Sony battery recall hits 100,000 -- adds Acer to the list

One day later and Sony's battery recall has already tripled in size. What started as a recall of 35,000, just hit 100,000 (75,000 of which are HP related) and now includes Li-ion batteries used in some Acer laptops as well as the original list of Dells, HPs, and Toshibas. All the laptops were sold between 2004 and 2005, two-thirds of which were sold outside the US. What's most troubling is that Sony claims the faulty batteries are from the same unit that made the recalled batteries from 2 years ago.

So... Apple, you next?

[GoCarnivore @ Oct 31st 2008 6:59AM]

Maybe I'm a bad person, but every single time Sony does poorly, it brightens my whole day.

[Shinigami @ Oct 31st 2008 7:22AM]

Apple fanboi?
Or anti-SONY fanboi?
No, you're just a horrible person. When SONY makes a mistake, everyone suffers. So are you happy when everyone suffers?

[Ignatius @ Oct 31st 2008 7:32AM]

Let them all burn, muhahahahhaha :O

[j_g_puff @ Oct 31st 2008 8:15AM]

Perhaps if it was a one-off you'd be a bad person. However, this just keeps happening. Why?

[fh @ Oct 31st 2008 8:57AM]

I suppose you'd rather use a generic "Made in China" battery instead? You know, because eBay sellers never have to issue recalls.

Sure Sony has slipped up, but at least it is being responsible (whether willingly or by force, it doesn't matter). I bet that a good number of those batteries are reasonably fine, but that Sony is simply pre-emptively recalling them since it would be cheaper (and safer) to replace them than face several lawsuits.

[GoCarnivore @ Oct 31st 2008 9:28AM]

I'm not an Apple fanboi, either. When Apple does bad, I am onfended. Instead of offended... I hate Apple as much as I hate Sony. My post and pre-conceived bias will not allow me to root for either companies. Come to think of it, when Microsoft does bad, I'm happy too...

[Valicore @ Oct 31st 2008 10:02AM]

Just because Sony isn't AS bad as the e-bay no name battery people doesn't mean it's not bad. Once I understand, but this is at minimum the second time they've had to issue a recall of this magnitude. It is possible they've upped their standards and quality assurance testing since these batteries were manufactured (If they didn't they're as good as done)... but come on, it's ridiculous to say it doesn't matter if they issued this recall willingly or by force. If someone had to FORCE Sony to recall these, that raises all kinds of warning flags. Also, reasonably safe doesn't cut it. If they're going to charge the premium that they do they damn well better be safe, period.

Keep in mind this isn't just a faulty battery that stops working... these are things that can hurt people, and when it comes to people's safety, there is no "acceptable rate of failure."

[fh @ Oct 31st 2008 10:30AM]

Sony is not a perfect company; it has made mistakes before and it will make mistakes in the future, just like every other consumer-based company.

I'm not saying faulty batteries are in any way acceptable (no one is saying that), but the point is that the recall has properly been issued. Will or force has relatively little importance because at the end of the day Sony has done the right thing in issuing the recall; the wrong thing would be to feign responsibility or brush it under the rug.

Even if Sony is voluntarily issuing the recall, it will in all likelihood encounter mishaps in the future and end up facing the same (or worse) criticism. Perhaps the best thing Sony can do is give up its battery business and leave everyone else at the mercy of lesser battery manufacturers.

[Ben M. @ Oct 31st 2008 10:44AM]

its ok as long as you hate everyone equally =D

[solmar @ Oct 31st 2008 11:05AM]

I'd have to agree with Valicore. It's not that Sony is doing the responsible thing with a recall (and really, a company this big has to do a recall or risk losing major sales or lawsuits). It's the fact that it's happened before on such a massive scale, and it's happening yet again, with pretty much the exact same circumstances. Really, once is acceptable, but for a company this big to make exactly the same mistake twice is not good, to put it very mildly.

Let me see, if your house burned down because of a faulty Sony battery, would it make you feel better than if it burned down because of a generic Chinese battery?

If this is just a follow-up to the original recall (as in, these are all from the original batch, and not a new batch), then again Sony has fouled up. Sony should have issued these recalls in the first place, when they knew about it, and before people got injured. A company as big as this can afford to do this, since it's better than waiting for the class action lawsuits and front-page headlines to pop up.

[EmoChicksAreHot.....Seriously @ Oct 31st 2008 7:11AM]

To Sony,


FACEPALM!


From your beloved fans......that continue to dwindle down.

[Scotty Doo @ Oct 31st 2008 7:15AM]

Unlucky SONY.

[chuuchdizzle @ Oct 31st 2008 7:28AM]

soooo is there a full updated list anywhere? I got an HP laptop ATM

[Allan @ Oct 31st 2008 7:57AM]

I'm looking for one too... can't find a new list anywhere, just the original 35k. Even the CPSC doesn't have one yet.

[Spanky @ Oct 31st 2008 7:56AM]

So how do I know if one of my laptops are affected buy this recall? I'm in the UK.

[Sharone @ Oct 31st 2008 9:03AM]

You don't matter.

[AL @ Oct 31st 2008 8:37AM]

I figured as much. They didn't recall all of the batteries that were affected two years ago, because they left it up to the notebook manufacturer to make the call on whether to recall the battery. Now they're being forced to by the government. All those damn batteries should have been recalled two years ago, every single one of them. Sony should have just told the notebook manufacturers to send them all back, not just cross their fingers and hope the manufacturers stay silent. Mine went up like fireworks in LAX two years ago - it wasn't fun.

[kernelhappy @ Oct 31st 2008 8:49AM]

I have a Thinkpad z60t that has a "battery error" and was just about to buy a replacement battery. Has anyone been able to find an updated list? The link on the Lenovo site only mentions the Sep 2006 and March 2007 recalls which my battery was not included in. Really would like to save $140.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=BATT-LENOVO#partnumber

[loadstar81 @ Oct 31st 2008 8:52AM]

I'm not certain that this is any different than the last article. The CPSC article from last night said "About 35,000 batteries (an additional 65,000 batteries were sold worldwide)" - which would add up to the 100,000 mentioned above.

[MAtt @ Oct 31st 2008 9:14AM]

Yeah I agree with you, they mention in the linked article that about 2/3 of the 100,000 are outside the US which is consistent with the 35,000 US number. They also give no indication where they got Lenovo or Acer models from.

Maybe these are only in models NOT in the US? And only HO, Toshiba, and a handful of Dells are affected here?

[EricC @ Oct 31st 2008 9:04AM]

I wonder how long it will be before the laptop manufacturers stop cutting corners on batteries and realize that when the recalls happen, they lose more money than they think they saved by cutting corners.

[Jay6464 @ Oct 31st 2008 9:14AM]

So, a massive Sony brand laptop battery recall and once again, Sony laptops aren't affected? Well ok then, long as I know my Vaio won't be blowing my legs off...

[fanboy1013 @ Oct 31st 2008 9:35AM]

That's news to me about HP being involved...as far as I remember from the recall 2 yrs ago, Dell was one of the ones made use of those parts and HP did not and was in the clear. Now, I'm to understand HP used those same faulty batteries?

[Jester @ Oct 31st 2008 11:08AM]

Anyone know where I can find a list of the affected Lenovo models/batteries? I have two ThinkPad R50p laptops both manufactured in that timeframe, both with Sony batteries. Be pretty sweet to get two brand new batteries on this deal.

[Andrew @ Oct 31st 2008 11:31AM]

Apple already has several battery exchange programs in effect, 1 of which is a direct result of faulty Sony batteries. this is old news for Apple. Also, since these programs have been around for *some time*, this would make Apple first, not next.

https://support.apple.com/ibook_powerbook/batteryexchange/main?id=qp

[Andrew @ Oct 31st 2008 12:07PM]

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/24/apple-to-recall-1-8-million-sony-made-batteries/

Ahh, I can clearly see I am a pretentious d-bag, as this was covered years ago, when it was new then. Carry on...

[Unknown @ Oct 31st 2008 1:20PM]

Wondered the same thing, found similar articles, but just chalked it up to engadget editor fail. I wish all you pretentious d-bags would stop pointing out facts.

( I just got a free replacement for my 2-year old Apple battery last week... thanks Sony! :
http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/ )

[Rick S. @ Oct 31st 2008 11:34AM]

Here's some manufacturer links for the updated recalls:

Dell
http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com/

HP
http://bpr.hpordercenter.com/sbpr/

Toshiba
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_dtlView.jsp?soid=1501060&ignore_sn=true

[Unknown @ Oct 31st 2008 12:54PM]

Hmmm, looks like this story was edited and Lenovo was removed...

[Sanskrit @ Oct 31st 2008 12:58PM]

Looks like Sony's got headaches again. Why am I not surprised?

[Sony Tech @ Oct 31st 2008 3:29PM]

There is so much misinformation flying around on this issue it is hilarious... I am on the inside and I am aware of the details of the recall and the issue at hand from the very beginning... I am not going to open that can of worms. Suffice to say that at the time of the issue being noted all known units from that particular production run was recalled immediately. The failure rate was less than 2%, but the recall was for every unit from that production run.

As far as the Sony laptops not being affected, you can chalk that up to Sony engineering. Yes some of the VAIO models used these batteries. The difference is the way other manufacturers cheap out on their design/engineering layout of the different internal components. While select VAIO models used the same cells, there is a safeguard built in to effectively sever the circuit should there be a short or the cell overheats. This means the battery dies but it doesn't get the chance to harm your whole system. Many companies didn't employ the same design considerations, often placing power cells in machines in a configuration that caused them to overheat.

Long and short. There was a problem, Sony has worked to correct it. A recall of this scale isn't quite as black and white as so many think it should be.

[AL @ Oct 31st 2008 5:18PM]

Bullshit - the VAIO probably didn't use the same batch. Mine went up in massive sparks when the notebook was turned OFF. The short and powerful discharge of energy came out of the battery cells, showering sparks all over the place. And if you think that it was a cheap notebook, it was a Thinkpad T43, which I still think was one of the best quality notebooks I've ever used. I believe that the cells had a small contamination in it that shorted the material inside, causing the battery to start discharging energy, which cause the overheating and subsequent fireworks. It didn't matter about the circuit - the battery became unstable and the chemical reaction caused the massive energy discharge out of every orifice of the cell.

And mine went up only a few weeks after Lenovo said the exact same thing - they said that they had safeguards in their notebooks to sever the circuit. Red faces all around at Lenovo when that was useless against a battery discharging whilst the notebook was turned OFF.

They never recalled the entire batch. Sony left it up to the manufacturers to recall them. That's why there is still a recall today.

I agree that in the overall scheme of things, the whole "batteries on fire" is really a small batch of batteries to all the notebook batteries out there in the world, but Sony should have done better for their screw-up.

[Sony Tech @ Oct 31st 2008 10:54PM]

@ Al... It is clear that you are pissed off, but that doesn't make you right sadly. Sometimes the squeaky wheel doesn't need any grease. It is just a bit bent to begin with.

I never purported to say that the batteries used in select VAIO products weren't faulty as well. I was simply noting that the widespread sparks/exploding/overheating that other manufacturers experienced did not happen with Sony products using the same faulty units. That doesn't change the fact that they needed to be replaced as a precaution. Sony recalled close to 300k units globally that affected the VAIO lineup specifically. If you have doubts about that then perhaps do some digging yourself, prior to going on the defensive because you bought a competing product. The only conspiracy is in your head, so please get a handle on your mild delusion. You seem like a smart guy, and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt in cases of disgruntled-internet-flaming-consumers-on-the-warpath.

Here is a tip... a good starting point might actually be the global Sony support sites that specifically list all the affected models and provide instructions to replace the batteries. The site here in the US hs a full list, as do the other global portals. I am guessing you never bothered to think of that considering you are not using a Sony product. Logical. However maybe you are correct and Sony decided to take a further financial hit, by recalling perfectly good units used in Sony products, just to give the appearance of parity with the other kids in the notebook playground. Wouldn't want any of the other kids crying feeling like they have been left out right?

As for the comment about 'cheap notebooks' I specifically left out details on this point to not single out any one company. Everyone cuts corners at some point to either, reduce costs to bolster profits, or to enable cheaper prices at the retail level. Sony has fallen prey to this a select few times. A long glance is required in this instance in the direction of the fruit of the notebook world, because higher prices clearly do not mean you are getting a superior product in spec and design. This point has been proven repeatedly, yet consumers as a whole are ignorant to this fact. The model you mention has several significant design flaws as well not relating to the power cell. Simple oversight? or cutting corners? most people don't give a damn so long as it works and is "was one of the best quality notebooks [they have] ever used".

With regard to the notebook being completely off when it burst into flames, I can't really comment without reviewing the specific incident to determine first hand what transpired. Suffice to say that while Sony and apparently Lenovo make similar claims, the fact remains Sony machines didn't suffer the same fate. Draw your own conclusions. Different designs/precautions implemented? coincidence? magic fairy dust sprinkled on the Sony before it left the factory?

In all of this, 2 plus years on, nearly 10,000,000 units were recalled globally (manufactured between 2004-2005); As a result of barely more than two dozen direct incidents the world over. A drop in the proverbial bucket when compared to the number of units shipped over the last decade without problems. Shit happens, and you do your best to clean up the mess. No one knows this better, or is more capable of handling something of this magnitude then a global giant like Sony. Even if you love to hate the big 'S', it is hard to deny that they did what they should have done. Not to say that other companies wouldn't be apt to take the same action, but few would have the resources necessary to even contemplate a recall as opposed to bankruptcy or severe cost cutting measures to stay in the game. And we all know where cutting costs can get us.

[Valicore @ Nov 1st 2008 5:52AM]

You may work for the company, like the company, and even be proud of the company, which is all fine, but you should still acknowledge they screwed up. You lost any and all of the already dubious credibility you had the instant you made that absolutely absurd comment that insinuated that it was somehow the fault of the companies that manufactured the laptops for not anticipating that Sony would send them defective, dangerous parts and then changing their design to compensate for that fact.

You show your obvious contempt and hostility for users who choose and prefer brands other than Sony, and make it abundantly clear what brand in particular you're referring to, while at the same time praising yourself for not targeting "any specific brand."

Next you claim that said product had many design flaws without mentioning any, and then say that consumers ignore them and don't give a damn because it's "The best quality notebooks [they have] ever used"

Just to be sure you get why that's kind of contradictory, they apparently weren't flaws if it was the best notebook they'd ever used.

The only thing that was even relevant in the whole following paragraph was that you couldn't comment one way or the other without more info, the rest was fluff:

"With regard to the notebook being completely off when it burst into flames, I can't really comment without reviewing the specific incident to determine first hand what transpired. Suffice to say that while Sony and apparently Lenovo make similar claims, the fact remains Sony machines didn't suffer the same fate. Draw your own conclusions. Different designs/precautions implemented? coincidence? magic fairy dust sprinkled on the Sony before it left the factory? "

Yet earlier to the AL you said: "The only conspiracy is in your head, so please get a handle on your mild delusion."

Look - your first post just made you look like an enormous douchebag. While douchebags are unfortunate, they're not uncommon.

Your response to AL, however, is troubling

If you truly are a Sony tech and someone on the inside who has any influence, etc, etc. then I'd encourage you to print your original post, the responses to it, and your "rebuttal." Ask some of the people you know for their thoughts (tell them to be honest) on how you responded.

What you did in your original post and to a much larger extent in your reply fits quite well into a certain, let's say, template. Even though the exact circumstances change, the behaviors tend to be pretty much the same.

Most of the time you hear about this in "blame the victim" cases.

Think about it: First you tried to establish yourself as an insider, you then grouped all the information previously stated by others under the title of misinformation, and to further trivialize it you said it is hilarious.

Then you completely refuse to take any responsibility and even worse try to completely distort reality so that it was someone else's fault.(The "I wouldn't have had to hit you if you didn't make me so mad" trick)
Then you announce once again how great you are, totally disconnected from reality.

AL responded back to you with his own personal story of how he was directly affected by the Sony screw up, and then talks about what he thought happened.

And so instead of admitting any error, he said he couldn't comment because he didn't have enough info

Out of all that, the most disturbing thing, and the reason I'm taking the time to write this, was that he said that Sony was actually doing more than it should have to, and that Sony should be praised for performing the recall with only "barely more than two dozen direct incident reports of fires." Just like I said in an earlier post, it's not that these batteries just stopped working, every single one of those created a real hazard of someone being badly hurt or killed. Percentage wise, I admit, 25 out of millions isn't very big. But even if it's just ONE, if tit happens to be you who or a loved one who is burned or worse, I guarantee you the figures wont make you feel any better.

If there are people like this at Sony that are just ever so slightly detached from reality, it could be someone gets hurt.

/endnovel

[skim1420 @ Nov 1st 2008 1:15AM]

My MBP's battery (by Sony) started bulging recently and wouldn't hold a charge. I called Applecare and they replaced it. Said they usually don't do this, but with the statistics they've been seeing lately these types of problems have been prevalent. Apple might very well be next.

[Anon @ Nov 1st 2008 9:11AM]

Sony tech,

where is this list on the sony site?
I can't find it.
Only a press release on the uk site that doesn't list the laptops affected.
Now I might have one of those defective batteries but have no way of checking.
It's an acer.

Get your head out of the sand and instead of attacking others for not loving sony as much as you and help.

You don't work for technical support do you?
You sound like you do.

I expect you to not reply and definitely not post the link which list all the laptops.

[LonnieDvD @ Nov 1st 2008 9:57AM]

Crap, not it is up to 100,000? My Toshiba might be in trouble after all, they better get an updated list out right away!

[LonnieDvD @ Nov 1st 2008 10:02AM]

Now it is up to 100,000? Crap, my Toshiba battery might be in trouble yet. They need to make an update list right away!

[LonnieDvD @ Nov 1st 2008 10:11AM]

Ack, sorry about the double post. I did not think the first post took.

[mr tubbs @ Jan 10th 2009 6:11PM]

Which Acers and Which Toshibas are effected? As I own both , and where can I find out?