This Major Brand Just Recalled 500,000 Stovetops

On February 6, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of around 500,000 ranges from LG Electronics, citing that the front-mounted knobs can spark fires when turned on mistakenly by children, pets, or others. The affected ranges have been sold at a variety of locations over the past 10 years, including Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, and on the brand's retail website LG.com. 

The burners are somewhat easy to turn on accidentally simply by bumping into them — one of many easy-to-make mistakes when cooking on an electric stove, especially one with front-facing burners. The CPSC notes at least 86 reports of unintentional activation, some of which sparked flames, and which have resulted in at least 28 fires, at least $340,000 in property damage, eight minor injuries, and deaths of multiple pets. "Consumers are cautioned to keep children and pets away from the knobs, to check the range knobs to ensure they are off before leaving home or going to bed, and not to leave objects on the range when the range is not in use," the recall notice reads.

The issue affects both slide-in and freestanding electric ranges across more than 20 specific models, which you can find listed on the CPSC's recall notice. To determine which model your range is, you can check the oven door or the bottom storage drawer, or check your records from when you purchased it. LG's website also offers a way to verify your if your appliance is affected by the recall using your model and serial numbers.

According to the information currently available via the CPSC, individuals with affected LG ranges who comply with the recall won't be given an exchange or a refund. Instead, they will be sent a sticker in the form of a warning label to place on the range, which explains how to use the Control Lock or Lock Out function of the stovetop. When turned on, this feature is meant to disable activation of the stovetop's heat when the range is not in use.

Although it may be inconvenient, it's important to learn about the safety features of potentially dangerous appliances to ensure your kitchen tools are safe for use. This is especially true if you have kids in your household, as a variety of recent recalls, including a Greater Goods kitchen scale recall in late January, have noted injury hazards to unaware or unsupervised children.

LG electronics is available to answer any further questions about the oven range recall 800-399-3265 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. You can also email the company at lgrange.recall@lge.com.