DOJ Sues Chinese Firms to Force Recall of Fire-Prone Heaters

A rare federal push for a mandatory recall

The Justice Department sued two Chinese companies in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, seeking to force a recall of Lakkzoom-brand immersion water heaters. The complaint alleges that Cixi Miaojie Electrical Appliance Co. and Changsha Jiayi Tianzhuo Trading Co. made and sold devices that can overheat and ignite “within minutes” when turned on outside water or only partly submerged.wsgw +1

More than 98,000 of the heaters were sold in the United States, according to the filing. Regulators received more than 235 fire-related reports tied to the products, including over 137 reported incidents since September 2024; customer accounts described heaters melting, sparking and setting bathtubs, pools or nearby property alight.wsgw +1

The alleged defect leaves little margin for error

The government says the heaters lack automatic shutoffs that comparable products use when a heating element loses contact with water or reaches a dangerous temperature. The Justice Department filed the case with the Consumer Product Safety Commission under the Consumer Product Safety Act, which permits civil actions against manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers when a product presents a serious risk of injury or death.wsgw

The two companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment carried in the initial report. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department would not allow dangerous products made in China or elsewhere to reach U.S. families and expose them to serious injury or death.cbsnews

A broader enforcement problem for online imports

The case follows a separate 2025 CPSC warning involving Laboomkey immersion heaters sold on Amazon. In that matter, the agency told consumers to stop using and dispose of four models after 81 reports of igniting, melting, smoking or overheating, including at least 31 fires; the Chinese importer was unwilling to conduct a recall.cpsc +1

That earlier warning illustrates the limit the government is now testing in court. U.S. PIRG found that the CPSC issued 63 product warnings in 2024 when companies would not cooperate with recalls, more than in the previous nine years combined. Its analysis said 42 of those products had a Chinese manufacturer, exporter or other responsible party, while litigation to compel action can take years.pirg

For Lakkzoom owners, the lawsuit does not itself complete a recall or guarantee an immediate remedy. Its near-term significance is that federal officials are asking a judge—not the manufacturers—to require one, while the allegations put consumers on notice that even brief operation without full immersion can create a fire hazard.wsgw +1