Gabrielle Olivieri Sliwka of Gustafson Gluek PLLC; Simon B. Paris, Patrick Howard, and Charles J. Kocher of Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky PC; Kenneth A. Wexler and Kara A. Elgersma of Wexler Wallace LLP; Richard M. Paul III, Ashlea G. Schwarz, and Sean R. Cooper of Paul LLP; and E. Powell Miller and Sharon S. Almonrode of The Miller Law Firm PC.

The Whirlpool Recalled Glass Cooktop Class Action Lawsuit is Rosenbaum v. The Whirlpool Corporation, et al., Case No. 0:19-cv-02942, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

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