LG NeoChef MS4296
Verified439 reviews
Like other reviewers, microwave rusting inside despite being less than 3 years old and infrequently used. Mine has rusted bottom corner edge of door. Clearly not fit for purpose. Fobbed off by LG as maintenance issue despite it otherwise being in pristine condition. My last microwave lasted over twenty years with no issues so I think I know how to… Read more
maintain a microwave. Customer service appalling. Refused to let me speak to a manager. Despite clearly reading from a script and having to go off and check the answers to my questions several times such as at whose cost they could send someone to assess (my cost) insisted "I am the manager". LG crossed off my list of brands I'll buy in the future as I would rate the quality of their product and their "customer service" as poor.
Magnetron failed after 32 months. Fought with LG for them to cover all costs. 32 months later, it has failed again. Now only part will be covered and we must pay for assessment and labour...which means this is bound for recycling... What a lie the 10 year warranty is... does not cover labour nor assessments so it makes it wholly uneconomical to… Read more
repair... And who would want to pay 50% of the original value on repairs?
It was a nice microwave while it worked, but once you're outside the 1-2 year standard warranty...you're out of luck with LG.
Hi there! We appreciate you taking the time to share this with… Read more (+1 reply)
Only lasted 3 years, so out of warranty. No wonder our landfills are filling up and finding space for rubbish tips is becoming a problem! BECAUSE WE ARE NOT MAKING PRODUCTS THAT LAST ANYMORE MORE, 3 YEARS ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH LG. Show details
Reviews with attachments
- +1
HIGHLY RECOMMEND LG 42L 1200W NeoChef Smart Inverter Microwave White MS4296OWS – As I was cleaning this microwave today, I realized I hadn’t reviewed it yet. After two years of heavy use multiple times a day, it still looks and works like new! Just check the photos. Before this, we always bought Kmart microwaves, but they would rust out quickly, even though we kept the door open to dry them. My microwave is stored in the… Read more
pantry.
I chose the LG 42L 1200W NeoChef Smart Inverter Microwave (White, MS4296OWS) mainly for the "soften" setting for butter, which has been fantastic.
As for the fancy defrost settings, they’re nothing special, I’ve stopped using those due to the typical cooking the edges before defrosting the food issues.
While it’s more expensive than a Kmart microwave, if you’re replacing those every year, this is a much better investment in the long run. Highly recommend!
Love this microwave! – I purchased this Microwave because I wanted one I could use to cook meals as opposed to just thawing and reheating. This microwave has exceeded my expectations. There are many options available yet also amazingly easy to navigate and find them. Reheat, sensor cook, soften, melt, proof, keep warm, inverter defrost. With 1200W It leaves my old 700W… Read more · 1
behind. Looks. Well it certainly does not look like most microwaves as it has a single piece tempered glass door which not only looks good but makes cleaning easy. I can access the plus and minus button as well as start stop without opening the door. The remining functions are accessible via a panel when the door is opened. There is a list of menu instructions on the top rim of the microwave which can be hard to read sometimes but I use the one in the included book instead. The book is quite easy to follow and I found myself confidently using various options very quickly. The hexagonal ring under the glass plate makes it more stable and the Anti-Bacterial Easy Clean interior coating makes cleaning a breeze. Using this microwave is so easy and the results are very impressive. I wanted to be able to use it where possible instead of my stove as my old solid plate electric stove takes forever to heat water to boil/steam my few vegetables I cook and the oven heats my whole unit long before it has heated my leftovers. I have poached an egg (yes, it can be done) with success and steamed vegetables right in a fraction of the time. I have cooked risotto which is a fair and tasty alternative to stove top version. It turned my frozen meal into something close to freshly made without the usual overcooked and/or cold spots, it was delicious. Butter from the fridge softens, not melts, ready to use and food is defrosted evenly. And when it is done there is no “beep”, instead, it plays a little tune! I have not used all the functions yet however so far; I am happy with what I have used. Can it completely replace my stove? No, but it can do many tasks that previously would take a whole lot more time and power than doing them on the stove. I would certainly recommend this Microwave.
LG 42L Stainless Steel Microwave – I purchased this microwave in hopes that it would last me a long time, Let me tell you I will have this microwave for the next 10 years ! (according to the 10 year parts warranty) The microwave itself is a snug fit in my pantry, it fits on the shelving almost perfectly, allowing me to hide it from view, thus giving me more room on my kitchen… Read more
bench.
It heats cold items extremely fast, my old microwave would take a very long time, where as this one is very zippy.
Its also extremely easy to clean, after putting chickpea soup in the microwave i forgot to cover it, causing it to explode everywhere, I was able to clean the inside with just a paper towel due to the internal ceramic coating.
My only issue is sometimes it wont register the press to start the microwave, meaning you may have to press quite hard to get it going.


- +2
Used multiple times per day, no issues – We bought this microwave 12 months ago as part of a kitchen renovation. The size was right and it matched in well with our oven. Reading other reviews, there seem to be some concerns about longevity. After a year of using multiple times per day we haven’t had any problems - touch wood! Things I love: Big size, sleek design (no buttons on the… Read more
front), great touch pad controls. Nice solid opening and closing. Easy to clean the inside, we wipe out each day and it takes seconds. Cute tune when it finishes cooking. Seems to cook evenly and quite quickly. I liked that it had a white casing with black front as it worked with our white cabinets.
Things I don’t use: Automatic cooking programs. We generally just heat on high. If you do use these functions you need to open the door to access the controls.
Things I don’t love: If the power goes out you can only reset the clock by turning it off at the power source which is tricky for us as it is recessed into a cabinet. Black front does show finger marks but easy to wipe off with a microfibre cloth. When cleaning it is easy to accidentally set off the cooking function by wiping over the touch controls. Condensation does build up inside. We leave the door open after use to dry out so it doesn’t cause issues.
Tips: As above, wipe out each day with a tea towel or microfibre. Only takes seconds and it stays looking like new.
Leave door open if condensation has built up
Learn the different ways to set the timer. Eg, you can slide your finger along the timer thing to increase or decrease, you can press the plus button to go up by 10 seconds or press and hold the plus button to increase the time quickly. Or you can kick it old school and keep pressing the start button to go up in increments of 30 seconds.
If there is a power outage you need to turn it off at the power point to reset the clock.
You cannot turn off the jaunty tune playing function and you can’t turn it down. If you don’t open the door it will keep playing the tune at intervals.
Really good machine – I have had this microwave oven for a few months and it is really good. Cooks well, reheats well and quickly and does everything you would want from a microwave oven. Very simple and easy to use, the display is easy to read and everything is easy to wipe clean. My favourite thing about this microwave is the happy little tune it plays when it's… Read more
finished the job....always makes me smile for some reason . I can't think of anything I don't like about the LG, it's well built, solid, spacious, doors are good, the lighting perhaps could be better but that is only a minor concern. All in all I would happily recommend this oven... it functions well and it is very good looking, good combination.
An update on the microwave...mechanically it's still going fine but there is a frailty problem with the glass plate which now has two nasty chips in it. No idea how I go the first one but the second one was when I removed a cup and slightly knocked the plate ...a chunk broke off leaving shards of sharp glass in the oven. The glass plate is far too thin and is dangerous...LG, you need to address this problem before someone ends up eating glass.
Second update...had to replace the turntable plate, tapped a cup against it and now it's has more chips..can't be toughened glass, has the stability of a win glass. The replacement is also thin...glad LG listen to customer feedback, NOT.
Bought oven Nov 2022, and developed a big area of rust under the paint (paint fall off during cleaning). LG customer service said their specialist determined it was not cleaned correctly. Will never buy another LG again. Show details
Hi there! Thank you for your review. We regret that your… Read more
Following my daughter’s exact same microwave failing after 2 years I was expecting something to go wrong. My microwave rusted out internally and is now too dangerous to use. It’s clear to all that the finish to the inside box is inferior, I would avoid this like the plague there are obviously major quality control issues. Sadly LG suggested it was… Read more
my fault because of lack of maintenance, I can assure you that was not the case, the problem was lack of a quality finish and that is held up by the number of people that have posted with the same issue.
Significant rust found ! Recently discovered rust formulating in the interior of the microwave. The microwave is out of warranty by two months of the two year warranty period. I’ve contacted the Lg customer services department and have had a reply requesting more information and there response with regard to the rusting issue as follows - … Read more
“Humidity and Steam: High moisture levels from cooking can accelerate rust formation. - Food Spills and Residue: Leftover food particles and liquids can trap moisture, leading to corrosion. - Lack of Cleaning: Regular maintenance helps prevent rust by removing moisture and food debris. Also note that the Customer Service department have asked whether the oven is still heating.
As many other consumers who have posted about this product., I’m concerned about the potential safety outcomes of further use.
I will update this review when I get a reply back from the Customer Service department with their final decision having read other reviews regarding rust on this product , I don’t hold out much hope of a positive resolution with LG .
To update LG as suspected failed to give a positive resolution, and have ceased email communication, my customer service experience has been appalling, I contacted the OFT for there assistance of which to my knowledge LG ignored their communication.
I hope this review is helpful to other consumers and that they might think twice before buying LG products, I will certainly never buy anything from LG again.
Latest follow-ups
Inverter microwave lasted just over 2 years , rarely used . The defrost and reheat functions do not work . Was suppose to have 10 year warranty on the Neo Chef Inverter models but my receipt says it only has 1 year warranty .When researching… Read more
products prior to purchase I normally research LG , Samsung , Fisher & Paykel and Breville . I will be taking LG out of the equation.
Follow-up · Replaced the faulty LG product with a Breville all in one Air fryer , griller , convection oven and microwave oven , total game changer , the Breville works brilliantly at all functions . Goodbye LG
Find out how LG NeoChef MS4296 compares to other Microwaves
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Purchased this microwave from JBI Hi Fi in July 2022. Rust started appearing a year ago but was mild. Now the interior surface has bubbled and rust on the door surface. LG states it maybe a manufacturing fault and to take it to a LG service provider… Read more
to be assessed. All White Goods at Wetherell Park, who say I must pay $70 up front for a report.I believe it is obvious a faulty interior surface and the unit needs to be replaced. LG is not interested and have been sent in circles
Follow-up · To answer questions , cleaning always after spills and regular weekly . Left door open to air as well. Cooked mainly veges and reheating dishes.. Only soap and water used, Koh is main cleaning product.
I purchased my LG 25litre microve in September last year, so it's not even l year old. Although the time shows on the outside panel and it can heat, when l open the door (which one has to do to avail ones self access to the functions) none of the… Read more
functions are working, it's like it's dead. I informed Appliances On Line of this and today l had a call from LG service centre. I was on the phone for 15minutes explaining and all l got from him was that l should take it to a service centre in Wetherill Park, which happens to be FIFTY FOUR KMS from where l live. When l explained that l'm an 86yr old woman who walks with a stick, he said that's okay, you can courier it in!!! So l'm expected to pay for a 54 km courier to their warehouse and another 54km back. Are they insane, that would probably cost more than the microwave. OMG l've just read LG reviews here and they are so negative that l wish l'd read them before purchasing this microwave. It replaced my last microwave which was fantastic for 10 years. This microwave is still under guarantee and l cannot get it fixed. I've emailed AOL with my grievance and l'm waiting on their response. I have purchased every main and small appliances from them and they have been fantastic, so l'm hoping for good news. When l told the person from LG, that l was gonna leave a review, l had no response, so l ended the call. His answer was to send me a text with the address in Wetherill Park. Disgusting attitude and l'll NEVER buy anything from LG. The photo shows the door open with the time but ALL those functions do not work♀️
Follow-up · My follow up is ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ as my neighbour's son,. who is an electrician, kindly offered his service. I don't know what he did but after a few minutes he came out of the kitchen smiling and said it was now working! I was so thankful and in my excitement forgot to ask him what was the problem. After a few days l made myself familiar with this microwave… Read more
Positive reviews
Grabbed this microwave and gotta say, it’s a solid bit of kit. Sleek design, dead easy to use, and heats stuff evenly without turning your leftovers into lava on the outside and frozen in the middle. The sensor cook’s a game change. Quiet too, which is a nice touch. Show details
Works well but knocks out wifi – I like being able to quickly select 30 seconds And make incremental changes. Also great that I can turn off sounds. Disappointed that it interferes with the wifi. Not good. Show details
Best microwave EVVVERRR – I was sceptical at first about buying an inverter microwave but I'm never going back to anything else because this unit is AMAZING!!! I bake cakes in it, cook bacon, boil eggs, heat porridge, cook chicken, cook steaks and stir-fry the list goes on. It was an absolute steal of a price on eBay as a factory second, uses little power, easy to clean… Read more · 1
and most of all after reading and understanding how inverter technology works it cooks food very evenly. It's never dry or unevenly cooked. I can't believe I could ever go back to a regular microwave again. LG has done an excellent job on the layout, features and warranty of this unit
Negative reviews
We purchased this microwave 8 months ago to replace an “old faithful”. First impression was good until we discovered that you can only set times off the front panel in 10 second increments. With a 1.2kw output, 5 seconds can make a difference! The REAL issue was when 8 months later, it blew up. That’s when we discovered the debacle that is LG… Read more
“after sales service”. Basically, there isn’t any. After speaking to an off-shore call centre, we were referred to a local repair centre, more than 35 minutes drive from our home. Only 2 in metropolitan Perth, miles from anyone living in the eastern suburbs. Two calls to the centre went unanswered. We then sent a text (on a suggested number) and still nothing. We’ll get it fixed when we have the 1.5 hours spare to drive there - but have bought a replacement (NOT LG!) because we need one urgently.
I bought this microwave 4 years ago and it replaced a Panasonic microwave that i had for 20 years. It never really heated up the food quickly or evenly, it takes far longer than expected. It's gotten worse as time has gone on, about a year ago part of the clock digits have started to disappear and won't come back, I've got no idea how or why this… Read more
is happening, it just started for no reason, I will never buy another lg microwave again and I'll replacing it with another panasonic microwave.
We purchased this microwave 2 1/2 years ago and last week it filled with smoke and no longer heats. I spoke to LG warranty as it has 2 years parts and labour and a further 8 years parts only. LG said they would call me back with the nearest service agent but after 2 days I called them again and spoke to somebody else who gave me the information I… Read more
needed. I was offered to return it to a nearby store who would send it to the repairer to assess and provided it was the magnetron I would only have to pay the service agent's $89 fee. All in all pretty good service. However, given so many other reviews suggest 2 years is the approximate lifespan, the unknown amount of time it would take to get it back (as we live regionally) plus it has always disrupted the WiFi. Much to my kids relief, the WiFi killing microwave is no more.
Recent reviews
- +2
This Microwave Oven completely rusted out at 3 years old. As you can see in the photos it's rusted all over. My previous microwave lasted 24 years before it failed with an electrical fault. Don't see why this one should rust so quickly. I contacted LG support about the issue. They saw the photos and agreed it was rusted. They asked what I… Read more
was heating in the microwave and what was the 'moisture content' of the food. They then said it was caused by improper use by the customer due to heating up food that was too wet. I only said I was heating up leftovers. When I asked to speak to a manager, they changed their story and want me to drop it off to a repair centre for inspection when they already know what the fault is.
They not only have a faulty product, but their policy is also to lie to customers on the first instance, and then to make it as difficult as possible to get a faulty item replaced. A good company would just offer a replacement or refund.
Find out how LG NeoChef MS4296 compares to other Microwaves
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Don't waste your money. We bought an LG magnetron microwave 2 years ago, now has a significant rust spot (which means it can't be safely used) and LG service said "it's not a manufacturing issue". Were going back to sharp microwaves which I've had for close to 10 years previously without problem. I won't buy an LG product again. Show details
LG - Life’s not so good – I had an identical model microwave that had to be replaced under warranty when it started overheating and making a loud noise. The LG service agent replaced one part and was going to replace another before LG approved its return to the retailer. I returned the faulty microwave to the retailer. Thinking that I was unlucky to have a faulty unit,… Read more
I selected and purchased an identical microwave as a replacement. I took delivery early December2024. The new microwave was noisy. It wasn’t immediately obvious where the noise was coming from, and I gave it a few days to maybe settle down. It didn’t, so I rang LG customer care. I let them hear the noise over the phone and they told me to take it to their service centre. The microwave was also occasionally very hot after only brief usage, and I told them about that too. After a couple of weeks the service agent said they could find no fault, and I collected it. LG tried to get me to pay for the non-existent service but eventually withdrew that request.
When I got home the noise was immediately obvious. It had got worse, and could be heard from the rear fan area, I took it back and had the microwave operating in front of the technician, who agreed it was noisy. After another couple of weeks I got a call and picked it up. When I got it home I found the vibration had not been fixed.
I took it back again and after a week or so got a call to collect it. This time the vibration was not to be heard. At that point, my new microwave had been in our kitchen for just two weeks in the two months we had owned it. In addition to many phone calls to LG, we had made multiple trips to and from the service agent, taking significant time and fuel. In a series of emails to LG Customer Care I queried whether they had any mechanism for dealing with these circumstances, even if it was just extending the warranty. They don’t.
Two weeks have passed and the vibration has returned. It is intermittent, increasing as use time increases. I am beyond frustrated. The vibration comes from the fan housing at the back of the microwave. The most recent (and only successful) attempt at repair has now failed. I emailed Customer Care once again, requesting approval to return the machine. Their response was that their ‘reclaim policy’ dictates that I must take it back to the service centre. Again!
Enough is enough. So far, Customer Care has proven to be an inaccurate name, as has the term ‘Service Centre’. The time and inconvenience over a brand new, albeit low cost appliance has been over the top. The impression I have received is that this is just not important, and being in the LG system means little individual consideration can be expected.
This review is as much about LG’s customer service as it is about the quality of this model of microwave. The quality of both have much room for improvement.
doesnt heat well and malfunctioned after afew years – Doesn't heat food well and started emitting sparks and a loud buzzing noise from inside after afew years of use. would not reccomend!
Don’t expect it to last much beyond the manufacturer’s warranty and don’t bother chasing it up – I purchased the LG Neochef 42L smart inverter microwave oven from Bing Lee Bankstown in October 2021, with two years warranty. In January 2025 I was cleaning the microwave when I noticed that the paint underneath the turntable had bubbled up and a rust spot was present. This defect meant that the microwave was no longer safe to use. I contacted… Read more
LG and spoke to a resolutions team member. After discussing the issue he told me that he does not know how the defect may have occurred, “Maybe food got caught under the turntable”. I told him if that was the case why is the defect confined to only one spot? Would it not have dragged along and created a circle of rust? I also told him that I was not happy with his response and I will be going to Fair Trading. His reply was that the microwave was out of warranty and I can do whatever I like. I contacted fair trading and was advised to go back to the seller, Bing Lee Bankstown which I did. I was attended to by a gentleman whose name I cannot recall. He advised me to contact LG. When I told him that Fair Trading advised me to go back to the store where I purchased the microwave he offered to take photos of the defect and send them to LG and he added that the microwave is now out of warranty and he cannot do anything about it. I emailed LG customer support Australia, Fair Trading also attempted to contact LG customer support but it seems we both have been ghosted by LG Electronics. I will never waste my money on an LG product again and I would think twice about purchasing from Bing Lee Bankstown.
Unit did not heat food – Bought this unit in August 2017 from JB HIfi in DFO. It worked well until the 14th November 2022.When I spoke to LG Support Centre person explaining the problem on the next day, I received a email from their local repair shop in East Keilor requesting I bring the Oven but have to outlay $66.00 on drop off and that fee would go to the cost of the… Read more
repair if I chose to proceed with repair. The unit has 10 year warranty stamped on the Oven. So why do I have to pay for anything if it is under 10 years.
It will sing you the song of its people - day & night – Works fine as a microwave, it heats your food. But if you get frequent power outages or power surges, avoid it like the plague. Whenever the power comes back on, it plays its loud, obnoxious beepy song. Not a welcome 2am wake up. Ours lasted 5yrs before it died, and good riddance.
Display segments not working - a common problem and its not old – After 2.5 years (not long out of warranty) one display segment stopped working. 6 months later a 2nd has stopped working and its becoming unusable. Around $100 for the part only plus service fee and it's cheaper to buy another one. That's just silly LG. Before this I had 2 Panasonics and they both lasted 20 years. Show details
Warnimg very cheap quality – Do not biy thos item It os very cheqp amd nasty Never jadd a prbkem with samsung The temlered glass they us it very flimsy and breaks It seems cheap but be very carful Show details
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Hi Jill! We appreciate you sharing your feedback with us. We… Read more