Lenovo issues faulty ThinkPad battery warning

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 17 Aug 2009 at 08:37

Lenovo has issued a recall program for faulty batteries in its ThinkPad range, though it has stressed this is not "a safety issue".

According to the PC makers website, the faulty batteries are throwing up messages warning users of "irreparable damage" or claiming that the "battery cannot be charged". In all cases, the batteries suffer from an unusually low capacity, significantly reducing their use.

The warning notes that the problems are occurring in models from the company's ThinkPad T60, T61, R60, R61, X60 and X61 ranges, though only specific batteries are affected. The company has not revealed how many batteries are affected by the problems.

Lenovo has posted a battery diagnostic tool on its website allowing customers to check whether their power pack is affected by the problems. If they fall into this unhappy camp they are eligible for a free replacement.

Unlike in 2006, when Lenovo issued a recall for 500,000 batteries, the company notes there is no fire risk associated with its latest recall.