Action 9: Kenmore grill owners may be entitled to free repair

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By Jason Stoogenke

Tommy Lovins loves cooking and even built his deck with his grill in mind.

He bought a Kenmore grill about 3 1/2 ago, but he said that about a year ago, the big grease tray started rusting out on it.

He wasn’t alone when it came to the issue. There was a class-action lawsuit, claiming the firebox trays were defective and a safety hazard that could lead to explosion and fire.

[READ MORE: Kenmore grill class-action lawsuit]

Customers claimed that grease can drip, come in contact with the propane and explode.

"I don't need a death trap. I have a lot of friends and family that come out and cook. They eat with me. I don't need something like this that's going to be a danger," Lovins said.

Sears makes Kenmore and, in its defense, said there weren't any safety recalls for these grills. Sears denied any wrongdoing, but in February the company agreed to settle the lawsuit and fix 15 models for free.

Kenmore grill models eligible for free repairs:

  • 01566
  • 03495
  • 16142
  • 16154
  • 23673
  • 23676
  • 23681
  • 23682
  • 23683
  • 23766
  • 34172
  • 34176
  • 34178
  • 34308
  • 34611

Lovins said he contacted Sears several times over the next few months -- right through prime grilling season -- but he was still waiting for the repair.

"Not happening, nothing, won't give me the time of day," Lovins said.

Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke got in touch with Sears, and, even though Sears agreed to repair, not replace, the grills, it emailed Lovins saying the company would skip the fix and just give him a new grill, since he had so many visits to Sears and there was confusion in his case.

Lovins picked one, and Sears is sending it to him on Tuesday.

“I cannot thank you enough for your help in getting this resolved, without your help I guess I would of had to haul the rusted out grill to the landfill. I hope that if you do a story on this, it will help others that have one of the 15 models that have the same problems that I have experienced,” he told Stoogenke.

Sears claimed one of its vendors "used substandard material that caused these to rust more quickly and easily." But it also said even the grills with better materials still have rusting.

Grill users need to make sure they clean off any acidic marinades and grease each time they cook.

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