Apple Recalls 1.8M Laptop Batteries

Fire Hazard Prompts Recall Of Sony-Built Batteries After Similar Move By Dell

(CBS/AP)  Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday recalled 1.8 million Sony-built notebook batteries that could overheat and catch fire, just 10 days after Dell Inc.'s record-setting recall involving the same problem and the same supplier.

Apple said it has received nine reports of lithium-ion battery packs overheating, including two cases in which users suffered minor burns. There have been instances of minor property damage, Apple said.

Apple's announcement comes 10 days after Dell Inc.'s recall of 4.1 million faulty laptop batteries — the largest involving electronics in the history of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Both companies' batteries were made by Sony Energy Devices Corp. of Japan.

In a statement, Sony said the problems arise "on rare occasions" when microscopic metal particles in the recalled battery cells hit other parts of the cell and lead to a short circuit.

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CBS News technology consultant Larry Magid speaks with a representative from a company that makes replacement batteries for Mac users.

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Both recalls are expected to cost Sony between $172 million and $278 million.

The recall was not expected to materially affect Apple's financial results, said spokesman Steve Dowling

Apple shares fell 27 cents, to $67.04, in Thursday afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The latest recall covers 1.1 million rechargeable batteries in the 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptops sold in the United States from October 2003 through August 2006. The recall also covers an additional 700,000 batteries in laptops sold abroad, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The Apple recall only affects laptops that run PowerPC chips built by IBM Corp. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc. It does not affect Apple's Intel Corp.-based models, including the MacBook and MacBook Pro, .

Apple notebook owners were told to stop using the batteries and to remove them from their laptops. The machines can continue to be used as long as they're plugged into an AC power source.

Apple asked customers to consult a Web site or call a toll-free hotline, 1-800-275-2273, to determine whether they have a battery that is covered by the recall. A free replacement will be shipped to affected customers.

Dell's recall covers about 14 percent of the Latitude, Inspiron, XPS and Precision notebooks sold between April 1, 2004, and July 18 of this year.

[tommy__chong]

haha that be messed up be sitting there trying and out of nowhere your *** catches on fire

[ronniehm]

Holy ***. Three posts and it's already Bush's fault. What's the matter? Largest electronics recall in history not big enough for ya?

[alphaa10-2009]

* Pardon, the phrase "hundreds of thousands of recalls" was meant to be typed " ... of unit recalls"

[alphaa10-2009]

Under Bush, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has been very sluggish on this issue. The agency, under its "voluntary" compliance program, was supposed to save taxpayer dollars by minimizing its regulatory and enforcement actions. Not surprisingly, however, this was translated by agency officials as the issue of few, if any, proactive measures.

The lithium-ion battery has burdened consumers with risk of overheating and fires for a number of years. Some cell phone users have reported their batteries actually exploded while charging! This problem is found with a multiple product brands and models, not simply Dell laptops. More pointedly, the problem has been around since at least 2001, with hundreds of thousands of recalls. After all this time, there really is no excuse for failure to take a more proactive approach.

We should suppose, after reports of fire and photos of charred laptops circulated, the agency might suspect a flawed basic design of lithium-ion batteries now in production. However, the CPSC was hesitant to act because that might require makers-- including Sony-- to spend money to protect their customers. Clearly, for the CPSC merely to record the history of a dangerous battery design is not proactive enough to protect us.

[kotabok]

Thanks, it was a great to have a link to Dell. Your show was very informative. I could never figure out why my laptop kept burning my legs after about 20 minutes of use. It was a laptop that was only good on a desk! I tried to call Dell to find out some details. The phone number on your site is a recording that hangs up on me, due to the high volume of calls.
Thank you again for the exceptional reporting. I catch your show every morning at 4:00 A.M.!!
Susan
Mohave,Arizona

[wordsmith6]

Please investigate whether or not Dell was the only computer manufacturer to use these batteries, and whether or not other lithium batteries are prone to the same problem. Thanks.