LG Fridge/freezer minibar door – defective design?

[Playmoor]

I live in Exeter. In Summer 2007 I bought an LG GRP207TUJA American style fridge freezer, when we extended our kitchen, from a cheap internet outlet, now sadly bust, so I can’t complain to them.

As well as ice gadgetry in the left-hand (freezer) section, it has a ‘mini-bar’, a useful flap in the right-hand (fridge) door which gives access to the milk/juice compartment. The flap has a sprung handle / latch which you operate to open it. I like gadgets and liked the idea of this door in a door, which is one reason I bought this particular model. Another was that Which? recommended it.

The first mini-bar handle cracked and broke within about 11 or 12 months, pinching your fingers when you operated it. LG replaced it FOC.

The replacement broke 11 or 12 months later when the latch snapped, and despite the warranty, LG refused to replace it so I had to buy a replacement, which cost £77.

I thought the design was poor and the thing unlikely to last long, so in fact I bought two while I was at it, so that I had a spare.

The third one lasted about 19 months until last Monday morning when the latch snapped, as the second one had.

I’m now on my fourth mini-bar door and the unit is just 3½ years old.

LG say, hard luck. We warrant fridges for two years and parts for six months. The fridge is over two years old and the latest part lasted more than six months so you’ll just have to buy another. (And then another, and then another, until the fridge wears out).

They now cost £90.

Even though I like the fridge, I really don’t like the idea of spending £90 on doors per year to keep it running, and I think that it is unreasonable to expect anyone to do this. Parts ought to last longer when subjected to normal use, surely.

I’d like to sue LG on the basis that the part is clearly not of merchantable quality, and is unfit for purpose. With a bit of luck I’ll win a supply of mini-bar doors I can keep in my garage until they’re needed.

To do this, I think I’m going to need the opinion of an expert in these things who agrees with me that the mini-bar door / handle / latch etc is defective in design or manufacture.

Has anyone else come across this issue, please?

Can the latch be reinforced so that it doesn’t fail?[/img]

[chrisw6]

Re: LG Fridge/freezer minibar door – defective design?

Hi Playmoor,

I bought the fridge at the same time as you and I have had almost the exact experience as you. Each mini bar door lasts around a year and then the plastic latch snaps. I can only presume that the constant low temperature is effecting the plastic and it eventually becomes brital and then snaps.

I have now bought three replacement doors and the last one we took extreme care with the always held the latch open when closing the door as it didn’t bang closed and constantly put pressure on the latch. Doing this did make it last a bit longer but it still snapped after around 15 months.

So far LG are not interested and say they have no other reports of this fault.

I cant see any way of improving the latch but next time it breaks will be the last for me and the last LG fridge too!!!

Where have you managed to but a door for £90?? I cant find one for less than £130!!

[kwatt]

Re: LG Fridge/freezer minibar door – defective design?

So far as I know any claim would be against the retailer as that’s who your contract was with and not LG. If you did go down that road I expect it would be at best very difficult.

But Dave has listed the door and it’s a tad cheaper, here:

http://shop.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/Refriger … embly.html

K.

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