CPSC, Nikon Inc. Announce Recall to Replace Rechargeable Battery Packs Sold with Digital SLR Cameras

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #06023) was formally reported on November 8, 2005. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Nikon Inc., of Melville, N.Y. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 200,000 (About 710,000 worldwide) units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: These battery packs can short circuit, causing them to overheat and possibly melt, posing a burn hazard to consumers. 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 battery backs with model number EN-EL3 should contact Nikon's Web site to determine if it is included in the recall. If so, they should stop using it immediately. Nikon will provide a … — 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 21 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.