Sony to begin global "battery replacement" program

We're still scrounging for more info, but we've just been alerted to the fact that Sony, the mothership of all of these battery problems, is going to begin a global replacement program. As surely those of you who've been following along already know, Sony's batteries have been at the heart of this explosive saga that has already claimed IBM / Lenovo, Dell, Apple, Panasonic and Toshiba as victims. It appears, however, that because Sony makes the internal components to each of these batteries but not the actual computer-specific housing that finishes them, the company is putting the onus of recalling and replacing the bad batteries on OEMs "that choose to participate regarding the quantity and scheduling of replacement battery packs." Well, at least ol' Sony is finally going public with the scope of the problem, and no longer trying to just put the whole mess behind it in favor of pushing those PS3s out the door.

[Binder Holifield @ Sep 28th 2006 10:23PM]

Seriously En, why are you still reporting Toshiba's are involved with this exploding fiasco?

Your link-back to the previous Toshiba article has within it, a link to the reported "recall page".

Guess what? No recall. No problems.

All I see here is slander of a perfectly good name.

[ranphi @ Sep 29th 2006 4:57PM]

Binder & Chris: You might wanna check Cnet as they're also reporting today that Toshiba is indeed recalling some of their laptops due to this particular problem:

http://news.com.com/Toshiba+joins+massive+recall+of+Sony+batteries/2100-1041_3-6121127.html?tag=nefd.top#correction

[Binder Holifield @ Sep 28th 2006 10:24PM]

Quote straight from Toshy itself:

"Toshiba PCs not affected by Sony battery issue

Sony is one of the suppliers of battery packs used in some Toshiba notebook PCs. We have investigated with Sony whether those PCs that employ the subject batteries are affected with the same problem that caused the recent recalls issued by Dell and Apple, and have found that the system design and the protection system of Toshiba notebook PCs differ from those of Dell and Apple. We have found no evidence that the problem reported by Dell and Apple in their recalls applies to our notebook PCs. Sony has confirmed to us that there is no such problem as cited in the recalls of Dell and Apple with the battery packs supplied to Toshiba."

http://www.toshibadirect.com/content/pc/b2c/sonyBattery.html

[Brennan @ Sep 28th 2006 10:28PM]

omg, with all these exploding laptops made with Sony's batteries..............THINK OF ALL THE PS3's BLOWING UP as soon as u turn urs on. I can see it now on launch day (which is 1-day before my birthday, November 18th),

"..every PS3 unit sold on launch day, 1-5 teenagers have died from an explosion due to sony batteries..."

this could be serious ppl, what if this effects the PS3's Sony will totally lose millions of dollars. But heck, all i want is the Wii n PS3, that is until price lowers. I want to play Sonic n MGS4, the rest of the games suck or r not that interesting.

[Paul @ Sep 28th 2006 10:37PM]

Is this a joke? I am pretty sure that the PS3 will be plugging into the wall and not have the type of battery that is causing the problem in it...

Then again, your entire post could be sarcasm, in which case I totally missed it.

[Jon @ Sep 28th 2006 10:28PM]

My batteries weren't on the first recall list but I sure hope they will be replaced now. It would be nice to have 2 Brand spankin new batteries.

[Chris McDowell @ Sep 28th 2006 10:50PM]

Toshiba has a recall of their battery but not due to explosion (Or so they say)

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_dtlView.jsp?soid=1482876

[Binder Holifield @ Sep 28th 2006 11:02PM]

Chris:

Exactly. No explosions whatsoever.

Quote Engadget Article:

"Sony's batteries have been at the heart of this explosive saga that has already claimed IBM / Lenovo, Dell, Apple, Panasonic and Toshiba as victims"


Pure libel.

[LarryW @ Sep 28th 2006 11:14PM]

I wonder if the end up replacing every battery made in the last 2 years.........

[LarryW @ Sep 28th 2006 11:15PM]

i wonder if the replace every battery made in the last two years

[Dan @ Sep 28th 2006 11:56PM]

Anyone know what the problem actually is? Is it the charging control circuitry or the cells themselves? Seems like Sony has narrowed the problem down to specific production runs.

[HarryC @ Sep 29th 2006 12:04AM]

Lenovo announced a recall today.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=BATT-LENOVO

[Rick Person @ Sep 29th 2006 1:00AM]

Another nail in Sony's coffin. Any takers on when the company will file for bankruptcy? I'll say around the end of 2008. Just a guess...could be sooner?!?

[Wildside @ Sep 29th 2006 1:44AM]

lol my comment earlier was a joke, Paul. I'm just want to says is that rumors could spread to gamers n other ppl about the PS3 batteries can explode too. So far, it's the batteries from laptops. What next?

[Taylor @ Sep 29th 2006 4:44AM]

but PS3s don't have batteries in any way, shape or form, except for maybe the one that keeps the clock ticking. But they're in all computers; not just laptops.

[Wildside @ Sep 29th 2006 1:47AM]

this Brennan by the way, just wanted to change to my "alter ego" name i use. :-P

[Wildside @ Sep 29th 2006 12:32PM]

right, but Kaz Hiriai........err what's his name, said the PS3 is a computer, not a game system. From what we have seen with it's functions n stuff, it acts like a computer n a game system.

[joel @ Sep 29th 2006 9:04AM]

Can anyone tell me if my Sony Vaio PCG-k15 laptop's battery has been recalled? I've searched but can't find any info?

thanks

[Dave Haupert @ Sep 29th 2006 10:58AM]

Same question here, obviously Sony makes their own laptop's batteries, but despite an image of a purple vaio explosion posted here a few months back, I have not heard anything more. I have a new Vaio VGN FE670G and an older purple vaio as well. Wondering if they are ever going to recall those batteries.

And I think someone should implement some kind of certification on batteries that they have been replaced. Otherwise, all airlines are going to have to ban bringing laptops on board airplanes soon. And then how would we get any work done?!

[Jamie @ Oct 2nd 2006 1:39PM]

Sony, please assure me the wireless controllers in PS3 wont burst into fire inside my hand??

[JESUS HERNANDEZ @ Oct 2nd 2006 6:53PM]

YES! THE PS3'S DO HAVE BATTERIES! THE CONTROLERS! THEY WILL BURN YOUR HANDS

[Tony Spencer @ Oct 2nd 2006 11:15PM]

I think you have to get a sense of proportion here.

They are not exploding, they overheat and melt.

There have been about half a dozen instances, out of millions of recalls. You're more likely to be shot in a random drive by than you are to suffer one of these batteries.

Having said that, after the DRM debacle I'm never buying Sony kit again, of any sort.

[Francisco @ Oct 5th 2006 6:56PM]

We should get these recalls more often. You get new batteries for free!!!

[Taylor @ Oct 6th 2006 8:35PM]

My dad bought a Dell Inspiron of some sort recently and it has yet to explode. They've fixed the problem in new ones.

They hadn't started actually manafacturing the PS3 when the problem was still ongoing, and even if there are batteries in the controller, you can be sure they're not laptop batteries. 5v maybe?

[William @ Oct 8th 2006 6:16AM]

kinda hard on engadget for a mistake...

[laptop @ Aug 20th 2008 10:15PM]

We tested each of the flashlights by using the two test batteries. We then labelled each flashlight with the battery brand name and put the different batteries in each marked flashlight.