Recall of Toshiba laptop batteries expanded due to burn and fire hazards
January 08, 2017
Toshiba is recalling about 83,000 Panasonic battery packs used in laptop computers in the United States, along with 10,000 in Canada and 5,000 in Mexico. Previously, 91,000 units were recalled on March 30, 2016.
The lithium-ion battery packs can overheat, posing burn and fire hazards to consumers.
The firm has received five reports of the battery pack overheating and melting, including one additional report since the first recall announcement. No injuries have been reported.
This expanded recall involves Panasonic lithium-ion battery packs installed in 41 models of Toshiba Satellite laptops, including the Satellite models affected by the March 2016 recall. Toshiba has expanded the number of battery packs to include those sold between June 2011 and November 2016.
The battery packs also were sold separately and installed by Toshiba as part of a repair.
Battery packs included in this recall have part numbers that begin with G71C (G71C*******). Part numbers are printed on the battery pack. A complete list of battery pack part numbers included in this recall can be found on the firm’s website at http://go.toshiba.com/battery.
The laptops were sold Office Depot, Staples, and other electronics stores nationwide, and online at Toshibadirect.com and other websites from June 2011 through November 2016. The cost was between $500 and $1,000 for the laptops and between $70 and $130 for the battery packs.
Consumers should immediately go to the firm’s website and click on the battery pack utility link in the first shadowed box on the page, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advise. Consumers also can perform a manual check using the laptop and battery pack’s model, part, and serial numbers.
If it’s part of the recall, consumers should power off the laptop, remove the battery, and follow the instructions to obtain a free replacement battery pack. Until a replacement battery pack is received, consumers should only use the laptop by plugging into AC power.
Battery packs previously identified as not affected by the March 30, 2016 recall are included in this expanded announcement.
For more information, call Toshiba America Information Systems at 866-224-1346 any day between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. PT, visit http://go.toshiba.com/battery, or go to www.us.toshiba.com and click on “Consumer Notices” under the Support heading at the bottom of the page.
For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.
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