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A visual history of gadgets that have burst into flames
Samsung had a rough 2016. Last year, the company had to recall its Galaxy Note 7 after units were catching fire, followed by millions of washing machines that were exploding in people's homes. But Samsung isn't the only company that's struggled recently with faulty batteries. We've seen similar issues with hoverboards, a Tesla Model S and the latest electric skateboard from Boosted. Let's take a look at other products that have had trouble in the flammability department. And let's hope those non-exploding lithium Ion batteries get here soon.
CE-Oh no he didn't!: Tesla's Elon Musk calls the Fisker Karma a 'mediocre product at a high price'
"I don't think very highly of Henrik Fisker," Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, told Automobile magazine in a recent interview. Musk was recalling events leading up to a 2008 lawsuit in which Tesla accused Fisker of pilfering its hybrid technology to build the Fisker Karma. Musk isn't a fan of the automobile, and suggests its creators put form over function. "It's a mediocre product at a high price," he says. "[Fisker] thinks the most important thing in the world -- or the only important thing in the world -- is design, so he outsourced the engineering and manufacturing." Still, Musk concedes that Fisker's eye for aesthetics paid off in some respects. "It looks good," he said. "Particularly from the side it looks good." The magazine gave Henrik Fisker a chance to respond, who said that he was "delighted that Elon thinks the Karma is a good-looking car," and stressed that Tesla and Fisker are targeting different customers with two "totally different technologies." He was quick to address the firms' previous legal squabbles too, "to set the record straight, Fisker won in court... a judge threw out the case and awarded costs to Fisker." True enough, but in light of recent events, we can think of at least one Karma owner who might agree with Musk.
Fisker rep defends Karma hybrid sedan in garage fire aftermath
Last week, a newly purchased Fisker Karma went up in flames, damaging its owner's home and earning the company behind that hybrid sedan plenty of bad press. The auto maker hasn't submitted an official explanation for the fire, though the former chief engineer for the late General Motors EV1 electric car places the blame on the hybrid's tight engine bay packing. Fisker clearly isn't having any of that -- according to the company's director of powertrain: Our technologies and engine design have been fully tested and certified at the highest level. It is irresponsible and ill-informed for technology pundits to suggest otherwise in order to secure media attention for unfounded claims. No defensiveness there, then.
Lenovo recalls 188,000 ThinkCentres, perilous power packs to blame
Lenovo is recalling a further 188,000 of its ThinkCentre PCs due to a possible fire risk. The M70z and M90z all-in-ones come with a faulty component in its embedded power supply that has already seen two units self-immolate. The company recommends that you check the serial number (via our source link) stamped on the base of the housing, let Lenovo know, unplug the unit and wait for a replacement.
Lenovo ThinkCentre PCs recalled over fire hazard defect
Lenovo is recalling more than 50,000 of its PCs due to a possible fire risk. The 2010 ThinkCentre M70z and M90z both house a defective component in their power supplies that can overheat. Worse still, the power units are embedded within these all-in-one models and so are not readily replaceable. The manufacturer is arranging appointments to fix the power supply problem. Fire-averse customers can double-check all the details at the source below.
Chevy Volt safe from fire hazard after all, says government
The Chevy Volt isn't prone to catching fire after all, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The all-electric car came under scrutiny last year after one caught fire following a side-impact crash test. GM offered a buyback program for Volt owners concerned their cars might suddenly immolate, then the company made "enhancements" to the Volt's battery coolant system. That set things right, as far as the NHTSA is concerned: it says "no discernable defect trend exists" in the Volt, and that GM's revisions "reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts." Chevy dropped the Volt's price by $1,000 for 2012, too. So what do you think? Is a $39,000 starting price and less of a chance of burning to death enough to make you go electric?
PSA: Mophie and Best Buy issue separate iDevice battery pack recalls due to overheating concerns
Sporting an external battery pack on your iPod Touch or iPhone? If it happens to be from Mophie or Best Buy's Rocketfish brand, we'd advise you to take note and avoid getting burned. Rocketfish's RF-KL12 battery case for the iPhone 3G / 3GS has been reported in a small number of burn and "minor" fire incidents, while Mophie's announced that a select number of Juice Pack Air models for the 4th generation iPod Touch (seen above) are at risk for overheating, and potentially even melting. Suffice it to say, if you're currently in possession of said battery extenders you should stop using it immediately. Best Buy asks that owners of the Rocketfish case get in touch to facilitate a return, which will be met with a $70 gift card in the US ($105 in Canada) as compensation. As for Mophie? If your Juice Pack Air is among the affected serial numbers, you'll be able to initiate a swap for a fresh unit via a return form on its website. Hit those source links below for all the details -- this is one case where you definitely won't want to feel the burn.
WakeMate sleep-aid recalled due to 'exploding' USB charger, gives new meaning to being hot in the sack
Early this morning, Perfect Third Inc. -- makers of the less than perfect WakeMate wristband -- issued a recall for the sleep analyzer's USB charger, which apparently has a tendency to go up in smoke, and we don't mean disappear. An e-mail sent out by the company's CEO at 12:30 AM states, "we were informed by a customer of a safety incident with the black USB chargers." A little vague if you ask us, considering the video we received shows the device "smoking after exploding." The recall ensures that the WakeMate itself is perfectly safe, and that the Chinese-manufactured USB cables are at fault, but if you ask us, anything that is supposed to help you sleep soundly shouldn't put you in danger of catching fire. [Thanks, Ringram and Nick]
Tesla recalls 439 Roadster 2.0 and 2.5 electric cars due to fire hazard
Tesla Motors is pretty proud of the fact that it decided to recall 439 Roadster 2.0 and 2.5 vehicles after a single one saw "a short, smoke and possible fire behind the right front headlamp," but a fire hazard in every one of 439 shipping products isn't exactly a ratio to be boasting about. At any rate, nearly a third of its 1,300 vehicles sold are affected by the recall, which "involves the 12v low voltage auxiliary cable from a redundant back up system that provides power to various systems, including the headlamps, taillights, turn signals and hazard lights, and airbags in the unlikely event the primary 12V power fails or drops below a minimum threshold value." The repair involves checking the routing of the 12V low voltage auxiliary cable and installing a protective sleeve over it, and it should take around an hour to complete. Unless, of course, you're the Tesla owner residing on the north shore of Kauai. Yeah, we're talking to you... Mr. Guy with "TESLA" on his Hawaii plate. [Thanks, Jim]
Apple ordered to make public iPod nano battery fix in Japan
We had an eerie feeling it'd come to this, and come it has. Nearly two full years to the day after the government of Japan began a thorough investigation into the spontaneous combusting of iPod nano devices, that same entity is now mandating that Apple publish an "easy to understand" statement on the web that explains how customers can "receive replacement batteries and obtain advice." So far, these volatile Li-ion cells have been blamed for four cases of minor burns in the Land of the Rising Sun, and while Apple has been replacing first-generation iPod nano batteries since 2008 for those that complained, it seems that Japan wants the company to make the option readily apparent to consumers. Be sure to keep an eye on Apple's Japanese site for more, but as of now, we're not seeing any such PSA posted.
HP recalls another 15,000 laptop batteries, this time in China
HP just recalled a hefty 70,000 laptop batteries earlier this month, but it looks like it still has a few more fires to put out, and it's now recalled another 15,000 batteries sold in China. No reports of any actual "flames / fire" this time around but, as with countless other recalls, the batteries are apparently prone to overheating, and can indeed pose a pesky fire hazard. Word of specific models affected is also a bit hard to come by at the moment, but the batteries were apparently used in laptops manufactured between late 2007 and early 2008, and include models sold under both the HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario brands. If that sounds like your laptop, you can get in touch with HP China for a free replacement battery.
HTC Touch Pro battery goes rogue, lights up an otherwise fine pair of pants
Just a note to everyone who carries around a spare smartphone Li-ion in their rear pocket: buy thicker underwear. The scene you see above was all caused by an obviously volatile HTC Touch Pro battery, one that the pants-wearer claims is an authentic HTC cell and not a cheap-o alternative from eBay. As the story goes, a foul odor led him to a laundry pile, where he uncovered eight moist socks, a torched battery and a ruined pair of pants. Look, we're glad this guy's okay and all, but seriously, can you imagine what this testy little thing would've done when tossed into the dryer? It's a blessing in disguise, kiddo.[Via phoneArena]
70,000 HP laptop batteries recalled due to fire hazard
It's been quite awhile since we've seen a major recall surrounding volatile laptop batteries, but it looks as if HP is the company bringing the topic back to the forefront. Announced today, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Hewlett-Packard, has issued a voluntary recall of about 70,000 Li-ion batteries. Reportedly, these cells can "overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers," and so far, the firm and CPSC have received two separate reports of batteries that have overheated and ruptured, resulting in -- wait for it -- "flames / fire that caused minor property damage." For a look at what units are affected, head on past the break -- oh, and if you're reading this on an HP lappie right now, go ahead and grab the fire extinguisher just in case.
Some of Acer's Predator PCs recalled: they'll set your games on fire, but also your desk
Those aesthetics aren't the only "dangerous" aspect to Acer's Predator gaming desktops. Apparently the insulation on some of the computer's internal wiring can become stripped, and has proceeded to short-circuit and melt internal components and the external casing in two separate reported incidents. Acer is recalling the ASG7200 and ASG7700 machines sold between May and December of last year, and customers can contact Acer for a free repair. Number of boxes affected? About 215. Not exactly raining fire in the streets, but we suppose those 213 remaining folks would like to know their Very Important Session of The Witcher is about to be interrupted.
AT&T Quickfire could overheat, spontaneously burst into irony if charged incorrectly
Quick... fire. Quickfire. Our brains are melting (as are the phones, apparently). Follow the break for AT&T's email to customers.
HP fax machines recalled, could turn resume into flames
Hey you. Yeah, you. You're about to beam that resume facsimile-style to a prospective employer, aren't you? If said machine is a Hewlett-Packard Fax 1010 or 1010xi, we're recommend firing (ahem) it over through email instead. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with HP, has issued a voluntary recall for the aforementioned fax machines after receiving three reports of "overheating," two of which resulted in "minor property damage." If you just so happen to own one of these machines, and you'd prefer your abode not be burned to the ground anytime soon, we'd suggest following the read link and applying for your rebate. After you unplug the machine and shove it in the freeze, of course.
Shindaiwa backpack blowers recalled due to fire hazard
As the wave of recalls continue to flow in, a pair of backpack blowers from Shindaiwa look to be claiming next. Reportedly, the "muffler's outer shell can melt, allowing exhaust gas to exit from the bottom or back side of the muffler." Consequently, the "exhaust gas may cause damage to the fuel tank creating a possible fire hazard for the user." To date, the outfit is only aware of a single incident where "a small muffler fire was involved," but no humans were maimed and no property was marred. Still, if you're the owner of an EB630 or EB630RT, we'd recommend getting set up with a free muffler replacement before firing that bad boy back up again.
Toshiba waves the recall flag again on Sony laptop batteries
Groundhog's Day ain't got nothing on this. Yet again, we're faced with another recall on potentially defective laptop batteries, and yet again, these cells in question could catch fire when you least expect it. The latest round of recalls by Toshiba allows for some 10,000 Sony-made batteries to be replaced after a trio of fire incidents over the past ten months got its attention. Of course, Sony noted that the financial impact of this wave should be minor, particularly compared to the recall-related costs it's already trying to swallow.
Counterfeit flashlight batteries recalled due to fire hazard
Unfortunately for those 4,400 or so owners of the Xenon Aluminum flashlight sold at Sportsman's Warehouse, the recall wagon has come your way, and unless you have no fear of exploding batteries, we'd suggest you power it off at your earliest convenience. Interestingly enough, this case involves more than just a faulty design, as the Panasonic CR123A Industrial Lithium batteries packed within are believed to be counterfeits, and it comes as no surprise that these knockoffs "can overheat and rupture, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers." So, if you happen to own the six-, nine-, or twelve-volt version of these here devices, it looks like you'll be making an unwanted trip out to Sportsman's Warehouse before long.
Coby recalls boomboxes due to potential fire hazard, crappiness
Coby's quest to become more than the de facto house brand of street vendors and pharmacies worldwide by shipping semi-respectable PMPs and DAPs has always been held back by the company's insistence on making chinzty little boomboxes and CD players, and now it looks like it's paying the price: Coby is being forced to recall nearly 15,000 MP-CD475 boomboxes because they sound like tin cans pose a fire hazard. You may remember the MP-CD475 as the legendary unit that redefined the dual-voltage AM/FM/CD/MP3/USB boombox market with its iconic design featuring the word DIGITAL on the top in huge letters. If you were desperate in a Walgreen's, um, we mean lucky enough to buy one of these between August and December of 2006, Coby says you should unplug it immediately and call them to arrange a refund. Hit up the read link for contact info and a list of affected serial numbers.
