Samsung Stove Lawsuit: Electric Ranges Accused of Causing Fires

Case Overview: A class action alleges Samsung Electronics America knowingly sold over 1.1 million defective electric ranges with front-mounted control knobs that can activate accidentally, leading to hundreds of fires.

Consumers Affected: U.S. consumers who purchased recalled Samsung slide-in electric stoves with front-mounted control knobs.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Northern Division

Tennessee homeowners Rocky Brown, Sarah Young, and Stephenie Brown thought they were buying reliable kitchen appliances when they purchased Samsung slide-in electric stoves. Instead, they say they got dangerous fire hazards that can turn on by themselves with just a light touch from people or pets.

The trio filed a class action lawsuit against Samsung Electronics America in May, claiming the company sold over 1.1 million defective electric ranges that have caused approximately 250 fires since 2013. Their own home was destroyed in a fire caused by one of these stoves just days before they received Samsung's recall notice in August 2024.

The lawsuit targets Samsung slide-in electric stoves with front-mounted control knobs that can activate accidentally, creating what the plaintiffs describe as serious fire risks that the company knew about for years but failed to warn customers about.

Samsung Stoves Allegedly Turn On Accidentally, Posing Fire Hazard

According to the lawsuit, the problem lies in the design of Samsung's front-mounted control knobs, which are positioned where they can be easily bumped or touched by accident. These knobs are so sensitive that even minor contact from humans walking by or pets jumping up can activate the heating elements without anyone realizing it.

When a stove turns on unintentionally, it can heat up items left on the cooktop like dish towels, oven mitts, food packaging, or anything else that might be sitting there. These materials can quickly catch fire, especially if nobody notices the stove has turned on. The fires can then spread throughout the kitchen and beyond, causing extensive property damage and putting lives at risk.

The plaintiffs say this design flaw makes the stoves dangerous during everyday kitchen activities when people might brush against the controls while cooking, cleaning, or simply moving around their kitchens. Pet owners face additional risks when cats or dogs jump onto counters and accidentally activate the heating elements.

Even more concerning, these accidental activations can happen when nobody is home, allowing fires to burn undetected for extended periods and causing maximum damage before anyone discovers the problem.

Hundreds of Fire Reports Document Dangerous Defect

The lawsuit claims Samsung has received more than 300 reports of unintentional stove activation since 2013, leading to approximately 250 fires that caused extensive property damage and even resulted in pet deaths. These incidents allegedly happened across the country as customers discovered their stoves had turned on without anyone operating them.

Despite receiving these reports over many years, the plaintiffs argue that Samsung continued selling the stoves without warning buyers about the fire risks or fixing the design problem. The company allegedly knew that customers were experiencing dangerous fires but chose not to inform new purchasers about the defect at the point of sale.

This pattern of incidents reportedly continued for over a decade before Samsung finally issued a recall in August 2024, affecting more than 1.1 million units. The recall came too late for many customers who had already experienced fires, property damage, and in some cases, the loss of beloved pets.

The timing was particularly tragic for the plaintiffs, whose home burned down just days before they received their recall notification, suggesting they might have avoided the devastating fire if Samsung had acted sooner.

Recall Came Too Late for Many Affected Customers

Samsung's August 2024 recall affected more than 1.1 million slide-in electric ranges, but the plaintiffs argue this response came years too late to prevent the hundreds of fires that had already occurred. By the time Samsung acknowledged the problem publicly, customers had been living with dangerous appliances for over a decade without knowing about the fire risks.

The recall notice advised customers to avoid leaving items on their stovetops and to ensure the control knobs were in the off position when not in use. However, these precautions don't address the fundamental design problem that allows the knobs to activate so easily through accidental contact.

For customers who had already experienced fires, the recall offered little comfort since their property damage, personal losses, and trauma had already occurred. The plaintiffs argue that Samsung should have identified and addressed this safety issue much earlier, given the consistent pattern of fire reports the company had been receiving.

The delayed recall also meant that many customers continued purchasing these stoves without any knowledge of the fire risks, paying premium prices for appliances they believed were safe for their families and homes.

Samsung Faces Other Legal Challenges Over Appliance Safety

This isn’t the first time Samsung has faced fire-related claims over its appliances. In August 2024, a similar lawsuit was filed by a New York resident, who reported that his range activated without intent and posed a danger to his household.

That suit also targeted the front-mounted knob design, calling it a persistent problem that the company failed to address until public recalls began.

In both cases, plaintiffs argue the problem had been known for years, with internal data pointing to recurring safety incidents long before public notification.

Young and Brown’s class action lawsuit seeks to represent all customers nationwide who purchased the recalled Samsung slide-in electric stoves, potentially including hundreds of thousands of buyers who paid full price for appliances with hidden safety defects. They're demanding a jury trial to determine whether Samsung's conduct violated consumer protection laws and safety standards.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages to reimburse customers for their financial losses, including the difference between what they paid and what the defective stoves were actually worth. Punitive damages are also requested to punish Samsung for allegedly concealing known fire risks and to deter similar conduct by other appliance manufacturers.

Restitution claims aim to recover money from customers who wouldn't have purchased the stoves if they had known about the fire risks, while the lawsuit also seeks to cover costs for property damage, alternative housing, and other expenses resulting from stove-related fires.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Brown, et al. v. Samsung Electronics America Inc.
• Case Number: 3:25-cv-00204
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Northern Division

Plaintiffs' Attorney:

• Benjamin A. Gastel of Herzfeld, Suetholz, Gastel, Leniski & Wall PLLC
• Helen I. Zeldes and Amy C. Johnsgard of Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes LLP

Do you own a Samsung slide-in electric stove? Have you experienced any issues with it turning on unintentionally? Share your story below.