Sony battery problems could go beyond Dell laptops

IDG News Service - Faulty batteries produced by Sony Corp. like those that caused Dell Inc. to initiate a huge recall this week could be present in other portable electronics products and laptops from other companies.

The Dell recall of 4.1 million batteries, which is being called the largest recall ever in the consumer electronics industry, was ordered after the computer maker received reports from customers of laptops overheating and catching fire. An investigation led to the discovery of a problem in the battery cell manufacturing process.

"Under certain rare conditions there is an elevated risk that the battery may overheat or catch fire as a result of the presence of metallic particles in a critical area of the battery cell," said Takashi Uehara, a spokesman for Sony in Tokyo.

The cells in question were produced between January 2004 and February 2006 at Sony Energy Tech Inc. in Japan and were sold by Sony to Dell and other companies. Sony wouldn't name the other companies citing confidentiality agreements.

It acknowledged, however, that some of the cells have been used in batteries inside its own Vaio laptop computers but added that the company is not issuing a recall for those.

The risk depends on the system configuration, said Uehara. A short-circuit inside the battery typically renders the battery useless, but in some cases it can cause fires like the ones reported to Dell.

Factors that play into this equation include whether the battery cells are aligned in parallel or perpendicular order, and their proximity to heat sources like the processor and power supply, a Sony spokesman in the U.S. said yesterday.

Sony said it will share the cost of the recall with Dell. It declined to provide an estimate of the financial impact on its full-year results and promised to make such a disclosure "as appropriate."

Dell customers can find out more about the recall by visiting the company's Web site or by calling a toll-free number, 866-342-0011, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday. Customers outside the U.S. should contact their local Dell subsidiary or sales agent.