Recalls in the US
LG Electronics is voluntarily recalling its 500,000 portable air conditioners in North America following reports that they are overheating and catching fire.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on December 19, LG Electronics has decided to recall its portable air conditioners, which were sold at Home Depot and other stores nationwide in North America from February of 2011 through this year.
The CPSC has received four reports of fires that have caused US$380,000 (451.82 million won) in property damage.
An official from LG Electronics said, “Since the overload of the splash motor is the cause of catching fire, we are going to install a fuse that prevents the overload of the motor free of charge.” In regard to recall costs, he said, “As we are adding a fuse in problematic devices, instead of exchanging them to new products, we are unlikely to face a huge sales loss.”
This is the first time since 2012 that LG Electronics is recalling its home appliances in North America. The company recalled 161,000 electric ranges in 2012 due to fire hazards and 21,000 gas dryers for the same reason the same year.