LG Linear Compressor Lawsuit
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I'm confused
LG offers a 10 year warranty on their linear compressors - at least on their LG made fridges.
So, if it is the compressor that actually is broken, and it's an LG compressor in a LG fridge, they would be covered.
So, sueing LG over a product that isn't really theirs if they offer a warranty on said component in their own fridges just seems besides the point?
If another person touches that component in production, liability transfers. Their might be contracts in place between suppliers and producers. But since you design the product and production process, the manufacturer of the whole appliance is usually assumed liable. I mean, who ever does the brazing in the factory, or who places them, might be mishandling them. Maybe the programming does something the compressor isn't designed to.
And as LG already offers an extended warranty on that specific component if THEY install in one of their products, it's easy to argue that LG is confident in their product and if it is an issue it's not their fault.
Further, 10000 reported cases?
I work in a BSH plant that exclusively builds built in refrigerators, freezers and the like. Last year our production dropped by 20%, so we only produced 1.2 million fridges.
That would be a failure rate of 1% of a years production. Clearly above our goals.
But LG certainly produces WAY more compressors than that - like orders of magnitude.
That failure rate is nothing unheard of for products such as appliances in the first 5 years.
But yeah, compressor replacement is - usually - not financially viable.
We do have to design fridges to allow for that due to design regulations, and we have systems in place for such replacements for service techs.
But given the compressor is still the most expensive part in a fridge and any work on the cooling circuit requires specialist tools and training plus is very time expensive, yeah, that is a repair with very little sense to the consumer.
LG offers a 10 year warranty on their linear compressors - at least on their LG made fridges.
So, if it is the compressor that actually is broken, and it's an LG compressor in a LG fridge, they would be covered.
So, sueing LG over a product that isn't really theirs if they offer a warranty on said component in their own fridges just seems besides the point?
If another person touches that component in production, liability transfers. Their might be contracts in place between suppliers and producers. But since you design the product and production process, the manufacturer of the whole appliance is usually assumed liable. I mean, who ever does the brazing in the factory, or who places them, might be mishandling them. Maybe the programming does something the compressor isn't designed to.
And as LG already offers an extended warranty on that specific component if THEY install in one of their products, it's easy to argue that LG is confident in their product and if it is an issue it's not their fault.
Further, 10000 reported cases?
I work in a BSH plant that exclusively builds built in refrigerators, freezers and the like. Last year our production dropped by 20%, so we only produced 1.2 million fridges.
That would be a failure rate of 1% of a years production. Clearly above our goals.
But LG certainly produces WAY more compressors than that - like orders of magnitude.
That failure rate is nothing unheard of for products such as appliances in the first 5 years.
But yeah, compressor replacement is - usually - not financially viable.
We do have to design fridges to allow for that due to design regulations, and we have systems in place for such replacements for service techs.
But given the compressor is still the most expensive part in a fridge and any work on the cooling circuit requires specialist tools and training plus is very time expensive, yeah, that is a repair with very little sense to the consumer.
Problem is the 10 year warranty is for the part only and not the labor to install it. Even though it is somewhat standard practice sometimes to extend the warranty on specific (parts only) without labor costs included, it does not exonerate a company from a lawsuit if they know there is a problem with that part and continue to sell it.
LG compressor problems
LG has had a horrible problem with compressors for over 10 years. They have been very slow to solve it. They need to be required to give a 20 year or maybe lifetime warranty on the sealed refrigeration system, including the compressor.
As mentioned in post number two covering just the part does little good especially when people lose a lot of food and inconvenience with a problem that should’ve been solved years ago.
Compressors and refrigerators in general are extremely reliable today as a technician, I only see two or three bad compressors in a years time in all the refrigerators we work on it very rare.
Hopefully the lawsuit will shake them up a little bit and of course they are liable for the refrigerators they built for Kenmore etc. that doesn’t get them off the hook.
John
LG has had a horrible problem with compressors for over 10 years. They have been very slow to solve it. They need to be required to give a 20 year or maybe lifetime warranty on the sealed refrigeration system, including the compressor.
As mentioned in post number two covering just the part does little good especially when people lose a lot of food and inconvenience with a problem that should’ve been solved years ago.
Compressors and refrigerators in general are extremely reliable today as a technician, I only see two or three bad compressors in a years time in all the refrigerators we work on it very rare.
Hopefully the lawsuit will shake them up a little bit and of course they are liable for the refrigerators they built for Kenmore etc. that doesn’t get them off the hook.
John
Consumer Reports did an article a few years back about Linear compressors. Their survey data backs up the lawsuit/complaints about these fridges. 8% of LG French door fridges had compressor problems in the first 5 years, which was among the worst of all the brands in their survey. Kenmore French Door fridges (which we know are made by LG) had the same compressor problem rate, which confirms the quality of CR's data.
From reading LGs warranty on their TOL fridges, it says they cover parts and labor on the entire sealed system for 5 years, and then all inverter and linear compressors just parts for the following 5 years.
Sure that doesn't mean they can't be liable, but convincing a judge/jury that if LG covers that part with an extended warranty already they wouldn't act in their best interests to make that part last at least that time frame seems hard.
Like, they would screw themselves over if they knew their compressors were that failure prone AND STILL offer that warranty.
Kenmore does NOT offer such a warranty, yes, but then again, that wouldn't be LGs fault. That would be Kenmore.
Can't say to much on this topic due to other legal reasons, but I can say that most manufacturers aim to have as close as possible to 0 warranty calls.
Further, they usually have a certain time target in mind that 80% of appliances are still functional at.
For fridges and freezers in the middle class, that aim has long been 10-15 years.
So, maybe, LG has done that very calculation and deemed it more cost effective to have a certain failure rate due to some circumstances in the first 5 years instead of fixing that issue.
But then again the next argument grips:
Nothing prohibits you to sell a bad product at an unreasonable price.
If it's been known, by an easy internet search, for years, I don't see it being fraud.
As long as they cover their warranty promises they made to you on purchase, I don't see the fraud claim to be valid.
The product isn't dangerous, just bad. And it is easy to find that info.
Again, don't say LG is right. If that is an issue, they should change that.
And it might be just the different mindset US to EU in terms of sueing and legal stuff, but fraud is a pretty hefty charge in that scale.
But then again, if that succeeded - which I highly doubt, probably will just get settled for some messily sum per fridge - that could have a huge wave follow, especially regarding washer bearings, WP mode shifters on the VMW, warranties in general.
Sure that doesn't mean they can't be liable, but convincing a judge/jury that if LG covers that part with an extended warranty already they wouldn't act in their best interests to make that part last at least that time frame seems hard.
Like, they would screw themselves over if they knew their compressors were that failure prone AND STILL offer that warranty.
Kenmore does NOT offer such a warranty, yes, but then again, that wouldn't be LGs fault. That would be Kenmore.
Can't say to much on this topic due to other legal reasons, but I can say that most manufacturers aim to have as close as possible to 0 warranty calls.
Further, they usually have a certain time target in mind that 80% of appliances are still functional at.
For fridges and freezers in the middle class, that aim has long been 10-15 years.
So, maybe, LG has done that very calculation and deemed it more cost effective to have a certain failure rate due to some circumstances in the first 5 years instead of fixing that issue.
But then again the next argument grips:
Nothing prohibits you to sell a bad product at an unreasonable price.
If it's been known, by an easy internet search, for years, I don't see it being fraud.
As long as they cover their warranty promises they made to you on purchase, I don't see the fraud claim to be valid.
The product isn't dangerous, just bad. And it is easy to find that info.
Again, don't say LG is right. If that is an issue, they should change that.
And it might be just the different mindset US to EU in terms of sueing and legal stuff, but fraud is a pretty hefty charge in that scale.
But then again, if that succeeded - which I highly doubt, probably will just get settled for some messily sum per fridge - that could have a huge wave follow, especially regarding washer bearings, WP mode shifters on the VMW, warranties in general.
I had a Kenmore refrigerator (presumably Whirlpool, I don't have the model number) bought in Aug-Sep 1991. It quit cooling in Nov 1997. Diagnosis was a known compressor problem that caused oil to pump into the coils, effectively clogging it all. Sears advised that the warranty had been extended (to 6 years?) to cover full repair of the problem but I was a couple/few months past the timeframe so they refused to do the repair at no cost. It wasn't cost-effective to pay for compressor/evaporator/condensor replacement so I bought a new refrigerator on 11/22/1997 (KitchenAid, which I still have with no repairs thus far).
However, I realized that symptoms had begun months if not a year prior, gradually increasing run-time to near-continuous although it was still holding proper temperature ... until it didn't. I argued that Sears had not sent notice of the problem (I was a registered owner of an affected model), by which I would have been aware, recognized the symptoms, and had it repaired during the warranty timeframe.
They agreed to do the repair at no cost, although I had to tranport the unit to Sears 40 miles distant and fetch it back. I sold the repaired Kenmore on 2/23/1998.
cfz2882
Well-known member
often replaced with recip.
watched a Youtube video several years ago on these compressors and seems the valve plate breaks up
comments suggested the faulty linear compressor was often replaced with a standard rotary motor piston compressor.
watched a Youtube video several years ago on these compressors and seems the valve plate breaks up
comments suggested the faulty linear compressor was often replaced with a standard rotary motor piston compressor.Sometimes, algorhythms are usefull
Just got suggested this on YouTube:
I'm honestly surprised LG replaces the compressors that often.
At some point it's just cheaper and better customer service to take that fridge back.
Sure you loose a few customers, but quick and easy help often actually keeps customers with you.
Just got suggested this on YouTube:
I'm honestly surprised LG replaces the compressors that often.
At some point it's just cheaper and better customer service to take that fridge back.
Sure you loose a few customers, but quick and easy help often actually keeps customers with you.
That stupid arbitration clause
That LG and Samsung are hiding in their product literature and on the outside of the box sounds like a good reason not to buy any product whatsoever from LG or Samsung.
These foreign companies that come here and think they can operate by their own rules. This is ridiculous,
LG needs to replace every one of these refrigerators or refund the full purchase price, before I would ever recommend one of their products.
John L
That LG and Samsung are hiding in their product literature and on the outside of the box sounds like a good reason not to buy any product whatsoever from LG or Samsung.
These foreign companies that come here and think they can operate by their own rules. This is ridiculous,
LG needs to replace every one of these refrigerators or refund the full purchase price, before I would ever recommend one of their products.
John L
