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More Laptop Batteries Recalled

Panasonic Recalls Batteries Sold in Japan

September 5, 2006

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Thousands more lithium ion batteries used to power laptop computers are being recalled because of a possible fire hazard. Panasonic is now joining Dell and Apple in recalling defective batteries.

Parent company Matsushita said it is recalling 6,000 batteries in computers sold in Japan. Unlike those being recalled by Dell and Apple, the batteries in Panasonic laptops were not manufactured by Sony.

The Panasonic recall differs in other respects as well.

Matsushita said the problem is not just with the batteries themselves but also the design of the computer case. Company officials say faulty latches on the battery cover could lead to damage to the batteries, causing them to change their shape and overheat.

So far, only computers sold in Japan are affected by the recall.

The Panasonic recall is much smaller than those undertaken by its competitors. Dell and Apple are recalling nearly six million batteries between them.

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