The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2025
LG's front knobs: five hundred thousand ranges that caught fire on their own
LG recalled about 500,000 electric ranges after front-mounted knobs were switched on by accidental contact, igniting at least 28 fires.
LG Electronics · 2025-02-06
What happened
LG sold about 500,000 electric ranges whose front-mounted knobs could be switched on by accidental contact from a person or a pet. A stove left unlit could start heating and set nearby items on fire.
LG received at least 86 reports of unintentional knob activation, more than 28 fires, and 5 fires that caused extensive property damage totaling over $340,000. There were at least 8 minor injuries, and 3 fires killed pets.
The remedy was not a full refund but a free warning label and instructions to use the Control Lock feature. The ranges had been sold since 2015, so a fire hazard that front knobs had carried for a decade was only answered with a sticker.
Why it happened
- Front-mounted knobs could be turned on by accident, igniting fires
- At least 86 knob activations, 28 fires and over $340,000 in property damage
- About 500,000 ranges sold from 2015 were only given a warning label
The lesson
Stove knobs that can be bumped on by accident are a fire hazard waiting for a trigger. LG sold 500,000 ranges with front knobs and only added a warning label after 28 fires, including pet deaths.
Sources
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