Dell to recall 4 million batteries
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Dell to recall 4 million batteries
The recall affects certain Inspiron, Latitude and Precision mobile workstations and XPS units shipped between April 2004 and July 18, 2006. Sony manufactured the batteries that are being recalled, the representative said.
If they have one of the affected units, consumers are advised to eject the battery from the notebook after powering down and continue using the notebook with its AC power adapter, the CPSC said. Dell has so far received six reports of overheating units that caused property damage, but no injuries.
Dell has faced several issues this year related to exploding or flaming notebooks, and wants to ensure the safety of its customers, the representative said. The 4.1 million units is a subset of the 22 million units shipped during that time frame, he said. Dell said it doesn't expect the cost of the recall to materially affect its earnings. The company reports earnings for the previous quarter this Thursday.
At the moment, this looks like the largest battery recall in the history of the electronics industry, said Roger Kay, an analyst with Endpoint Technologies Associates. "The scale of it is phenomenal."
You can go to http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com to determine if your Dell laptop is affected.
Models in the hot seat
Latitude
D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
Inspiron
6000, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 500m, 510m, 600m, 6400, E1505, 700m, 710m, 9400, E1705
Dell Precision
M20, M60, M70 and M90 mobile workstations
XPS
XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170 and XPS M1710
Note: This list is not conclusive. It's going to be a massive recall and it's a worldwide recall. If your model is not listed here, double check with Dell. -
Read the article...i think it brings out an awareness to mobile computer users out there.
Anyway i hope the cause/s of the defect can be rooted out soon and believe me it can be a long and tedious process. Many factors involved.
How users use it, storage and transportation (from SOny to Dell to distributors etc), design and part selection for the notebook model/s, QC (at Sony), QC (at Dell), and this ones important...how you assure your turnkey accessories are in compliance with the provider's quality declaration and your very own brand's QC policies.
If i can cash and carry any computing hardware, i will inspect them before buying them. I never like the idea of having a complicated electronic hardware delived to my doorstep if i can help it. -
can they please recall their entire production of everything!?
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They can, but they won't.Originally posted by mhcampboy:can they please recall their entire production of everything!?
That's because they are going to lose a lot of money just by recalling these 4.1 million laptop batteries and replacing them.
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Update:
The number has just gone up to 4.1 million. -
my guess is:
the 6 worst cases battery are retreived for root cause purse. serial numbers of battery taken down or recalled from their system assembly records. date of manufacture of worst affected batteries consolidated for batch similarity. all listed batch with similar date of manufacture referenced to the lots shipped out. all afftected lots declared returnable for replacement.
out of the 4.1 million, most would have been sold and unless the owners of those sold units return their batteries, the actual numbers that shall be recalled may be lesser than that. -
so what do i have to do?bring my batt to the service centre?
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no. you have to eat it and then pass it out.. then they'll accept it...
call them lah!! -
Call and ask.Originally posted by stellazio:so what do i have to do?bring my batt to the service centre?
1-800-394-7439 -
dun know what is the failure PPM for consumers to be real concern about it. if its 1 ppm defective mayb still acepptable. but since Dell may hav you the option to replace the battery, and if your notebbok power battery happen to be the affected model and are years old go change a new unit lor...but hope the new unit work as well and the existing one.Originally posted by stellazio:so what do i have to do?bring my batt to the service centre?
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Mine luckily not affected
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my battery fully charged, last me max around 1 hour now..geesh..i think i should get it replaced..Originally posted by troublemaker2005:dun know what is the failure PPM for consumers to be real concern about it. if its 1 ppm defective mayb still acepptable. but since Dell may hav you the option to replace the battery, and if your notebbok power battery happen to be the affected model and are years old go change a new unit lor...but hope the new unit work as well and the existing one. -
You only can pray that it doesn't explode or just don't use the battery unless necessary.Originally posted by troublemaker2005:dun know what is the failure PPM for consumers to be real concern about it. if its 1 ppm defective mayb still acepptable. but since Dell may hav you the option to replace the battery, and if your notebbok power battery happen to be the affected model and are years old go change a new unit lor...but hope the new unit work as well and the existing one. -
Please check with this website to make sure that you are not one of the affected customers. Laptop models not listed doesn't mean that you are not using the affected batteries.
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wah lao sian la..my battery model not affected..
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NO wonder some people say Dell is hell...
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No chance of free replacements.Originally posted by stellazio:wah lao sian la..my battery model not affected.. -
Dell's 'Zippo' batteries may be in other machines
By John Oates
16th August 2006 09:53 GMT
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is looking at other makes of laptop which use Sony batteries to see if they too pose a fire risk. Dell said yesterday it is recalling 4.1m lithium-ion batteries, some of which have spontaneously combusted.
The direct seller has received six reports of batteries overheating and causing damage. Latitude, Inspiron, Dell Precision and XPS machines use the batteries.
Sony also supplies batteries to other manufacturers including Apple, HP and Lenovo, according to Reuters. The commission said it was looking at other laptops which use Sony batteries.
Dell says it expects no financial damage from the recall - presumably because Sony will have to pick up the tab. But damage to its reputation might cost more.
Consumers will get a free replacement battery.
Dell had to recall 35,000 laptop batteries in December 2005. -
Insider news: Dell knew of Battery Problem for Years
Nice case, Sony might fight back and says it's not because of them... -
For many years , dell's support Engineers have been finding excuses for failed laptops due to batteries at their customer's site.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Insider news: Dell knew of Battery Problem for Years
Nice case, Sony might fight back and says it's not because of them...
Sigh , luckily for myself it was 5 years ago I had to represent their service to 'Fix' that problem. -
Best sia, Dell denies it.
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Wow...Originally posted by NotFromVenus:For many years , dell's support Engineers have been finding excuses for failed laptops due to batteries at their customer's site.
Sigh , luckily for myself it was 5 years ago I had to represent their service to 'Fix' that problem.
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'Zippo' battery recall could cost Sony $430m and a truck
By Ashlee Vance in Mountain View
16th August 2006 19:32 GMT
Dell has suffered from the bad press associated with its 4.1m fire-breathing laptop batteries that were recalled this week. But it's Sony - the maker of the lithium-ion batteries - that looks to front most of the financial burden for replacing systems.
Sony's line of recalled "Zippo" batteries could cost the company close to $430m, according to wild speculation from analysts.
Analyst Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies has Sony's costs pegged somewhere between $200m and $300m, while Macquarie analyst David Gibson says Sony will shell out up to $260m. Those ranges didn't stop Reuters from claiming the $430m figure and attributing it to no one.
The scope of the recall costs will depend on whether or not other PC makers complain about gear supplied by Sony. The company's battery customers include the likes of HP, Apple and Lenovo. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has kicked off an investigation into the complete spectrum of products using Sony's batteries.
Dell doesn't see a "material" financial impact from the recall, although the company could be punished by slowed sales in the months to come. The hardware maker has been spending millions to repair its image and boost sales. Customers, however, have not embraced the idea of the laptop lighter add-on as a "feature."
The Washington Post reports,
In an incident last month, Thomas Forqueran, 62, of Arizona, was loading his truck and smelled smoke. Flames were shooting out of his Dell Inspiron laptop, which he had placed on the passenger side of the vehicle, and spread as the fire ignited ammunition that was also in the truck. The truck, a 1966 Ford F-250 passed down from his father, was destroyed by fire.
"I see Dell commercials half a dozen times a night, saying 'What can we build for you today?' " Forqueran said. "And I say, 'Grandpa's truck.' "
Dell has been forced to recall hundreds of thousands of batteries over the past few years, although this week's catastrophe marks the largest recall in US consumer electronics history. -
Woo Recall 4million batteries. Big time losses. What is wrong with their batteries. Been hearing that their laptop explodes and even cause a car to explode.
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so, Sony chiat lat already....
Dell, as the report says will have no financial damage on this affair if the cause of the recent spates of fires are due to Sony batteries.
Except, publicity for Dell goes rock bottom. Interestingly, those other brands like Lenova, HP which uses Sony batteries do not have fires leh...hmmm...
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Dell should have no financial damage from this recall, but in the future damages might be worse than now, as people are no longer confident.Originally posted by nightzip:so, Sony chiat lat already....
Dell, as the report says will have no financial damage on this affair if the cause of the recent spates of fires are due to Sony batteries.
Except, publicity for Dell goes rock bottom. Interestingly, those other brands like Lenova, HP which uses Sony batteries do not have fires leh...hmmm...
As for why this problem only hits Dell hard, it's probably related to QC in Dell. In order to keep things cheap, QC standards could be low.