Garmin recalls 1.25m "fire hazard" satnavs

 

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By Stewart Mitchell

Posted on 27 Aug 2010 at 10:14

Garmin is recalling 1.25 million of its nüvi satnavs after batteries overheated, with UK customers among those affected by the flaw.

According to Garmin, the issue only affects devices containing batteries manufactured within a set date range by a third-party supplier and that have a specific printed circuit board design.

“It appears that the interaction of these factors can, in rare circumstances, increase the possibility of overheating, which may lead to a fire hazard,” the company said in a statement. “Although there have been no injuries or significant property damage caused by this issue, Garmin is taking this action out of an abundance of caution.”

Garmin said 796,000 of the devices were sold in the US, and although a spokesperson confirmed that the batteries were included in satnavs sold in the UK, she could not say how many would be recalled in Britain.

The problem is found in the nüvi 200W, 250W, 260W devices and in the nüvi 7xx range.

Customers concerned about the issue can head to Garmin’s recall site, where they will be asked to enter a serial number to see whether their device is a potential fire risk.