Acer Inc., one of the largest computer makers in the world, launched a recall Wednesday of about 27,000 laptop batteries, becoming the latest company to warn of faulty Sony-made lithium-ion batteries that could overheat and cause a fire.
More than 10 million notebook batteries have been recalled worldwide since the problem was traced to Sony Corp. last year. Other major computer makers, including Dell Inc., Lenovo Inc., and Apple Inc. have also issued similar recalls.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has logged dozens of reports of lithium-ion batteries overheating. Taiwan-based Acer said none of the known incidents involved its laptop models but the company still worked with the consumer agency to conduct the voluntary recall.
The affected Acer models were sold in the U.S. and Canada from May 2004 through November 2006 for between $500 and $1,500.
The laptops possibly containing the recalled batteries were the TravelMate series with 4-digit model numbers beginning with 242, 320, 321, 330, 422, 467, 561, C20, and the Aspire series beginning with model numbers 556, 560, 567, 930, 941, 980.
Acer, whose U.S. division is based in San Jose, says consumers should immediately stop using the recalled batteries and contact the company for a free battery replacement. The laptops could still be safely used if powered by the AC adapter, the company said.
