LG’s battery recall saga rolls on, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recommending to Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones that he issue a national product safety notice for the solar storage units.
According to the ACCC’s announcement, around 8000 batteries remain in homes, and 6000 haven’t been located.
The at-risk units include batteries branded LG or SolaX, but the batteries could also be inside unbranded systems, which consumers are urged to check to avoid the risk of a fire.
According to the product safety notice (pdf), “The batteries can catch on fire at any time, without warning … Additionally, batteries in thermal runaway can release toxic, flammable gasses.”
The notice gives the full list of known brands including,
- LG RESU
- SolaX Power Station,
- SolaX X-Cabinet,
- Opal Storage,
- Redback SH5000,
- Red Earth Sunrise,
- Red Earth Drop Bear,
- Varta
- Eguana
- plus some unbranded systems with LG packs inside.
LG has a serial number checker to help consumers identify at-risk systems.
The recall was first announced in 2021 in Australia, following a 2020 recall in the USA.
It’s stayed in the news ever since: in 2022, the original belief that it affected “hundreds” of batteries in Australia was expanded to thousands, the first time the ACCC mentioned that there were more than 6400 units in the field.
When LG Energy Solution Australia’s Phillip Crotty addressed the Smart Energy Conference last November, he said 82% of the batteries had been addressed, although they had not all yet been replaced.
LG’s solutions remain the same as they have been for some time: replacement of some batteries and, in other cases, providing diagnostic software to shut down batteries at risk of overheating.
If you are worried about your solar battery, call LG on 1300 677 273.
About Richard Chirgwin
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I am so angry about this, because LG and ACCC make it sound like owners are being idiots and not responding to the recall. I contacted LG about my battery in December last year when my secondary battery entered the list. Mine supposedly only needed a firmware update.
After a ridiculous farce of promises, missed appointments, and losing my details multiple times, someone finally attended yesterday – 11 months after I contacted LG, and forcing LG to let my installer deal with it.
Result? It’s gone on so long that both the secondary battery that is subject to the recall, AND my primary which supposedly wasn’t, are now bulging so much that the case has buckled. Oh, and the diagnostic software also says they’re broken as well, so that was worth waiting for 😉
What’s betting it’s another 11 months before LG get around to replacing the battery? I wouldn’t buy another LG battery after how badly this has been handled.
I had the same experience as Steven – was contacted ages ago and gave all my details back then. Have since provided my details in an online form as I hadn’t heard anything and then again as recently a couple of weeks ago after I was told I was not recorded anywhere !!
Living in cooler Tassie I doubt we would be subject here to the same level of overheating problems as those in warmer States but this recall has truly been a farce. A pity the ACCC doesn’t get off it’s paper backside and start checking with customers as to how long this has taken and the run around Steven and I (and doubtless many others) have been subjected to.
The most annoying thing for me is that unlike Steven I doubt I’ll get a new battery – just a software fix for all my trouble doing LG’s work for them.
Don’t be misled by the overheating – it’s not overheating due to temperatures/climate, it’s overheating due to the chemistry in the battery. It’s still very likely.
I’ve tried getting the ACCC involved, but they aren’t all interested, and push the buck to Energy Safe Victoria, who also aren’t at all interested, and push the buck to LG, who in turn fob you off to their subbie – all the LG numbers just go them in the end.
As Stephen and Adam have commented, I voluntarily gave LG the required information via an online form early 2023. May 2023 they acknowledged my system was online accessible and they would run software updates and advise. October 2023 another email to me again advising of recall etc. I rang LG late Nov 2023 to be told they can not find my file !! Next I receive a text to advise they will call on date ‘X’ to run software manually – this is in middle of prebooked trip, so they are now coming the week before Christmas. They are unable to advise if battery is suspect until software check, so I don’t know if eligible for replacement or refund until then. And I’ll bet their compensation for turning system off will be very difficult to access, if they can ever find your file after 2 emails.
It’s probably worth doing a visual check of the battery as well for your own sanity – any sign of separation of the lower black trim & panel from the silver aluminium vertical panel should be treated as suspect, and raised with them as a non-software solvable defect immediately. You don’t want to have Christmas get in the way of it potentially getting sorted.
My replacement batteries are apparently on the way, but my installer has told me that even if your installer is handling the recall/updates, all the hardware delivery and verification is being handled by their outsourced contractor, not LG. LG have well and truly washed their hands of any responsibility for handling the warranty, which really isn’t great and not what you’d expect from a multibillion dollar conglomerate.
Update to my Dec post. On 5 Dec I inspected my battery as per Stephen’s instructions and found bottom of battery was bulging down approx 7mm. I called my original installer who came out, turned the battery off after taking photos, and lodged a warranty claim with LG. Replacement battery was supplied and installed within 2 weeks i.e. before Christmas . I cancelled the travelling battery check mob. If this battery fails, I will be asking for $ refund.
I just had two local guys turn up yesterday to do the software upgrade on behalf of LG so at least the local connection is getting onto the job quickly.
I asked whether this would “nobble” the battery in any way and they said no. Not sure exactly what the upgrade does but mine is done now and the App shows it reading at 98% (which was Max percentage available before the upgrade).
Hopefully that’s the end of it. If anyone else knows exactly what the software upgrade does please let me know here. I should have asked.
There’s two parts to what the software does.
1. It checks to see if the cells that make up your battery are damaged in any way that the software can check for. If they are, the battery shuts down totally and can’t be powered up again. If it shuts down, the engineer then takes photos of the codes it generates, sends that to LG/Solar Service Guys, and a new battery will be arranged.
2. If the cells are ok, it changes the profile/curve for how it charges up (a bit like what Apple did with the iPhone to stop it charging too aggressively and damaging the battery). This *should* stop the cells getting damaged in the future. However, if they do, then 1. applies above, and it’ll shut down rather than bulge and possibly explode.
My two RESU10H batteries have been replaced today, both with units that have manufacturing dates in mid-2022, which doesn’t seem ideal.
For giggles, I’ve typed in the serial numbers of the replacement batteries into the recall checker. I’m surprised and relieved to find that they did actually check the recall checker before dispatching the batteries, but I’m not holding my breath about when the next recall will be for mine.
As an aside, my local original installer has been absolutely brilliant in helping to chase LG and getting them to allow them to do the initial checks and replacement, rather than a third party. All credit to GNR8NRG and Jarrod for his endless patience.
I’ve been on the 12 month LG recall rollercoaster.
The initial day of the battery inspection back in May 2023 I took the day off work to wait.
No show… I call them and they say the technician had been out and the battery was fine.
I said nah it’s in a locked room which i’ve been near all day and try again.
She rings back just before 5pm – yeah he’s held up, not going to make it.
Battery is inspected, no bulging but can’t install the software as the system is off grid.
6 months of to-ing and fro-ing of what to do next.
They then decide my off grid system is one of the rare ones that is compatible so software install appointment scheduled, day off work organized – I need to be there in case it fail and they’ll chuck in a new battery.
Appointment gets cancelled, now LG decided they can’t do software update, so please go out and get quotes for replacement (non-LG) battery of the same kwH and LG will fund the cost and install.
I do this work and send through the quotes.
OK now same guy at LG / Solar Service Guys decides they can do the software install so replacement of batteries is off the table, going to schedule a new appointment and we’ll give you $500 for the hassle.
(I haven’t accepted this…)
This potentially combustible battery is attached to a timber barn that I’ve spent 10 years milling every stick of flammable timber and building. … what would you do?
Hi Andrew,
Personally as someone who’s invested a lot in the contents of a building myself, I’d contact PowerPlus, Zenarji or Arvio and ask them for a battery, then seek your money back from LG. They’ve obviously conceded it needs to be replaced under consumer law and a refund is an equivalent remedy as far as I’m aware. Don’t take my word as legal advice but ponder what all that time spent milling is worth.
(old mate Jesse refers to sawdust as man glitter 😉
I’m with Anthony, if I’d had the choice I’d have gone non-LG after the farce getting mine sorted, but my inverter didn’t make that even a vague option. You’ve got them to actually do something, which is great, even like mine it took 12 months. Seems that’s the going rate. Still trying to get the electricity payout out of LG, though, that they promised.
Payment for the lost electric savings was meant to be paid “as soon as the batteries are replaced” according to the letters sent to me.
My batteries were replaced in December, and I’ve been chasing ever since. We agreed a sum, finally, in Feb. I’ve been chasing, and chasing, and chasing… Today, 5 months later, payment landed – HALF the amount promised with no explanation at all. I am beyond livid.
And, just to add to the pain, yet another letter from LG and the ACCC landed in my letterbox today telling me my batteries were subject to a recall…
Choice has recently updated its advice about the recall:
https://www.choice.com.au/home-improvement/energy-saving/solar/articles/lg-solar-battery-recall