CPSC, Next Level Communications Announce Recall of Power Supply for Computer Modems

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #02512) was formally reported on December 17, 2001. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. PowDec Technologies, Inc. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 46,000 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The power supply has an internal electrical component that could overheat and melt or deform the plastic housing, posing a thermal burn hazard. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers with a recalled power supply should immediately stop using the power supply and contact Next Level Communications to request a replacement power supply. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 25 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.