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One week after Dell recalled more than 4 million laptop batteries made in China and Japan, Apple Computer has done the same.

The California manufacturer of trendy electronics recalled nearly two milion battery packs in its iBook and PowerBook computers today. Over half of the battery packs were sold in the United States in the following configurations:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that consumers should stop using the recalled batteries immediately and contact Apple toll-free at (800) 275-2273 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT to arrange for a replacement battery, free of charge. After removing the recalled battery from their iBook or PowerBook, consumers should plug in the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives.

Posted under Uncategorized

One of the production laptops we use at Consumer Help Web is a Dell Inspiron 9100 that has a bad overheating problem. (We had a Latitude as well, but that’s another story).

Tonight, Dell has announced a voluntary recall of approximately 4.1 million Dell-branded lithium-ion batteries with cells manufactured by Sony. Under rare conditions, it is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could cause a risk of fire. The good news — at least two of our machines qualify!

The recalled batteries were sold with the following Dell notebook computers: Dell LatitudeTM D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810; InspironTM 6000, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 500m, 510m, 600m, 6400, E1505, 700m, 710m, 9400, E1705; and Dell PrecisionTM M20, M60, M70 and M90 mobile workstations; and XPSTM , XPS Gen2, XPS M170 and XPS M1710. The batteries were also sold separately, including in response to service calls. “Dell” and one of the following are printed on the batteries: “Made in Japan” or “Made in China” or “Battery Cell Made in Japan Assembled in China.” The identification number for each battery appears on a white sticker. Customers should have this number available when they contact Dell to determine if their battery is part of the recall.

Dell sold or provided these batteries with the notebook computers, as part of a service replacement, and as individual units from April 1, 2004, through July 18, 2006. The computers with these batteries sold for between $500 and $2,850 (US) and individual batteries sold for between $60 and $180 (US).

Customers should contact Dell to determine if their notebook computer battery is part of this recall. Please visit the firm’s Web site at www.dellbatteryprogram.com beginning at 1 a.m. Central Daylight Time Aug. 15 or call toll-free at 1-866-342-0011, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Customers may continue to use the notebook computers safely by turning the system off, ejecting the battery, and using the AC adapter and power cord to power the system until the replacement battery is received. Customers can also write to: Dell Inc., Attn: Battery Recall, 9701 Metric Blvd., Austin, Texas 78758.

Posted under Recalls

Those razor scooters that were the bane of emergency room physicians nationwide just a few years ago have another problem — their battery.

According to a joint recall by scooter maker Razor USA and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, 584,000 of the batteries sold for various Razor vehicles can overheat. No injuries have been attributed to the condition and only six minor incidents of property damage have been reported despite 144 incidents being reported.

“This is a smart recall because children and young people are so often involved,” says Consumer Help Web President Joan Bounacos. “There hav been no injuries and only minor damage, but Razor is being very consumer friendly in recalling these units when even the slightest risk was detected.

The recall involves PowMax battery chargers distributed with Razor battery-powered scooters and ride-on vehicles. The name “PowMax” appears prominently on the face of the battery charger unit. The vehicles that were sold with the recalled chargers include Razor™ electric scooters (Models E100, E125, E300, E300S, E200, and E200S), Razor Pocket Rocket™ mini electric motorcycles, Razor Ground Force™ electric go karts, and Razor Chopper mini electric motorcycles.

Prices for the units ranged from $130 to $250. Consumers owning one of these models can call Razor directly toll-free at (866) 664-1409 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday ET.

Posted under Recalls