Lenovo and IBM Announce Recall of ThinkPad Notebook Computer Batteries Due to Fire Hazard

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #06270) was formally reported on September 28, 2006. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Sony Energy Devices Corp., of Japan is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 168,500 battery packs (an additional 357,500 battery packs were sold 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 lithium-ion batteries can cause overheating, posing a fire 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 should stop using the recalled batteries immediately and contact Lenovo to receive a replacement battery, free of charge. Until a replacement battery arrives, consumers can continue to use … — 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 20 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.