Lenovo has started recalling some ThinkPad battery packs over a potential fire hazard risk. According to a statement issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 2,900 batteries sold in Canada, and about 34,500 batteries sold in the US will be recalled. Chinese publication Xinhua is also reporting that the company on Thursday recalled 117,732 units in China.
The recall includes Lenovo battery packs sold with the following ThinkPad notebook models: T410, T420, T510, W510, X100E, X120E, X200, X201, X201s Series, Edge 11, Edge 13, and Edge 14 Series, Option P/Ns 43R9255, 51J0500, 57Y4186, 57Y4564, 57Y4565, 57Y4625, 57Y4559, 43R9254, 0A36277. These batteries were shipped worldwide between October 2010 and April 2011.
Affected battery packs can be identified through their part number, starting with the fourth digit on a white sticker below the bar code. The identifiable numbers are 42T4695, 42T4711, 42T4798, 42T4804, 42T4812, 42T4822, 42T4828, 42T4834, 42T4840 and 42T4890.
Alternatively, you can also head over to this web page to know if your battery is being recalled. Just call the phone numbers provided on the web page to order replacements, which the company claims will ship in three business days.
As of now, no human injury has been reported, but the company did receive a couple of reports of the battery packs overheating, resulting in damages to the laptops and to property. Until a replacement battery arrives, the company is advising users to turn off the system, remove the battery, and only power their ThinkPad by plugging in the AC adapter and power cord.
