Brinkmann offers fix for grill with safety problem

Update (June 4, 2015) After the flaw was corrected, the Brinkmann grill rose to the level of our top picks list. Read the full story.

Original (April 22, 2015) When you buy a gas grill you expect it to work and work safely. When it doesn't, you have to hope that customer service will quickly resolve your problem. Brinkmann delivered on its promise. The manufacturer said a replacement crossover channel would fix the safety problem Consumer Reports' testers found on the Brinkmann 810-6230-S gas grill, and it did.

We bought this grill for $130 at Home Depot and it's also sold at Albertsons and Hy-Vee. Our recent tests found that this small gas grill failed our drop-lid test after flames on one of the grill's two burners occasionally went out when on the low heat setting. This occurred on both samples we tested. For details, read "Brinkmann grill fails Consumer Reports' safety test."

This test failure poses a safety risk and while the risk from this situation is low and there are no reported injuries, no gas grill should have this flaw. Bradley Gleaton, director of quality control for Brinkmann, said he did not believe this issue posed a risk, but they have improved the grill's crossover channel as a result of our test findings. We called Brinkmann's customer service (800-527-0717) and requested a crossover channel. It arrived 10 days later and we found it was easy to install, even though it arrived without instructions, and it fixed the safety problem. The owner's manual has information on the crossover channel in the burner maintenance section and you can watch our experts show you how to properly install it.

A tip of the hat to Brinkmann and Home Depot

Ninety-nine percent of these grills are sold at Home Depot, says Brandon Gleaton, vice president of sales at Brinkmann. "Due to the ‘Do Not Buy' rating on model 810-6230-S we decided to quarantine the item," he says, adding that they're replacing the crossover channels for all grills in stores and distribution channels and these boxes will bear a green sticker and be in stores by late May. Until the revamped grills are available Home Depot has put a stop sale on this grill, meaning their checkout system won't allow it to go through the registers, says Stephen Holmes, a spokesman for the retailer. Grills currently being made include the new crossover channel and will have a yellow sticker on the carton, says Brandon. Consumer Reports' policy is to keep the Do Not Buy status until we can buy and test this grill and it passes our safety test. We intend to buy it as soon as it becomes available, so check back for updates.

Shopping for a grill?

We tested over 100 gas grills to find the best and worst—prices range from $140 to $2,600. See our gas grill Ratings and use the gas grill selector to filter your results by brand, size, and price. Our buying guide offers tips to help you choose. Any questions? E-mail me at kjaneway@consumer.org. 

—Kimberly Janeway