Dell to Recall 4.1M Laptop Batteries

The Dell Latitude D620 notebook is displayed during a press preview of Dell's next generation mobile platforms, Tuesday, March 28, 2006, in New York. Dell Inc. said Monday Aug. 14, 2006 it will recall 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they can overheat and catch fire. A Dell spokesman said the batteries were made by Sony Corp. and placed in notebooks that were shipped between April 1, 2004, and July 18 of this year. The battery packs were included in some models of Dell's Latitude, Inspiron, XTS and precision mobile workstation notebooks. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) (Diane Bondareff - AP)

DALLAS -- Dell Inc. said Monday it will recall 4.1 million notebook computer batteries made by Sony Corp. because they can overheat and catch fire.

Round Rock-based Dell negotiated conditions of the recall with the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, which called it the largest electronics-related recall ever involving the agency.

A Dell spokesman said the Sony batteries were placed in notebooks that were shipped between April 1, 2004, and July 18 of this year.

"In rare cases, a short-circuit could cause the battery to overheat, causing a risk of smoke and/or fire," said the spokesman, Ira Williams. "It happens in rare cases, but we opted to take this broad action immediately."

The battery packs were included in some models of Dell's Latitude, Inspiron, XPS and precision mobile workstation notebooks. Dell planned to launch a Web site overnight that would describe the affected models. Williams said the Web site would tell consumers how to get free replacement batteries from Dell.

Rick Clancy, a Sony spokesman, said the companies have studied problems with the battery packs intensely for more than a month, after getting reports of about a half-dozen fires or smoking laptops in the United States.

Lithium-ion batteries have been around for about a decade and are used in devices such as cell phones and digital music players. Clancy said tiny metallic particles sometimes short-circuit the battery cells, adding that configuration in an electronic device can contribute to problems.

"But it begins with the (battery) cell, and we acknowledge that," he said. "That's why we're supporting Dell in this recall."

Clancy said Sony would help Dell pay for the recall, but neither he nor Dell officials would estimate the campaign's price tag or say how the companies would divide the cost.

The larger potential cost for Dell is that such a huge recall could dampen future notebook sales.

Dell rival Hewlett-Packard Co. said it does not use Sony batteries and was not affected by the recall. Apple Computer Inc. is investigating whether its notebook batteries meet safety and performance standards, spokeswoman Lynn Fox said.

There have been numerous recent news reports about Dell laptops bursting into flames, and pictures of some of the charred machines have circulated on the Internet.