Sony is recalling 440,000 Vaio notebook computers around the globe following several reports of them overheating. The recall concerns 19 Vaio models in the TZ series manufactured since May 2007 and at least one person has suffered a minor burn as a result of the latest defect.
According to the company, the problem is related to irregularly positioned wires near the computer's hinge and/or a dislodged screw inside the hinge, which can cause a short circuit and overheating. The company has issued a recall of 73,000 Sony Vaio TZ-series notebook computers in the U.S. alone, with the rest being recalled in 47 other countries. Vaio customers are advised to visit a special support webpage and follow the instructions to determine if their notebook is one of the affected units - though strangely the site doesn't seem to be working as of this writing.
Sony is certainly no stranger to product recalls. Over the past couple of years Toshiba and other laptop manufacturers have been affected by Sony's bad portable batteries, with over five million batteries being eventually recalled at a cost to Sony of more than $430 million.