I Almost Bought a LG Refrigerator, But These 8 Red Flags Scared Me Off

Have you been looking for a new fridge but were surprised by the high price and useless features? You’re not alone. Among the leaders of features that people didn’t ask for and high prices is LG. We scoured the internet to find the most common issues and complaints with LG refrigerators. 

LG has a good reputation in the United States. Starting out as LuckyChemical Co. in 1947 producing cosmetic products in Korea, it is now considered to be a cornerstone of the American Appliance landscape. 

Some of the highest-rated refrigerator LG models are the LG- 29.5 Cu. Ft. 4-door French Door-in-Door Smart Refrigerator with Craft Ice-Stainless Steel that runs for around $3,099.99 and the LG- 25.1 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator with Ice Maker- Stainless Steel that costs around $2,099.00. Does LG deserve its reputation? And should you buy one? Here are some reasons that might give you some pause:

#1 Not All Are U.S. Made

LG is a South Korean brand headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea. Most of its appliances are made in South Korea or China. Appliances for the US market are made in its Clarksville, Tennessee factory.
That being said, the Tennessee factory typically produces only Front-load and Top-load washing machines, not refrigerators. This isn’t inherently good or bad, it is just a factor for consideration. 

Not All Are U.S. Made

With tariffs, a tax imposed on imported goods that results in higher consumer prices, prices on LG refrigerators will eventually increase. There are currently tariffs in place, including foreign retaliation tariffs, equaling an effective tariff rate of 28%. That is a big yikes for consumers, as budget is definitely something to consider when purchasing a new refrigerator.

#2 Declining Performance

While this may or may not be the current price of innovation in general, many LG customers are finding that their refrigerators aren’t quite holding up like they used to. In previous decades, a standard LG refrigerator could be relied upon for 15–20 years with minimal issues and minimal maintenance. The durability used to be considered unmatched.

Declining Performance

Newer models aren’t being known for the same durability. And there are specific problems that are associated with specific LG refrigerator types that consumers might want to plan on addressing down the road. For LG bottom freezer refrigerators, often, a common complaint is excessive frost buildup caused by a faulty defrost system. For the side-by-side models, customers report cooling issues with the fridge section. This can be caused by blocked vents, a failing defrost heater, or even a faulty evaporator fan. And with the popular French door models, the door seals often don’t work, so over time, the energy consumption increases, and money is wasted. Commonly, water dispenser problems seem to appear as well as clogged filters and even complete dispenser failure.

#3 Expensive Price Point

LG Appliances tend to have some of the highest price points, even for its most basic models. LG attributes the higher prices to its rigorous testing, high-quality control standards, and investments in premium materials and innovative technology. 

Expensive Price Point

Of course, appliance distributors often have discounts and deals that may bring those price points down to a palatable amount, and purchasing second-hand is always a planet and budget-friendly option, but with the oncoming economic hardship, the most expensive refrigerators might not be wise to splurge on in the near future.

#4 Sub-par Warranty

LG offers a standard one-year manufacturer’s warranty on all of its refrigerators. Often, there is also a 5-year warranty specifically for the compressor and some sealed system parts. After that, you can purchase an extended warranty, called LG Premium Care, which must be purchased within the first 90 days. The extended warranty adds an additional three years of coverage.  

Sub-par Warranty

With a $300 spoiled food warranty and no service or deductible fees, on the surface, this might seem like a good deal, but there are some factors that might give a consumer pause. Some of the exclusions include preexisting conditions. Per the contract, preexisting conditions aren’t covered. The warranty may also be void if LG deems that the customer has been negligent in maintenance or has been subjected to improper handling. These conditions are somewhat vague.

The LG Premium Care can cost around $350 for a 3-year period and is supposed to include 24/7 claims filing support, power surge protection, and mechanical and electrical breakdown coverage. However, it doesn’t cover natural disasters, extreme weather damage, or accidental damage. And, the LG Premium Care plan is only available in the U.S., not in Canada.

#5 Faulty Parts Lawsuits

One of the most frequent issues with LG refrigerators is that the linear compressor causes them to stop working. This issue is so pronounced that LG has been the recipient of a few lawsuits over this faulty part. The most recent lawsuit was filed in 2023 and was 191 pages long. To protect itself, LG places a mandatory arbitration notice on the refrigerator boxes and inside the manual, which requires private settlement of court cases.

Faulty Parts Lawsuits

This linear compressor is unique to LG refrigerators and renders the machine useless if it breaks. This sneaky arbitration notice can only be read and agreed to after the customer purchases the fridge. Instead of offering a replacement fridge or a refund, LG will often require the customer to pay for the time and parts of a repair person to replace the linear compressor. The recent lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs are stuck paying over and over for new compressors when buying a new fridge would cost less.

#6 Possible Forced Labor/Human Rights Abuses

An investigative report done in 2023 by China Labor Watch found that LG is a company that may use the supplier companies Foxconn and Pegatron, which violated Chinese labor rights that included military-style management, low basic wages, excessive working hours, wage theft, rest denial, lack of breaks, workplace bullying, and lack access to social benefits.

Possible Forced Labor/Human Rights Abuses

According to the Australian website Shop Ethical, LG received a score of 14/100 in the KnowTheChain Benchmark, which scores companies on efforts to address forced labor in their supply chain. LG also scored 14.5/100 on the CITTI (The Green Supply Chain Corporate Information Transparency Index) which assesses the environmental management of the supply chains in China.

#7 Poor Customer Service

LG receives a lot of poor complaints about its customer service in particular with many customers reporting a several months process of issue resolution. One reviewer, CanSurge of Canada said, “Customer service was deceptive and unprofessional: lied about unreceived faxes, calls they never made, actions they later refused to take. After 2 months of deception and promises, they bounced me back to the seller who has nothing to do with the manufacturing/assembly problem.”

Poor Customer Service

Another reviewer, B.Butterfield from the US, said, “Everything was fine until…the refrigerator started making a noise. We immediately started calling about the noise. Nothing was done; one person from LG even suggested that the noise was normal. We had to start recording the noise to convince LG that the noise was not normal. Nothing was done, even with the recordings being sent to LG. Then, the refrigerator stopped working altogether, and we lost all of our contents which we still have not been reimbursed for. “

#8 Expensive Repairs

If your LG refrigerator happens to break outside of the warranty, or the damaged piece falls out of warranty coverage, you will probably be saddled with a large bill for the repairs. Using the highest quality materials and most sophisticated technology in a refrigerator makes it much more expensive to fix. If you have to replace a technical part like the circuit board or compressor, the repairs might end up costing more than the fridge. 

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