Nearly one million mini refrigerators are being recalled across America. Curtis International expanded the Frigidaire recall to 964,000 units on January 15. They added 330,000 Target units to last summer’s recallof 634,000 units.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that faulty electrical parts can catch fire and cause burns. Thirty-two fires have already been reported. No deaths have occurred. These units were sold at Target, Walmart, and Amazon from 2020 to 2023.
Damage Tally
The fires have caused over $700,000 in property damage. Two people went to the hospital for smoke inhalation injuries. The 32 fire events occurred while people were asleep or away from home.
Curtis got 26 fire reports before the July 2025 recall. Then six more fires with the Target model prompted this expansion. Bad wiring in Chinese-made electrical parts can cause the plastic housing to ignite in seconds.
Retail Footprint
These mini fridges sold for $30 to $40 at big stores. Target sold the red EFMIS121 model from January 2020 through October 2023. Walmart and Amazon sold four other models in many colours. These units stayed on shelves through December 2023.
Millions of these fridges sit in American homes today. Many owners don’t know about the fire danger. Federal law stops the resale of recalled products.
Silent Threat
Mini fridges run continuously in bedrooms and offices. Safety experts say this constant use wears out electrical wires. This creates fire hazards through short circuits and electrical arcing.
Product recalls jumped 40% from 2020 to 2024. One in five recalls involves fire or burn risks. Small appliances pose bigger risks in tight spaces with poor airflow.
Core Defect
Bad relay switches and compressor parts short-circuit inside these fridges. The heat ignites the plastic housing in minutes. The CPSC said: “Internal electrical components can short-circuit and ignite plastic housing, posing fire and burn hazards.”
Serial numbers A2001 through A2310 are affected by this defect. Curtis made these parts for nearly three years in China. The expanding recall shows the problem affects many units.
Campus Crisis
College dorms across America have dangerous recalled fridges in student rooms. Universities limit mini fridges to prevent fires. Fairmont State allows units up to 4.5 cubic feet.
Carleton College allows units up to 3.6 cubic feet. The $30 price made the Target model popular with students. Old dorm electrical systems struggle to handle many high-power devices in a single room.
Consumer Accounts
Damage reports paint a scary picture of fires without warning. Plastic melts. Furniture and walls burn. The $700,000 in damage is only reported incidents. Real fires likely number much higher.
Two people needed hospital care for smoke inhalation. The CPSC says product fires and injuries cost America over $1 trillion each year. Social media shows people describing fires in their homes.
Competitive Context
Other mini fridge makers have the same problem. Epoca recalled 110,000 Paris Hilton beauty fridges in September 2025. AstroAI recalled units after 70 fire reports. Two AstroAI fires caused over $36,000 in damage.
Industry experts say recalls hit 258.98 million units in Q3 2025. That’s the highest number in three years. Supply chain issues and rushed production lead to safety failures.
Market Dynamics
The U.S. mini fridge market grew from $25.77 million in 2020 to $28.36 million in 2021. The global market will grow from $3.6 billion in 2025 to $5.5 billion by 2035. That’s 7.8% annual growth.
But safety got worse. Recalls jumped 40% from 2020 to 2024. The Frigidaire recall of 964,000 units ranks among the biggest in 2026.
Licensing Labyrinth
Curtis International makes these fridges under license from the Electrolux Group. Electrolux owns Frigidaire but doesn’t make the units. Curtis is a Canadian company focused on cheap electronics.
Electrolux lets Curtis use the Frigidaire name. Production happens in Chinese factories. Electrolux avoids responsibility for defects. Consumers think they buy from Frigidaire, established in 1918.
Consumer Frustration
Getting a refund is difficult. Customers must photograph their fridges. They cut power cords with scissors, they write “Recall” in marker on the door and, they dispose of units as hazardous waste.
Curtis’ customer service team works only 4 hours daily, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern time. Social media shows complaints about slow service. People fight over who gets refunds for secondhand fridges.
Corporate Silence
Curtis International released no public statement about the fires. They didn’t explain how 964,000 bad units left the factory. They kept selling at Target through October 2023 despite fire reports from 2022.
The Associated Press asked Target and Curtis for comments. Neither company responded. Electrolux also stayed silent about other licensed products using its name.
Legal Landscape
Lawyers are watching for class-action lawsuits over this recall. Recalls show that makers knew about defects. Courts use recalls as proof of negligence. Curtis faces no lawsuits yet.
Top Class Actions says recalls often lead to legal action. Federal law blocks the resale of recalled products. This creates legal risks for students who sell dorm fridges to younger classmates.
Industry Skepticism
Experts ask: Do voluntary recalls truly protect people? These fridges operated for five years before recall notices. Curtis got fire reports but kept selling them. Recalls hit 101 events in Q1 2025.
That’s the highest since 2011. Yet recalled units dropped by 43.7%. Overseas factories escape U.S. enforcement. Penalties for safety failures are small compared to recall costs.
Unresolved Questions
The recall raises big questions about appliance safety. How many defective fridges remain plugged in across America? Will Curtis face real penalties, or just absorb recall costs? The mini fridge market is expected to $5.5 billion by 2035.
Should makers prioritise profit or safety? Nearly 1 million American households are waiting for refunds. This story shows what happens when budget prices and brand names hide product dangers.
Sources:
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Curtis International Expands Recall of Frigidaire-brand Minifridges Due to Fire and Burn Hazards, January 15, 2026
- Future Market Insights, Mini Refrigerator Market Size & Growth Forecast 2025-2035, April 20, 2025
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Curtis International Recalls Frigidaire-brand Minifridges Due to Fire and Burn Hazards, July 24, 2025
- CBS News, Recall of Frigidaire minifridges sold at major retailers expands to nearly 1 million, January 15, 2026
- Boston Globe, Frigidaire minifridge recall: Here’s what to know, January 14, 2026
- ABC News, Minifridge recall expands to 964,000 Frigidaires after fire reports, January 14, 2026