LG Class Action Lawsuit: Settlements, Defect, and Active Cases

The LG refrigerator class action lawsuit most consumers ask about — the U.S. case covering roughly 1.6 million French-door and side-by-side units with failing linear compressors — is closed. Its claim deadline passed on February 5, 2021, and payments went out by mid-2022. A separate Canadian settlement closed on October 25, 2024. If your refrigerator was made after 2017 (or after 2018 in some filings), you are not covered by either settlement, and the current path for relief is mass arbitration or an individual claim. A newer federal class action filed in late 2025 was voluntarily dismissed in April 2026.

The Defect at the Center of the Cases

Plaintiffs allege the evaporator tubing that works alongside LG’s linear compressor is prone to corrosion and pitting. Pinhole leaks let air into the sealed refrigerant system, pressure builds as refrigerant moves from the evaporator to the condenser, and the compressor’s discharge valve — described in the complaints as the weakest point — fails under the stress.¹

When the compressor dies, the refrigerator stops cooling. Owners report spoiled food, ruined medication, and a useless appliance, often within a few years of purchase and well short of the 20-year lifespan LG advertised for the compressor. Plaintiffs also allege that replacement compressors installed by LG technicians use the same defective parts and tend to fail again within about two years.¹

The U.S. Settlement (Bentley v. LG) — Now Closed

The principal U.S. case, Bentley v. LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. (No. 2:19-cv-13554), was filed in the District of New Jersey before Judge Madeline Cox Arleo. It received final approval on December 18, 2020, and an appeal was dismissed on January 6, 2021.²

Who Was Covered

The settlement covered about 1.6 million LG French-door and side-by-side refrigerators manufactured between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017.³ More than 60 model numbers were listed, including units in the LFX, LFXS, LFXC, LMXS, LMXC, LSXS, LSXC, and LPXS families. Covered serial numbers ran from 401******** through 712********.⁴

What It Paid

Payouts turned on documentation. Claimants with no receipts could submit a sworn statement and recover up to $450 total: $50 for unsuccessful repairs, $100 for out-of-pocket labor, $50 for repair delays of at least 10 days, and up to $250 for property loss like spoiled food.⁵

Documented claims could recover much more:

Full reimbursement for cooling-related parts and labor repairs made within five years of purchase.
Up to $1,000 for unsuccessful repairs, scaled by number of no-cooling events ($180 for two, $500 for three, $1,000 for four or more).
Up to $1,000 for delayed repairs, starting at $120 for a 10-day delay.
Up to $3,500 for spoiled food, medicine, or other property damage.
$650 for refrigerators replaced because of the cooling defect before September 22, 2020.

LG agreed to no overall cap on total payouts, and every class member received an extended warranty of five years from the date of purchase covering labor on cooling repairs.⁴³

LG also agreed to run an Enhanced Customer Care Program for at least three years, with a dedicated service line, faster repairs, and additional payments for class members who kept having cooling problems. Three or more no-cooling events under the program could yield at least $500 and up to the full purchase price; delays over 30 days triggered at least $400; property losses could reach $3,500.³

The claim window closed on February 5, 2021. No new claims are being accepted.⁵

The Canadian Settlement (Prins v. LG) — Also Closed

Prins v. LG Electronics Canada, Inc. (Court File No. CV-21-00000810-00CP) was approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on May 27, 2024. The claims deadline was October 25, 2024.⁶⁷

Canadian coverage reached further than the U.S. case: 22 model families produced between January 30, 2014, and May 27, 2024. To qualify, the refrigerator had to have suffered a no-cooling event within two years of purchase.⁶ Undocumented claims paid up to $150. Documented claims could recover up to $259 for labor, up to $700 for delayed repairs, up to $1,000 for multiple unsuccessful repairs, up to $2,500 for property loss, $650 for replacement, and full reimbursement for cooling-system parts.⁸

If Your Refrigerator Was Made After 2017

Newer models fall outside both settlements, and the standard LG warranty contains a mandatory arbitration clause and a class action waiver. Consumer attorneys have moved to mass arbitration — filing large numbers of individual arbitration claims — to seek the cost of the refrigerator, repair expenses, and losses from spoiled food. These efforts target units purchased after 2018.¹

The arbitration clause itself is being contested. LG points to arbitration notices on the cardboard packaging, taped inside the unit, and in the owner’s manual. Consumer attorneys counter that delivery crews typically strip the packaging before the buyer sees it, and the manual is only reached after purchase. A federal judge had not yet ruled on whether those notices bind consumers as of NBC Bay Area’s reporting.⁹

An attempt to open a new class case for this group did not survive. Kurant v. LG Electronics USA Inc. (1:25-cv-01549) was filed in November 2025 in the Northern District of New York, targeting the LRFS28XBS model and alleging violations of state consumer laws and breach of warranty. An amended complaint added a second plaintiff in February 2026. On April 30, 2026, the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the case with prejudice while LG was preparing a motion to dismiss or compel arbitration.¹⁰¹¹

Other Active LG Lawsuits Worth Knowing About

A separate California class action, Abrego v. LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. (2:25-at-00615), was filed in May 2025 in the Eastern District of California. The plaintiffs allege LG violates California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act by starting warranty coverage on the date of purchase instead of the date of delivery, which they say shortens coverage for online buyers who wait days or weeks for delivery.¹²

LG has also faced claims over the Craft Ice Maker feature on certain refrigerators. Henenfent v. LG Electronics (1:23-cv-00354), filed in the Eastern District of California, alleged the ice maker developed obstructions, made grinding noises, and leaked water into the freezer even after warranty repairs. The parties reached a settlement in principle, and the case was voluntarily dismissed on June 4, 2024. An earlier related case, Heckner v. LG Electronics USA, Inc., was voluntarily dismissed in March 2023.¹³¹⁴¹⁵

Separate litigation over LG smart TV data collection also exists, but it does not relate to refrigerators and does not provide a remedy to appliance owners.¹⁶

LG’s Position

LG has denied the refrigerators are defective throughout the litigation. In connection with the 2020 settlement, John Taylor, then senior vice president of LG Electronics USA, said the company “agreed to the settlement to avoid further litigation costs and in the interest of customer satisfaction.”³ A company spokesman separately said LG appliances “are used in tens of millions of homes across America every day” and that “our focus on customer satisfaction is paramount.”⁹

1
ClassAction.org. LG Refrigerator Linear Compressor Failure Lawsuits
2
ClassAction.org. LG Fridge Settlement: Here’s How To File a ClaimLG Refrigerator Cooling Defect Class Action Settlement
3
Consumer Reports. LG Settles Class Action Over Refrigerator Compressors
4
ClassAction.org. LG Fridge Settlement: Here’s How To File a Claim
5
Top Class Actions. LG Refrigerator Cooling Defect Class Action Settlement
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McKenzie Lake. LG Refrigerator Compressors
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Refrigerator Settlement Canada. Prins v. LG Settlement
8
McKenzie Lake. LG Long Form Notice
9
NBC Bay Area. LG Refrigerators Failures Update
10
Top Class Actions. LG Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Refrigerators That Allegedly Stop Cooling Without Warning
11
PACER Monitor. Kurant v. LG Electronics USA, Inc.
12
Top Class Actions. LG Class Action Alleges Company Short-Changes Consumers on Warranties
13
Milberg. LG Craft Ice Maker Class Action
14
CaseMine. Henenfent v. LG Elecs. U.S.
15
ClassAction.org. LG Craft Ice Leaking Jamming Lawsuit
16
Labaton. LG Smart TV