Lasko Space Heater Won’t Turn Off After Room Reaches Desired Temperature, Class Action Claims

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A proposed class action alleges Lasko low-profile portable space heaters are defective in that the device will either overheat an area to well above the desired temperature or, alternatively, shut off after being on for only several minutes.

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The 12-page lawsuit says the “defective design and manufacture” of the space heater’s control board, including its internal thermostat, will cause the device to regularly exceed the target temperature at which it’s set, sometimes heating a room up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The case also alleges the heaters’ defective temperature control system, in particular problems with the “circuitry design and sensors” in the unit, can cause the device to shut off prematurely after being plugged in for a relatively short period of time. 

According to the suit, defendant Lasko Products’ user manual states that when the temperature is set, the heater will turn on when the room temperature reaches one degree below that set temperature and turn off when the room reaches two degrees above that set temperature. Numerous users have complained online, however, that their Lasko space heaters kept operating and heating a particular space well after the target room temperature was reached. 

“For example, if the temperature is set to 72 degrees, a common occurrence is for the temperature control panel to disregard this setting and keep rising, above 80 and 90 degrees,” the case claims. 

The filing relays that portable space heaters and their incorporated temperature-regulating thermostats are subject to standards meant only to prevent malfunction that could cause a fire risk, not to prevent hyperthermia, when the body’s temperature rises above normal levels. Hyperthermia poses a greater risk to young children, people with disabilities and senior citizens, “who may be less capable of recognizing and correcting” overheated conditions, the suit says. 

The heat sensors tasked with monitoring a room’s temperature to prevent it from reaching unsafe levels “are defective and fail to adequately and consistently function under normal use conditions,” due in part to “lack of adequate calibration,” the complaint claims. 

According to the case, the issues with the space heater are “compounded” by the fact that Lasko Products has failed to honor its three-year manufacturer warranty while failing to timely respond to customer calls and emails. 

“When customers reach support by phone, they are placed on long holds for up to thirty minutes, and get disconnected from the call,” the lawsuit claims. “When customers connect with support personnel, they are asked for proofs of purchase in order to receive service and coverage under warranty.” 

When a customer cannot prove that they bought their Lasko space heater within the last three years, the manufacturer fails to honor its warranty, the suit says. 

Ultimately, consumers have paid more for a product that they would not have bought in the first place, or paid less for, had they known of the apparent defects, the case relays.

The lawsuit looks to cover consumers in New York, Alabama, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, West Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennesee and Utah who bought a Lasko low-profile portable space heater within the applicable statute of limitations period. 

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