HP has issued a major warning to customers over a potential fire hazard on some of its laptops, with more than 100,000 machines thought to be affected.
The company has expanded on its “ongoing worldwide voluntary safety recall and replacement program” for specific laptop models and has advised users of the laptops in question to stop using the devices immediately.
Initially, HP announced the warning in June last year, but has now said further laptops could be affected by the issue, which is thought to stem from a problem with the battery.
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Specifically, the firm said the batteries in question have the potential to overheat, posing a “fire and burn hazard” to customers.
On its dedicated page, HP states: “Because these batteries pose a fire and burn hazard, it is essential to recheck your battery, even if you did so previously and were informed that it was not affected.
“However if you have already received a replacement battery, you are not affected by this expansion.“
Not all these types of laptops are affected, however, just certain models within those named product ranges.
If you think you may have one of the affected laptops, you can still use it by hooking it up to the external power cable and removing the battery.
HP says it is “proactively notifying customers” and that it will provide replacement batteries for every affected battery at no extra cost.
To check whether you have a laptop that could pose a fire hazard, head over to the dedicated page (link above) and click the “+” icon at the bottom of the page to see a list of potentially affected product names and battery bar code numbers.
UPDATE 26/1: HP has provided a further statement:
“On January 24, in cooperation with various government regulatory agencies, HP announced the expansion of a June 2016 worldwide voluntary safety recall and replacement program for certain notebook computer batteries.
“This recall involves HP lithium-ion battery packs for notebook computers sold worldwide from March 2013 through October 2016.
“Less than 1% of all HP notebook computers sold during this timeframe contained an affected battery. HP will provide a replacement battery for each verified, affected battery, at no cost. HP encourages customers to validate their batteries on the HP Battery Recall website.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
