Batteries made by Sony

By Edward F. Moltzen, CRN

7:06 AM EDT Tue. Sep. 19, 2006

Notebook maker Toshiba has become the latest manufacturer to be pushed into recalling Sony-based notebook batteries, announcing a 340,000-unit recall Tuesday.

The Tokyo-based company said it would exchange the batteries as part of a replacement program it was initiating. Batteries affected were shipped with specific models of Toshiba Dynabook and Toshiba Satellite notebooks, a Tokyo-based representative of the company told CRN.

The recall is based on a flaw that affects performance, but not potential hazards, according to reports.

News agency Reuters is reporting that the batteries are from notebooks manufactured between March and May of 2006 and ``could fail on the road because of problems with storing and transmitting power.``

Toshiba said there was no risk of fire stemming from any defect in the batteries.

In August, both Dell, Round Rock, Tex., and Apple, Cupertino, Calif., both announced recalls of batteries with Sony-made cells. Both companies said the batteries presented possible hazards in certain circumstances. Dell`s recall is totalling 4.1 million units, Apple is recalling 1.8 million units.

The Dell and Apple recalls involved battery cells manufactuered by Sony and used in battery packs.