Smartphone and Gadget News by ElectroGeek

Dell is recalling approximately 4.1 million laptop batteries that were manufactured for Dell by Sony. If you own a Dell laptop please see the following announcement from Dell listed below for more information. You can also visit http://www.dell.com for further information and details on how to have your battery replaced if affected.
Dear Dell Customer,

Dell has identified a potential issue associated with certain batteries sold with Dell Latitude™, Inspiron™, XPS™ and Dell Precision Mobile Workstation™ notebook computers. In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other regulatory agencies, Dell is voluntarily recalling certain Dell-branded batteries with cells manufactured by Sony and offering free replacements for these batteries. Under rare conditions, it is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could pose a risk of fire.

Potentially affected batteries were sold with the following models of Dell notebook computers or separately as secondary batteries:

• Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
• Inspiron: 500M, 510M, 600M, 700M, 710M, 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, E1505, E1705
• Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90
• XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

In addition, these batteries may have also been provided in response to service calls. The batteries were shipped to customers between April 1, 2004 and July 18, 2006. The words “DELL” and “Made in Japan” or “Made in China” or “Battery cell made in Japan, Assembled in China” are printed on the back of the batteries. If your battery does not reflect one of these markings it is not part of this recall, and you may exit the site.

There is a two (2) step process to identify if your battery is affected:

1. Check if your battery model MAY be affected. If your battery is not listed, you are not affected.
2. Check if your specific battery PPID (Dell Part Piece Identification) is affected. This step is necessary to identify if your battery is affected. Only some batteries within each model are affected. If the battery is subject to this recall you will be automatically connected to a replacement order form.

Step 1: Is your battery model affected?

The following battery models, only, may be subject to recall:

1K055	C5340	D6024	JD616	U5867	X5333
3K590	C5446	D6025	JD617	U5882	X5875
59474	C6269	F2100	KD494	W5915	X5877
6P922	C6270	F5132	M3006	X5308	Y1333
C2603	D2961	GD785	RD857	X5329	Y4500
C5339	D5555	H3191	TD349	X5332	Y5466

Step 2: Is your specific battery affected by this issue?To determine whether your battery is affected by this issue, you should Click Here. The website will direct you to find and enter an identification number from the back of your battery pack so as to determine whether the battery is affected by this issue. If the battery is subject to this recall you will be automatically connected to a replacement order form. Dell will also provide a means for you to return the affected battery packs for proper disposal.

You can also write to Dell Inc., Attn: Battery Recall, 9701 Metric Blvd., Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758.

Please note that only the described battery packs are subject to this recall and not the notebook computers themselves.

Batteries subject to recall should not be used while awaiting a replacement battery pack from Dell. You may continue to use your notebook computer using the AC adapter power cord originally provided with your notebook.
Dell apologizes for the inconvenience caused by this issue. Shipment of quality products always has been and continues to be Dell’s foremost concern. As always, if you have questions or concerns about this or any other subject, please feel free to contact Dell Support in your region.

Sincerely,

Dell Inc.
Attn: Battery Recall
9701 Metric Blvd. Suite 200
Austin, TX 78758
USA

Technorati Tags: laptop battery, battery fire, dell, dell battery, exploding battery, laptop battery recall, battery recall, dell computer

Filed under: Features