Sony Corp said it will pay to replace more lithium-ion batteries
worldwide after IBM and Lenovo Group Ltd became the latest
manufacturers to recall them because of a fire hazard.
Lenovo, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and IBM said in a
statement on Thursday they will recall Sony batteries used in
526,000 ThinkPad notebook computers, including 168,500 in the US
Apple Computer Inc and Dell Inc took similar steps last month.
The latest recalls bring the number of Sony batteries recalled
to more than 6 million. Lenovo, which bought IBM's personal
computer unit in 2005, said it acted less than two weeks after a
ThinkPad caught fire at Los Angeles International Airport. The
recall will affect Sony's reputation more than its customer's, said
analyst Roger Kay of Massachusetts-based Endpoint Technologies.
"Lenovo is being seen more as a victim than as a perpetrator
with this recall," said Kay. Sony could end up recalling as many as
10 million batteries, he said. "When the news first came out about
Dell's recall, the public had trouble distinguishing whether it was
a Dell or Sony problem."
John Dolak, a Sony Corp spokesman, declined to say how many
units were involved globally or to name other manufacturers
involved in the replacement program announced on Thursday. The
company said it is discussing a plan with the US Consumer Product
Safety Commission and will announce details soon.
"It is imperative that consumers respond quickly to this recall
announcement by removing the battery from their ThinkPad computer
and continuing to use their computer off of AC power," said Scott
Wolfson, a spokesman for the commission based in Bethesda,
Maryland.
Problems with Sony batteries led Dell, the world's largest
personal-computer maker, to initiate the biggest recall in
consumer-electronics history. Apple discovered nine incidents of
batteries overheating, with two causing minor burns to Mac
users.
While Sony didn't say what the company will spend on the latest
recall, the company on August 24 said battery replacements for Dell
and Apple notebooks will cost Sony 20 billion yen to 30 billion yen
(US$170 million to US$257 million).
The batteries involved in the Lenovo and IBM recalls affect 5
percent to 10 percent of the T Series, R Series and X Series
ThinkPad notebooks made from February 2005 to September 2006,
according to a statement from Lenovo, the world's third-largest
personal computer maker.
The Sony-made batteries were sold through Lenovo and IBM's
websites, through Lenovo and IBM's authorized dealers and through
phone and direct sales. They were also sold as accessories costing
US$150 to US$180, according to the statement.
(China Daily October 2, 2006)
