HP laptop batteries recalled for overheating

Erica Ogg | May 15, 2009

After two reports of flaming laptop batteries, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that Hewlett-Packard is voluntarily recalling 70,000 lithium-ion batteries that shipped with several models of its HP and Compaq laptops.

The recall affects nine models of HP Pavilions, nine models of Compaq Presarios, two models of HPs, and one HP Compaq laptop model sold between August 2007 and March 2008. For the full list, see the CPSC's site.

There were two separate reports of batteries that "overheated and ruptured, resulting in flames/fire that caused minor property damage" but no injuries, according to the CPSC report.

HP is instructing consumers who may be part of the recall to remove the battery from their notebook and contact HP to find out if theirs is affected. HP says it will provide a free replacement battery. For more information, see HP's Battery Replacement Program site. Customers in Asia are also advised to log in and check if their battery is eligible under the replacement program as well.

Palo Alto, California-based HP is the world's largest computer vendor, and like many of its peers in the industry has been part of several similar battery recalls. The most recent incident involved 100,000 Sony-made batteries faulted for overheating late last year. HP had sold 32,000 of the affected batteries in its laptops. But that was tiny by comparison to the massive recall caused by Sony batteries in 2006.

Via CNET News

Filed under: Notebooks
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