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Dell to recall 4.1M laptop batteries

AP

44 minutes ago

Dell Inc. said Monday it will recall 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they can overheat and catch fire. Dell negotiated conditions of the recall with the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, which called it the largest electronics-related recall ever conducted by the agency.

A Dell spokesman said the batteries were made by Sony Corp and placed in notebooks that were shipped between April 1, 2004, and July 18 of this year.

"In rare cases, a short-circuit could cause the battery to overheat, causing a risk of smoke and/or fire," said the spokesman, Ira Williams. "It happens in rare cases, but we opted to take this broad action immediately."

The battery packs were included in some models of Dell's Latitude, Inspiron, XTS and precision mobile workstation notebooks. Dell planned to launch a Web site overnight that would describe the affected models. Williams said the Web site would tell how consumers to get free replacement batteries from Dell.

There have been numerous recent news reports about Dell laptops bursting into flames, and pictures of some of the charred machines have circulated on the Internet.

Dell, the world's largest maker of personal computers, confirmed that two weeks ago, one of its laptops caught fire in Illinois, and the owner dunked it in water to douse the flames. Other reports have surfaced from as far away as Japan and Singapore.

Monday's move was at least the third recall of Dell notebook batteries in the past five years.

Dell recalled 22,000 notebook computer batteries last December after symptoms that were similar to those that prompted Monday's recall. The company also recalled 284,000 batteries in 2001.

Consumers with affected laptops should only run the machines on a power cord, said Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The safety agency knows of 339 incidents in which lithium batteries used in laptops and cell phones — not just Dell products — overheated between 2003 and 2005, Wolfson said.

The list of incidents ranges from smoke and minor skin burns to actual injuries and property damage, Wolfson said.

Most of the incidents reported to the CPSC occurred around the home, but transportation-safety officials have become increasingly concerned about the threat of a laptop causing a catastrophic fire aboard a commercial jetliner.

[WAS967 97]

Related: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32550

Yay dell.

[DOC22 1]

From an email I received this morning, pretty much tells you which computers and bstteries are affected.

Dell has identified a potential issue associated with certain batteries sold with Dell Latitudeâ„¢, Inspironâ„¢, XPSâ„¢ and Dell Precision Mobile Workstationâ„¢ notebook computers. In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other regulatory agencies, Dell is voluntarily recalling certain Dell-branded batteries with cells manufactured by Sony and offering free replacements for these batteries. Under rare conditions, it is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could pose a risk of fire.

Potentially affected batteries were sold with the following models of Dell notebook computers or separately as secondary batteries:

Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810

Inspiron: 500M, 510M, 600M, 700M, 710M, 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, E1505, E1705

Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90

XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

In addition, these batteries may have also been provided in response to service calls. The batteries were shipped to customers between April 1, 2004 and July 18, 2006. The words "DELL" and "Made in Japan" or "Made in China" or "Battery cell made in Japan, Assembled in China" are printed on the back of the batteries. If your battery does not reflect one of these markings it is not part of this recall, and you may exit the site.

There is a two (2) step process to identify if your battery is affected:

1. Check if your battery model MAY be affected. If your battery is not listed, you are not affected.

2. Check if your specific battery PPID (Dell Part Piece Identification) is affected. This step is necessary to identify if your battery is affected. Only some batteries within each model are affected. If the battery is subject to this recall you will be automatically connected to a replacement order form.

Step 1: Is your battery model affected?

The following battery models, only, may be subject to recall:

1K055

C5340

D6024

JD616

U5867

X5333

3K590

C5446

D6025

JD617

U5882

X5875

59474

C6269

F2100

KD494

W5915

X5877

6P922

C6270

F5132

M3006

X5308

Y1333

C2603

D2961

GD785

RD857

X5329

Y4500

C5339

D5555

H3191

TD349

X5332

Y5466

These part numbers are printed on the back of the battery packs as illustrated below.

Step 2: Is your specific battery affected by this issue?

To determine whether your battery is affected by this issue, you should Click Here. The website will direct you to find and enter an identification number from the back of your battery pack so as to determine whether the battery is affected by this issue. If the battery is subject to this recall you will be automatically connected to a replacement order form. Dell will also provide a means for you to return the affected battery packs for proper disposal.

You can also write to Dell Inc., Attn: Battery Recall, 9701 Metric Blvd., Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758.

Please note that only the described battery packs are subject to this recall and not the notebook computers themselves.

Batteries subject to recall should not be used while awaiting a replacement battery pack from Dell. You may continue to use your notebook computer using the AC adapter power cord originally provided with your notebook.

Dell apologizes for the inconvenience caused by this issue. Shipment of quality products always has been and continues to be Dell's foremost concern. As always, if you have questions or concerns about this or any other subject, please feel free to contact Dell Support in your region.

[CAM502 6]

Dell's recall website.

Check this page.