LG Electronics Class Action Says Refrigerators’ Ice Makers are Defective

A New Jersey man says LG Electronics should be held responsible for certain models of LG refrigerators made with defective fans and ice makers.

Plaintiff Dennis Jung says defendant LG Electronics USA Inc. built certain models of its refrigerators with defective fans, defective ice makers, or both.

These defects make the LG refrigerators fail to conform to the company’s own representations, he claims, and he wants LG to take action to fix the alleged defects.

According to Jung, the fan defect prevents the fridge from keeping food sufficiently cold. The other defect affects the refrigerators’ ice maker, Jung says. On certain LG refrigerators equipped with an in-door ice maker, the dispenser allegedly becomes jammed and stops dispensing ice.

According to Jung’s LG refrigerators class action lawsuit, the defective fans start to fail by making an excessive ticking, vibrating or grinding noise. Then ice begins to build up inside the fan, ultimately clogging it and preventing the blades from rotating. Once that happens, cold air stops circulating inside the refrigerator, he says.

“The Fan Defect renders the Refrigerators useless because they become incapable of maintaining appropriate temperatures in the food compartments, even when they are used exactly in the manner directed by Defendant,” Jung says.

A similar buildup of ice prevents the ice maker on these LG refrigerators from dispensing ice, Jung claims. He says the dispenser allows the ice to partially melt, then refreeze into large, solid blocks of ice that can’t fit through the dispenser.

Jung says that LG Electronics has known about these two defects for years, yet has failed to properly fix them. LG has allegedly been receiving numerous complaints from owners of LG refrigerators reporting these alleged defects.

The plaintiff says he bought one of the defective LG refrigerators in August 2015. About 18 months later, he says, the fan defect caused his refrigerator to stop chilling his food. He reports losing $750 worth of fresh food that allegedly spoiled because of the fan defect.

He also says the ice maker in the same refrigerator tends to ice over and fails to dispense ice until he manually defrosts it and removes the excess ice.

Jung says the models of LG refrigerators affected by the fan defect are model numbers LFXC24726S, LFXS30726S, LFX32945ST, LFXS32766S, LFXS30766S, and LFX28968ST. Models allegedly affected by the ice maker defect are model numbers LFXC24726S, LFXS30726S, LFX32945ST, LFXS32766S, LFX28968ST, LFX21976ST, LFX25974ST, and LFXS30766S.

Some LG refrigerators at issue may have both defects, Jung claims.

Jung proposes to represent two nationwide plaintiff Classes – one that would cover all persons in the U.S. who since May 22, 2011 purchased LG refrigerators with the fan defect, and another that would cover owners of refrigerators with the ice maker defect purchased during the same period.

He also proposes two subclasses to cover Class Members from his home state of New Jersey.

The plaintiff seeks an award of damages, restitution and disgorgement, and reimbursement of his attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation. He is also asking for an injunction against LG Electronics continuing the practices complained of here and requiring the company to conduct a corrective advertising campaign.

Jung is represented by attorneys Janine L. Pollack, Matthew M. Guiney and Kate McGuire of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP.

The LG Refrigerators Fan Defect and Ice Maker Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Dennis Jung v. LG Electronics USA Inc., Case No. 2:17-cv-03664, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

UPDATE: The LG Refrigerators Fan Defect and Ice Maker Defect Class Action Lawsuit was dismissed on March 29, 2018, due to an individual settlement being reached.