Thanks for the details. A Kenmore model starting with 795 was built by LG, and at 8–12 years old your symptoms point to two separate things: the control panel (buttons and lights) and airflow from the freezer to the fridge. They can be connected, so start with the free checks.
1. Check the control lock and reset the panel
- Look for a lock icon on the display. On these models, holding Lock for about 3 seconds locks every button, so nothing else responds. Press and hold Lock for 3 seconds to unlock it.
- If the buttons still don’t respond, unplug the refrigerator (or turn off its breaker) for 5 minutes, then power it back on. This resets the display and main boards and often brings the buttons back.
- After the reset, look at the fridge temperature setting. On panels that show the setting as a row of lights, fewer lights can mean the setting got moved to a warmer level. Set it back to the middle or one step colder.
2. If buttons stay dead or only some lights work
Buttons that don’t respond plus missing segments in the display usually mean the display (dispenser) board in the door is failing. On LG-built French-door and side-by-side models this is common, because moisture from the water dispenser gets into the board over the years. The display board doesn’t run the cooling, but it does hold your settings, so a faulty board can leave the fridge on the wrong setting.
3. Why the fridge is warm while the freezer is fine
On this design, the fridge gets its cold air from the freezer through a duct with a fan or damper. When the freezer is fine and only the fridge warms up, the usual causes are:
- Ice blocking the evaporator or the air duct. Look at the back wall inside the freezer. Frost on the panel or vents means the defrost system (heater, sensor or control) isn’t working. A full manual defrost, leaving the fridge unplugged with the doors open for 24 hours and towels down, will bring it back temporarily and confirms the diagnosis.
- Blocked vents in the fridge. Food pushed against the air outlets at the top or back of the fridge stops the cold air.
- Door gaskets. A torn gasket or a door that doesn’t close fully lets warm air in.
When to call a technician
If the panel still doesn’t work after the reset, or the fridge warms up again a few days after a manual defrost, have a local appliance technician diagnose the display board and the defrost system. Keep a thermometer in the fridge in the meantime: food should be kept at 40°F or below.