Toshiba Expands Recall of Laptop Computer Battery Packs Due to Burn and Fire Hazards

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #17064) was formally reported on January 4, 2017. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Panasonic, of Japan is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 83,000 (91,000 units were previously recalled on March 30, 2016). In addition, 10,000 were sold in Canada and 5,000 in Mexico. 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: The lithium-ion battery packs can overheat, posing burn and fire hazards 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 immediately go to the firm's website and click on the battery pack utility link in the first shadowed box on the page. Consumers also can perform a manual check using the laptop and … — 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 9 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.