Dell recalls over four million laptop batteries
Dell, the American company which manufactures more computers than anyone else in the world, has announced that it is recalling over four million of its laptop batteries because they pose a fire risk due to the possibility of them overheating. Although only six laptops have been reported to have experienced these effects, Dell is recommending that all customers with machines that may be affected return their batteries for a replacement. In the meantime, it is still possible to run the laptops from the mains power even though the battery has been removed.
Personally, I find it quite worrying how many product recalls the computer industry seems to issue, particularly when it comes to batteries. There have been a number of high profile recalls in recent years from various manufacturers, including Dell and Apple. I suspect that a lot of these recalls are due to cautiousness on the part of the manufacturers—after all, one big lawsuit as the result of a fire started by a faulty battery could cost the company more in monetary terms and bad publicity than a recall would—but I would have also thought that more stringent procedures would be put in place to ensure that these problems are not repeated. On the other hand, it might just be the case that manufacturers have got better at detecting defects in batteries and so they are recalling batteries because of problems that would not have been noticed two years ago.
If you want to know if your laptop is affected and how to return it for a replacement, there is a Dell battery program site dedicated to the issue.