Fire Starter; HP Adds 101k Combustible Panasonic Laptop Batteries to June’s Recall
As long as manufacturers continue to rely on lithium-ion to power consumer devices, it appears that Newsome Melton will continue to write about lithium-ion batteries going up in flames. After recalling more than 40,000 last June, HP Inc. (formerly Hewlett-Packard), added around 101,000 to their latest recall of defective Panasonic batteries, sold from March 2013 to October 2016. HP released a statement informing consumers that they must check their battery even if they checked before, unless a replacement battery has already been delivered. The expanded recall came after a new alleged incident of a laptop “melting and charring,” causing around $1,000 in property damage.
The latest potentially defective lithium-ion batteries can be found in some HP ProBook, HP Envy, HP Pavilion, and Compaq Presario laptops sold from $300 to $1,700. At the time of the recall expansion HP had reported eight incidents of a battery overheating that led to five reports of property damage totaling around $5,000. No injuries have been reported in connection to the faulty products sold across the country online and at Best Buy, Walmart, Costco, and Sam’s Club. The recalled batteries that sold for between $50 and $90 have bar codes that start with; 6BZLU, 6CGFK, 6CGFQ, 6CZMB, 6DEMA, 6DEMH, 6DGAL, & 6EBVA.
Recalled Toshiba Batteries
Earlier this month Toshiba expanded their March recall, which now consists of nearly 190,000 Panasonic lithium-ion batteries that can be found in 41 models of their laptops. HP first began recalling laptop computer batteries all the way back in October 2005. In each subsequent year recall expansions or completely new recalls have been made or have been carried out by HP. Both Toshiba and HP have been plagued by lithium-ion batteries, as have the entire consumer electronics industry. Just ask Samsung.
Owners of a recalled battery are being advised to immediately stop using the potentially dangerous power supply. HP released a statement stating that the laptops affected by the recall can still be used after removing the battery by connecting directly to an outlet. The computer maker is now offering replacement batteries (also made of lithium-ion) to affected North American consumers free of charge. Owners and industry insiders will be watching carefully to see if the replacements can handle the heat.
To see if your HP or Compaq laptop battery has been recalled visit: https://h30686.www3.hp.com/#tab=id1
To contact HP Inc. call: (888) 202-4320