LG Fridge Compressors: Take Action Over Cooling Problems

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are gathering people who bought LG refrigerators to take legal action over a potential defect that could be causing the appliances to stop cooling.

Several lawsuits have been filed claiming LG fridges are equipped with defective linear compressors—i.e., the component responsible for a fridge’s cooling function. According to the LG fridge lawsuits, and reports from consumers, the refrigerators’ linear compressors often fail within only a few years of use—well before their advertised 20-year lifespan—and can cause the affected fridges to not cool properly and the food inside to spoil. Even people who have had their compressors replaced have reported that the replacement compressors also fail prematurely, with one owner saying his fridge has required at least five compressors.

LG has settled at least two class action lawsuits over the allegedly defective fridge compressors, and the attorneys working with ClassAction.org believe the company may still be violating the law by failing to fix the alleged defect.

Is This a Lawsuit? What Am I Signing Up For, Exactly?

You are not signing up for a lawsuit, but rather a process known as mass arbitration. This is a relatively new legal technique that, like a class action lawsuit, allows a large group of people to take action and seek compensation from a company over an alleged wrongdoing. Here is a quick explanation of mass arbitration from our blog:

“[M]ass arbitration occurs when hundreds or thousands of consumers file individual arbitration claims against the same company over the same issue at the same time. The aim of a mass arbitration proceeding is to grant relief on a large scale (similar to a class action lawsuit) for those who sign up.”

LG’s warranty terms contain both a class action waiver and an arbitration clause requiring customers to resolve disputes via arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution that takes place outside of court before a neutral arbitrator, as opposed to a judge or jury. It’s for this reason that attorneys working with ClassAction.org have decided to handle this matter as a mass arbitration rather than a class action lawsuit.

How Much Does This Cost?

It costs nothing to sign up, and you’ll only need to pay if the attorneys win money on your behalf. Their payment will come as a percentage of your award.

If they don’t win your claim, you don’t pay.

How Much Money Could I Get?

There are no guarantees as to how much money you could get or whether your claim will be successful. However, LG fridge owners who take action may be able to recover money for any harm they’ve experienced, such as buying a potentially defective refrigerator, paying for repairs and replacing spoiled food and other refrigerated items.

LG Refrigerator Lawsuits: Compressor Issues Stem from Defect

LG has faced several class action lawsuits that claimed the cooling problem stems from a defect that’s causing the linear compressor to fail. When this happens, the fridge will start to warm and food will begin to spoil. Some consumers who had this problem have reportedly been forced to “live out of coolers” or prematurely replace their fridges.  

According to one lawsuit, the problem starts in the tubing of the evaporator, a part that works in conjunction with the linear compressor. The suit said that the tubing is “prone to corrosion and pitting” and that small holes can develop, which can cause leaks and allow air to enter. Because of this “air leakage,” the refrigerant that moves from the evaporator to the condenser generates excess pressure that puts stress on the compressor, according to the suit.

The compressor can’t take this additional pressure, the suit claimed, and begins to fail. Per the case, it is usually the discharge valve in the compressor that is the first to go, as it is the weakest component.

According to the lawsuit, even if the fridges are serviced, they will likely fail again within two years because LG technicians are allegedly using the same defective parts in repairs. So, even though their refrigerators were “fixed,” several of the plaintiffs later noticed that food was again going bad and that their fridges weren’t keeping cool.

This lawsuit and several others were settled in 2020, with the LG refrigerator settlement covering certain fridges manufactured between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2017. However, many consumers have reported that newer LG fridges have the same compressor problem and are continuing to fail well before their advertised lifespan.

Consumer Complaints: Fridges Not Cooling, Stopped Working

Even after the LG fridge class action settlement, consumers have continued to post complaints on online forums such as Reddit about their fridges failing. A sample of these complaints can be seen below [sic throughout]:

We use a LG GC-B22FTLPL refrigerator at home that we bought in 2022, since then the [compressor] has given up THRICE, the LG customer service gives us the run around when we ask them what the issue is, they say its a compressor issue and fix it temporarily, we woke up to water everywhere on the kitchen floor because the freezer stopped working.”
— zainusaurus-wreck, Reddit.com

Our LG french door refrigerator stopped cooling this past Sunday. The fridge section is about 55 degrees F and not sure on the freezer temp, but its not freezing. Model#: LMXS30776S The fridge is only 5 years old. We had a appliance repair guy out here and provided a estimate of $1800 for the compressor replacement.”
— cmaniac45z54, Reddit.com

LG Fridges are absolute and complete garbage! Our $3000 dollar LG fridge broke down completely after only 4 years. … [W]e are older and retired and it has been a very time consuming and stressful experience and a complete nightmare for myself and my wife as we have medications that must be refrigerated and we were eating in restaurants without a refrigerator for many weeks.”
— No_Bluebird_7952, Reddit.com

Purchased this in 2021 and it stopped cooling 3 years later. Learned that LG has been involved in and settled multiple class action lawsuits regarding faulty linear compressors. Argued with LG to cover labour costs only to have another ‘non cooling event’ 5 months later. … This model was not included in recent lawsuit and is still available at Home Depot.”
— Sisu-cat-2004, Reddit.com

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