Samsung class action alleges knobs on some ranges can be accidentally turned on

Samsung ranges lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Matthew Unger filed a class action lawsuit against Samsung Electronics America Inc.
• Why: Unger claims that Samsung manufactured more than 1 million ranges with defective knobs that can be turned on accidentally, posing a potential fire hazard.
• Where: The Samsung class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

A new Samsung class action lawsuit claims the company sold ranges with front-mounted heat control knobs that can be turned on accidentally, posing a potential fire hazard.

More than 1.1 million Samsung ranges were recalled on Aug. 8. The Samsung class action lawsuit says there have been more than 300 reports of accidental activation, most of which caused fires. Seven fires allegedly involved pet deaths.

A list of the recalled ranges is available here.

Plaintiff says he was not notified about defective Samsung ranges

Plaintiff Matthew Unger says he purchased one of the recalled Samsung ranges in 2017, not realizing it had a potentially dangerous design defect. He says he was not notified about the recall or defect, instead learning about the issue on social media.

He says manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products function properly and are free of defects. If a manufacturer discovers a defect, he says it must disclose the defect or stop selling the product. 

Unger claims Samsung has sold the defective ranges since May 2013. Due to the defect, he says he is burdened with a range that is worth less than he paid for it because it has a known and dangerous defect.

The Samsung ranges recall encourages consumers to contact the company to receive a free set of knob locks or covers compatible with their range. Until these safety measures are in place, Samsung urges consumers to keep children and pets away from the knobs, avoid leaving objects on the range when it is not in use and check the range knobs to ensure they are not activated prior to leaving the house or going to bed.

Some of the ranges are wifi enabled and can be programmed to send a “Cooktop On” alert when a burner is turned on, the recall notice states.

Unger filed the Samsung class action lawsuit on behalf of all persons in the United States who purchased at least one of the recalled Samsung ranges between May 2013 and August 2024. He also seeks to represent a New York subclass.

The lawsuit asserts claims for breach of express warranty, unjust enrichment and violations of New York business law.

Do you own one of the recalled Samsung ranges? Tell us what you think of the class action lawsuit in the comments.

Unger is represented by Philip J. Furia and Jason P. Sultzer of Sultzer & Lipari PLLC and Paul J. Doolittle and Seth Little of Pulin Willey Anastopoulo LLC.

The Samsung class action lawsuit is Matthew Unger v. Samsung Electronics America Inc., Case No. 1:24-cv-05689, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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