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LG Refrigerator Class Action Lawsuit
By Sarah Pierce
UPDATE: A class action settlement has been reached! Click here to learn how to claim your benefits from the LG Refrigerator Class Action Settlement!
A design defect in certain LG refrigerator models causes the interior light to stay on after the doors are closed, resulting in overheating, food spoilage, melted plastic and risk of serious fire hazard, according to a class action lawsuit filed in federal court in New Jersey. The defect alleged in the lawsuit involves “French door” refrigerator models sold since 2005.
The lawsuit claims the lights in these models become so hot that they melt parts of the refrigerator that touch the lights, including the plastic covering the lights. In addition to producing a burning smell and obvious fire risk, the lawsuit claims consumers are at risk for burning themselves on the hot refrigerator parts and for becoming sick from food that spoils due to the high interior temperatures.
The class action lawsuit alleges LG knew about the problem, pointing out that consumers complained about the defect to LG as early as 2006, but actively concealed the defect and made false and misleading statements regarding the refrigerators’ quality. The lawsuit also alleges LG provided repairs that it knew “would not cure the defect but would instead merely delay the impact of the defect,” and had a “duty to disclose the defect based upon its exclusive knowledge of it,” but failed to do so. State and federal laws require companies to remedy products that are defectively designed or manufactured or do not perform as advertised, oftentimes even after the warranty period has expired.
The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of anyone in the U.S. who owns, or has owned, an LG French door refrigerator with a light that stays on when the doors are closed, including the specific model numbers LFC25760SW and LRFC22750ST. The lawsuit is accusing LG of breach of implied warranty, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, and consumer fraud. The full case filing is available at http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/07/19/CCA.pdf.
Updated July 21st, 2010
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95 thoughts onLG Refrigerator Class Action Lawsuit
Our refrigerator just failed today! Fortunately I smelled the plastic melting and caught it before any food spoiled or the unit caught fire. The refrigerator is now in the dark! How do I get the light unit replaced at LG’s cost?
I purchased my LG french door frig in 2007. We started having problems with the light shortly 2 years after purchase. Repairman claimed to fix the problem, the entire mother board had to be replaced. He told me that it could take anywhere from 3 months to a 1 year to get a new motherboard. It took about 2 months to get it replaced. I bought the LG because the consumer reports were favorable. I was greatly disappointed.
the same has happened to me with the frig. also everything in the crisper freezes and the door panel goes out all the time. i took lights out,so in the dark now in more ways than one. if you also have LG glass top stove, get ready the control panel will go out.
I just got a letter in the mail last week informing me about this defect and lawsuit. I had never had a problem with the 5 year old refrigerator until today. It was exactly like the description above. The lights stayed on and got so hot that the interior lights cover started melting and now the frig stinks of burning plastic. I think getting that letter in the mail jinxed me.
had the light problem and it ended up spoilin about $100 worthof food. so far i haven’t been able to find out who is responsble for this loss-it is not part of the class action suit.It was repaired today at LG’s cost. the problem is that it is not clear to me that they have solved the problem. they could be replacing these failed parts with parts that have the same defect and it will only be a matter of time before the failure occurs again. When I discovered the problem, i also found 2 rollers that were snapped off near the crisper (the single crisper). I was told that this was not part of the class, but it is difficult for me to accept that because these parts underwent some thermal stress and could have led to their failure. I will get back with LG on this and the lost food issue.
Having same issue with light staying on with kenmore elite ref.
Have had the same issues as others. I replaced melted parts and door switches myself a year ago. Just recieved class action letter and contacted sears to get a list of parts that I ordered so I could recover my expenses. I also was directed to a service person who took my info and said that the part would be in the mail and set up a service call. Sounds like sears is going to stand behind this issue. I’ll know in about a week.
Wish there was an edit function here, but since not…another note!
I called Sears this morning and was referred to a product recall service. They are doing repairs for free on this issue. Apparently LG is sending parts via UPS to refrig. owners, and the service is coming out to complete the repairs. The number to call is 1-800-659-7026. They will ask for your model number and serial number. Hope this helps! I’m thinking the class action suit is for those who have already completed repairs out of their own pockets.
Should have added: suit’s website is http://www.mclennansettlement.com, phone is 1-888-773-8394. I expect that most of you will also be receiving a letter from the suit soon, if you haven’t already at this date.
Same issue, model 795.7754, a Kenmore Elite purchased in 2008. We just (this last week) had the issue happen with lights being on when the doors are closed. So far no food has spoiled, but the panel over the lights has cracked and melted in one place. Oddly enough, the whole thing started (in a less destructive way) perhaps a year ago. We’d open the fridge and the lights wouldn’t switch on. However, there was no evidence then of the lights being on when the doors were closed. Now all of that has changed, although it’s not consistent. Sometimes the light panel is cool to the touch when the doors are opened, and sometimes it’s hot. We’ve removed the lights, and guess the next step is to call Sears. Received notification of the class-action suit in the mail today. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.