Sony Recalls 100,000 Laptop Batteries Due To Potential Risks

By: Mary Couchman
Staff Writer
Published: Nov 29, 2008

The lithium-ion batteries used with Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, and Dell notebook computers can overheat. The commission said the laptop computer batteries create a potential risk. The recall affects nearly 100,000 Sony notebook batteries.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of Sony Energy Devices Corp laptop computer batteries due to fire hazards. The commission said the lithium-ion batteries can overheat, creating a potential risk for customers.

There are current 100,000 notebook batteries involved in the recall. The commission said about 35,000 of the laptop computer batteries were sold in the United States with an additional 65,000 sold worldwide.

Laptop makers including Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba issued the voluntary recalls after customers reported cases of overheating. There were four cases where users suffered minor burns and 21 cases of minor damage from fires due to overheating.

Sony said the affected laptop computer batteries were caused by a production line problem between October 2004 and June 2005. The company also said factory changes made caused the faulty batteries, which it believes may have affected the quality of some battery cells. Sony suggests that other reported incidents of overheating might have involved a problem with raw materials.

The commission advises consumers with the faulty batteries to immediately remove them from their notebook computers and contact the computer manufacturer to determine whether the battery is included in the recall.