HP 'gambling' on battery recall

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 2 Oct 2006 at 17:47

Industry experts have accused HP of risking its reputation by refusing to recall its Sony-made laptop batteries - despite Sony itself issuing a global recall.

Dell, Apple, Lenovo and Toshiba are among the companies that have collectively recalled millions of laptop batteries potentially affected by a manufacturing flaw that can result in them exploding. Sony last week finally issued a global recall of its own, although its own VAIO subsidiary was still 'considering whether to participate in this voluntary replacement program,' several days later.

HP has also refused to issue a recall, a move that industry analysts claim could have disastrous consequences for the company. 'HP still says it's clean. If HP claims it's the only one [PC manufacturer] that doesn't have a problem, it's pretty convenient for the holiday season when everyone else is scrambling around,' said Roger L Kay, president of Endpoint Technology Associates. 'However, there are risks involved in not doing a recall, and it's a very small risk, but the cost of being wrong is very high.'

Kay claims that, no matter how rigorous HP's tests are, it would be very difficult to prove that its products weren't afflicted with the same fault as other manufacturers' batteries. 'It's very hard to replicate the failures. You've got something that fails one time in a million in the real world - it could take up to two years to replicate [in a lab],' he said.

In a statement made to PC Pro, HP claims it remains unaffected by the latest recalls, but does admit that a fault is possible: 'To date, HP has received no reports of overheating causing a battery failure in Sony 2.4 or 2.6Ah cells used in some battery packs manufactured for HP notebook PCs. HP has worked closely with Sony, the manufacturer of the battery cells in question, and Sony has communicated that HP should not be impacted by the Apple or Dell replacement programs. HP believes it will not be impacted by the latest Lenovo or Sony recalls.

'HP will continue to work with battery cell manufacturers and battery pack manufacturers to ensure they meet rigorous HP standards for safety and quality. In the unlikely event that we do discover an irregularity, HP will thoroughly investigate the matter and take appropriate actions to ensure the highest level of safety of our customers.'

Read the next issue of PC Pro, out on sale from 19 October, for more on the Sony battery recall.