LG Electronics has recalled about 500,000 electric ranges because they’re turning on unintentionally. The problem is that the knobs might accidentally get turned on by people or pets, which could cause the heating elements to activate and start a fire.
These ranges were sold at several retailers, such as Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and online. Depending on the model, they were priced between $1,400 and $2,650. This recall includes slide-in and freestanding models with front knobs that were made in Mexico and Korea between 2015 and January 2025.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received at least 86 reports of people accidentally turning on knobs, which led to over 28 fires. Some of these incidents had significant property damage totaling over $340,000, resulted in eight minor injuries like burns, and sadly, claimed the lives of at least three pets. The CPSC has noted that this is a widespread issue affecting various brands of ranges, pointing to a possible safety concern in the industry as a whole.
According to CPSC data, from 2018 to May 2024, there were 338 cases of accidental range activation across ten different manufacturers, leading to two deaths and 31 injuries that were not fatal. There may also be other incidents that have not been reported.
I’ve seen TikTok videos of some people saying how their stove turns on with a simple bump, and there have been many complaints over the years about how easily ovens can turn on with a bump or tap. This has been an issue for a while, but the solution feels like it’s not really a solution but more of a way to place blame on the consumer. LG is giving away a free warning label with instructions on where to place it.
There probably should be a much better way to protect users than this if a recall is necessary to stop fires. Even still, if your stove comes with a control lock feature, it should be used. It makes it less likely to activate, but not every stove has this. Make sure to check the recall to see if your LG stove is one of the ones that can cause a fire.
Source: CSPC
