Sony Recalls Laptop Batteries

By: Jennifer Hong
Staff Writer
Published: Oct 31, 2008

Laptop computer batteries made by Sony Energy Devices have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The commission said the lithium-ion batteries can overheat and cause fire or burns. Consumers are advised to remove the battery from their notebook computers.

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.