Does the Perfect Flame grill recall go far enough?

Late last week the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of 24,000 Perfect Flame Double Lid Four Burner gas grills. The recalled grills, model number GAC3615, were made by Lucas Innovation Inc., of China and sold at Lowe’s Stores from October 2007 through July 2008 for about $300. The hazard is serious: The cooking chamber can "melt or ignite," posing risk of fires and burn injuries. According to the recall notice, there have been 175 reports of grill fires, and 25 reports of grills melting, some of which resulted in minor property damage. Owners are advised to stop using the grill immediately, disconnect the propane tank, and return the grill (without the tank) to any Lowe’s store for a full refund.

It wasn’t hard for us find complaints about Perfect Flame grills on Internet newsgroup forums and the complaints weren't limited to the GAC3615 model. In fact, our own database, which collects information from our readers, has two complaints about Perfect Flame grills catching fire; one specifically citing another model, an SLG2006.

A Fox television station in Tulsa has also reported numerous problems with Perfect Flame grills including an SLG2006 model. The video footage and consumer stories are striking. One Tulsa man reported that he found the lid and firebox of his Perfect Flame engulfed in flames after making a quick trip inside to finish preparing his meal. He also said that the grill exploded when he was trying to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, spraying shards of hot metal across his deck and yard.

We contacted the reader who reported a problem with a Perfect Flame SLG2006 model to us, asking for some additional information about that incident. He told us that his grill suddenly ignited while he was cooking burgers. The metal in the firebox was actually burning and flames were spreading down the hose to the propane tank. His daughter burned her fingers trying to put out the fire. Fortunately, a neighbor, armed with a fire extinguisher, was able to douse the flames.

At our recommendation, he reported the incident to the CPSC as well as to the manufacturer, which was quick to make amends, arranging for him to choose a free replacement grill of any brand from a Lowe’s store.

How can a metal gas grill suddenly catch fire?  We spoke with a product specification engineer who used to write gas grill design specs, who believes that too much magnesium in the firebox's aluminum alloy could be the problem. Magnesium can burn and is very difficult to extinguish; such fires are best left for the fire department.

We called Lucas Innovation last Friday and spoke with a customer service representative who confirmed that the Perfect Flame grill recall was due to a problem with the material used for the cooking chamber. But when we asked for more specific information and whether the problem had shown up in other models, we were referred to the company's attorney who provided no additional information.

We contacted the CPSC’s Office of Compliance to find out why Perfect Flame SLG2006 wasn’t recalled along with the GAC3615. We noted the information we got from our reader, and expressed our concern that the recall did not include that model of Perfect Flame grill, which we know has had incidents and at least one injury. But according to the CPSC, current law forbids them from discussing an ongoing investigation. We were told they’d “look in to it.” We hope they do.

In our years of testing we've found it highly unusual for a grill to melt or catch fire. If  you’ve experienced problems with gas-grill fires, melting or deformation, please comment on this posting and be sure to report it to us as well as to the CPSC. The CPSC's recall system relies heavily on consumer complaints and without them many problem products wouldn't be recalled. Sharing this information can help us accomplish our mission of reducing the number of unsafe products in the marketplace and help protect consumers from serious injury.—Don Mays, Bob Williams

More on grills from Consumer Reports

• The Broil King Signet 90 986784LP recall and remedy
• Gas grill buying advice and Ratings
• Five most common grilling mistakes
• How to maintain your grill to prevent accidents

Comments

[Wanda]

We have an E3520LPG Perfect Flame grille which managed to light itself and must have had an explosion, the posts that the knobs are on are bent, plastic around knobs is burnt and distorted. The heat was really itense, the contents of the front drawer is ashes except for the metal spatula. We have talked to Lowes and they tell us we have to get satisfaction from the manufacturer. We purchased this grille in July 2008 and the fire/explosion happened March 30, 2009.

[Richard Kluender]

I purchased a SLG2007 in 2007 and besides all 4 burners burningout, the grill caught on fire and warped the grill hood. Never again a Perfect Flame.

[Mark Downing]

I bought a Perfect Flame Model SLG2007B on May 12, 2007.
It worked fine until last Friday. My wife ran in the house to get someting and when she returned the ends of the lid were looking like the 4th of July. Sparks were shooting from the magnesium alloy ends and white hot molten metal was dripping to the sidewalk. She was able to move the grill away from the garage and prevented it from burning down.
I spoke to Lowe's today and was told that there were no active recalls and it was beyond 90 days so I needed to talk to the grill manufacturer.

[tom]

I also purchased a perfect flame SLG2006b and out of nowhere while grilling hot dogs the grill whent up in flames burning the propane gas hose, the knobs and the metal on the front by the knobs this was purchased from lowes do I have any recourse what should my next step be any info will be helpful

[SteveW]

Chuck, where did you purchase your grill? I'm in IL and they are still $600.

[robert timmerman]

I have the SLG2006 model. I purchased it on 012006. I used the grill yesterday and noticed that the two middle burners began shooting out a flame towards the rear of the grill. I checked the burners and found that they both were cracked. The two outer were in tact. I still have my receipt. I contacted bbqteq today to use the 10 year warranty. I had to jump through hoops to use this warranty and pay $29.90 for the replacement burners. I feel that because they are under warranty you should not have to pay. After reading this blog, I hate that I gave any more money toward this type of company.

[Chuck Smith]

I purchased a Perfect Flame at Lowes last night, a model E-3520-LPG.
Does anybody know if this grill has the same problems the SLG2006/2007 has?

I wondered why they were selling a $600.00 grill for $150.00.
Looks like they are trying to dump this product,because of all the problems. It looks like a nice grill and it was hard to pass a sale like that, but I will return it if is a fire hazzard.

[Hard Times (Seneca, SC)]

After taking my first SLG2007D grill back to Lowes after it almost burned the side of my house down and getting the same exact grill from Lowes in Sept 2007, the 2nd grill had the cracked burners after less than 6 months. I filled a complaint with the consumer product safety commission and was holding onto my receipt and grill hoping for a recall. While in Lowes today my wife went to the return desk and asked about any new recalls on the perfect flame grills and told her our problems and she said to bring it back. Fortunately we had kept the receipt and no problems this time they credited our credit card in full with no problems.

[dmangan]

Same thing here. Purchased a SLG2007A from Lowes and there are huge holes in my burners. The cooking rack has started to melt and the rear of the grill glows red and occasionally catches fire. After reading these posts my wife won't let me grill anymore. I have contacted the manufacturer (bbqtek.com) and they have asked for pictures. Will follow up later with the outcome.

[Danny]

WOW!! As I read these comments it scares me. I have been using my (SLG2007A) grill several months with all 3 burners gushing with flames. The real scary part is that just to to light the burners it explodes and almost scares the heck out of my wife. I always tell her its worth it to get grilled food rather than baked. Well I guess I won't be using it anymore. I tried calling the customer service # on the sticker from the grill and it stated that it would cost $4.99 per call and that the # change to 10-15-15-800 (Where in the heck is that-doesnt look like a U.S. # to me).Not only do I have a cover for my grill but it is also kept in my screened in porch (out of the rain 100%). I am going to see what Lowes will do for me cause this is for sure a major health treat and fire hazard!!!!..

[FredT]

Well.... I'm surfing to find a burner from my grill and came across this and am now worried. I also bought a SLG2007A from Lowes and was very happy with the grill until 6 months ago when the center burner split and had flames shooting out the back of the grill. I see that others here that have posted the same incident. Should I buy a burner? I don't have the receipt and
payed cash for the grill.

[Fernando Cartagena]

I bought a Perfect Flame gas grill less than three years ago (Model #SLG2006CN) and I am completely disappointed with it. Once I was cooking some thin strips of meat, went inside the house for a few minutes and next thing my neighbor was knocking on my door to tell me my grill was engulfed in flames. Sure enough when I went outside the flames were completely wrapping the outside of the grill. The meat was completely cremated. Lucky for me my house did not catch on fire. Now the grill has completely rusted inside. The burners have rusted to the point they have big holes in them. I tried removing them but the screws had rusted in place and I ended up have to use a saw to remove them. In order to get it back in working order I will probably have to replace everything inside. I paid over 400 dollars for the darn thing and it didn't last that long. I cannot find my receipt so I do not know at this point what to do. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

[Gary K]

This is my follow up from my comment from 1/05/2009. I returned my grll to Lowes to get a full refund,no receipt needed, purchased a new grill, a charbroil, again made in China. this grill has the same kind of burner tubes. I will keep an eye on this one hoping I WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME KIND OF PROBLEM.

[dky]

I have a 2007A that my wife purchased for me for Christmas 2007. I suppose I may have used it abut a dozen times. Last week I BBQed some porkchops and went breifly to clean the plate; took maybe two minutes to do. When I returned I found the center burner burning yellow and extremely hot. The grill grate was cherry red and luckily my porkchops were not at the back center of the grill. I couldn't control the flame with the control knob, so I turned off the center burner. Yesterday I pulled the burner and found it crack and a hole in the back of the burner. Needless to say I will not be using it anymore. For those having trouble pulling the burner us an open end wrench on the nut on the back side of the screw. The screw on my burner was so badly damaged by the heat I could not use a screw driver. After removing the nut I had to pry the burner out because it had welded itself to the grill because it had gotten so hot.

I feel these grills should be recalled and destroyed before someone is seriously hurt or even killed in fire. There are just too many people reporting the same issue for it to be ignored any longer. I know if I had been hurt Lowe's would have heard from a plainiff attorney representing me. We all need to band together and sue Lowe's for selling such a hazardous product.

[Michael]

I bought a Perfect Flame SLG2007A in the Spring of 2007. It has been a great grill. A few months back the center burner burned through toward the rear of the grill. I simply turned off that burner and used the two outer burners. Now as part of my spring maintenance around the house I am replacing all three burners and the covers above the burners. I think I got a good deal on the grill. It has served me and my family well and even made a few appearances at neighborhood cul-de-sac parties.

While some of the postings clearly show manufacturing defects, I am surprised at the lack of personal responsibility at the others. Invest in a cheap cover for your grill. Replace the burners every year under heavy use and every two years under light use. Clean out the grill if too much grease builds up.

[Mitch]

My Perfect Flame grill (SLG2007A) started displaying many of the symptoms discussed by others posting info on this blog (i.e., all 3 burners had huge holes in them, grill became extremely hot and bright red inside even when cooking on low, etc.). I was able to locate my sales receipt, and I gave the company (BBQTek) a call. My grill was not under warranty, so I didn't think I would have much luck. However, after explaining the issue to them, and mentioning the negative things I was reading on Consumer Reports and other websites, the CS rep seemed willing to work with me. He sent me a detailed email asking me to take several pictures of my grill and forward them on to him. After about 4 days I received an email from the company. The email contained a letter for me to take to my local Lowes, with my receipt, to get a new grill. So, although I had to get another Perfect Flame grill (which I will not be buying for the next grill I actually spend money on), I was able to get a new grill to get me by for a while. So if you have a receipt, you may want to give the company a call (I think stressing the fact that you are worried about it being a fire hazard, and have seen several stories pertaining to Perfect Flame meltdowns helps :))

[Gary Kasprzyk]

I have purchased the perfect flame from Lowe,s @ 9 months ago,model SLG2007B. Two of the burners are trashed and my grill burst into flames and discolored the hood. When trying to close the hood and shut off the tank I cinged the hair on my arm. It scared everyone on the patio, they thought it was going to blow up. I feel that Lowe's and Perfect Flame should stand behind the products they sell before serious injury occurs. What is it with all these dangerous products made in China lately? Are American companies putting us at risk for the almighty dollar?

[Bilko]

I have a SLG2006 and when went to clean it the other day the burners were totally cracked open and the box was severly dmamaged inside. If you look in the manual it says the burners have a 10 year Warranty but after 2 years they are garbage. Now sellers want $30 for each of the 4 burners and I saw that some peoples grills of the same model have actualy melted and caught on fire. There should definately be a recall on this!

[Tom Rossi]

I bought the SLG2007A model in April 2006. It worked well until October 2008. Couldn't get it started though the side burner did light. Had plenty of propane and had sparks at the electrodes. Upon inspecting the grill I noticed that the tubes were cracked. Called BBQTek and replaced the three tubes - no receipt so I had to pay for them. That didn't solve the problem. Called them again and they suggested that I replace the regulator with a Universal regulator. Did that and it didn't solve the problem. Cruised the web and found these postings. Based upon what I've read, maybe it's not so bad that I can't get it started! Looks like I wasted $340 dollars.

[Gnat]

Wouldn't you know it.
I bought the SLG2006B in 2006 and liked the product for 2 years, but I noticed that the flames were turning from a nice precise blue flame to hissing yellow and orange. It wasn't until I found these posts, and countless others on similar sites that I realized the severity of the situation. Last night I pulled the grates and found 3 of the 4 burners are cracked and splitting. I too looked for local replacement parts with no luck and after reading about the magnesium in the fire box I think it is time for a new grill. Vastly disappointed.

[Dan in Florence, SC]

I think I have the slg2007b. No fires yet, but at least two of the burners are visibly corroded with flames shooting out, haven't physically inspected the other two yet. I've barely had it over a year, no receipt anyway. I am VERY concerned about replacing the burners. Hate to see this thing catch on fire.

[Mike]

Everyone who has lost their receipt, Lowe's should have your receipt on file!! You do need to have your credit card bill info though, and with that information they will be able to pull that receipt up. They won't be able to do it at your local store and it will take a couple of days but they will get back to you. That's how I got my receipt and was able to get my burners replaced for my crappy SLG2007A, however now my screws are rusted in, looks like either a screw extractor or a drill.

Do not buy anything Perfect Flame!

[Brian]

Purchased a SLG2007A a year and a month ago. Had to buy a new burner as one cracked then developed a hole only months after use. Got the burner replacement at Walmart for $10 (of course Lowes didn't carry one). Now the other two have holes and without paying $30+ per burner from an online store, I can't find one. Of course grill parts are seasonal. No problems with the whole grill going up in flames but after seeing this it's time to send it to the junk yard. Lowes needs to ditch this brand!

[K Anderson]

I too have the SLG2007A and was looking for replacement burners since Lowes doesn't stock them. I bought my grill in Summer 2007 and thought the "stainless" burners would have lasted much longer. Now that I've found this forum, I don't think I'm going to spend the $90 + shipping on this grill. What a waste of money and I'm so disappointed in Lowes lack of customer support on this product. The sticker on my grill shows lgsourcing.com which is a subsidiary of Lowes.

[Jeff]

I purchased a Perfect Flame 2007A grill at Lowe's in April 2008 and tonight just after I took our steaks off the grill and came back to turn it off, found the entire insides engulfed in flames. The material coating the lid seemed to have peeled off and caught fire. I will contact Lowe's and the company that makes the grill and see what they say, as well as the CPSC.