Class Action Launched Over LG Fridge Compressor Failures

A class action lawsuit filed in the USA against LG Electronics is gathering momentum with owners claiming that food is “going off” because of a faulty refrigerator compressor and that LG is forcing owners to pay for a compressor fix despite a 10-year warranty.

Documentation filed in an Illinois federal court against LG claims that frozen items thaw and “…cause water to leak from the refrigerator onto the consumers’ kitchen floors.”

In some cases, defendants allege they are “…being charged for replacement parts, despite such parts being covered under warranty.”

Other claims are that “The Compressor Defect prevents the refrigerators from cooling consumers’ food and beverages, ultimately causing the food and beverages to spoil…”

Michael Lindsley of Waldo in Sheboygan County bought his LG refrigerator five years ago. His compressor had a 10-year warranty.

“It simply started making a really loud noise and ice started actually melting,” said Lindsley.

The refrigerator started leaking and his food was spoiled. He contacted LG for repairs and ended up waiting five months before it was fixed.

He said appliance vendors working with LG told him it wasn’t worth their time to make the repairs since LG didn’t pay them enough for the service.

Lawyers for the defendants claim that “all” LG refrigerators are impacted? ChannelNews knows of no cases in Australia or of any of their local LG refrigerators being affected by the alleged faulty compressors.

On a Facebook page called “LG Life is NOT GOOD,” people from all over the country are complaining about older refrigerators and new ones and all different kinds.

In the USA lawyers are pointing media to the Consumer Affairs’ website where they claim there are “thousands” of complaints. (See Here)

The compressor is a central part of an appliances’ cooling process. Some consumers have apparently run into issues with the compressors, including outright failures. The problem has affected refrigerators across different price categories ranging from $1,400 to $7,000 and has rendered the appliances in need of repair within just a few years of use.

The plaintiffs involved in the case claim they would not have purchased an LG refrigerator if they knew that there were known issues with the compressors.

The US National Association of Home Builders claims the average lifespan of a refrigerator is approximately 13 years. LG reportedly claims that its refrigerators should have about a have a 20-year lifespan.

As part of the class-action suit, the affected customers are seeking to have costs associated with fixing the compressor compensated. That includes paying for necessary parts and repairs, as well as reimbursement for food that was spoiled by the malfunctioning appliances and time spent without a working refrigerator.

LG has not publicly commented on the class-action suit.