Laptop batteries recalled - HP, Toshiba, Dell

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Lithium-Ion Batteries used in Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell Notebook Computers

Units: About 35,000 batteries (an additional 65,000 batteries were sold worldwide)

Battery Cell Manufacturer: Sony Energy Devices Corporation, of Japan

Hazard: These lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: There have been 19 reports of the batteries overheating, including 17 reports of flames/fire (10 resulting in minor property damage). Two consumers experienced minor burns.

Description: The recalled batteries were included with, and sold separately for use in, the following notebook computer models:

(Check the chart here for the list of laptops affected. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09035.html )

Sold by: Computers with the recalled batteries were sold directly by Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell, through computer and electronics stores nationwide, and through various Web retailers for between $700 and $3000. The batteries were also sold separately for between $100 and $160.


Hewlett-Packard – sold from December 2004 through June 2006


Toshiba – sold from April 2005 to October 2005


Dell – shipped between November 2004 and November 2005