Some HP laptops continue to suffer from faulty batteries that may cause “fire and burn damage,” according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Faulty battery woes have long plagued HP workstation laptops, with seemingly annual recall announcements and expansions dating back to 2015 and totaling nearly 250,000 units. The recall date is now March 12th, 2019 and it includes an additional 28,500 laptop battery units on top of the 50,000 initially announced back in early 2018.
The recent development failed to make headlines because the government shutdown interfered with the CPSC’s ability to communicate the expansion.
Why the recall?
In a statement a HP spokesperson said: ‘The quality and safety of all HP products is our top priority. We learned that batteries provided by one of our suppliers for certain notebook computers and mobile workstations present a potential safety concern.
‘We took immediate action to address the issue and are replacing the batteries in question. This action pertains to approximately 0.1 percent of the HP systems sold globally during the recall time period.
Lithium-ion batteries are prone to overheat, which can cause fire and burn hazards to users. CPSC said the recent recall is due to a report of minor injury and two reports of property damage amounting to $1,100. The batteries are said to have overheated, melted and charred.
What models are affected?
The batteries were either sold as part of the laptops or separately as accessories between December 2015 and December 2018. HP advised owners of ProBooks (64x G2 and G3 series, 65x G2 and G3 series, 4xx G4 series), HPx360 (310 G2), HP ZBook (17 G3 and Studio G3), ENVY, Mobile Thin Client model, HP Pavilion x360 11-inch Notebook PC and HP 11 Notebook PC to head on to the company’s website for further support.
What should I do?
Download and run the Battery Validation Utility on HP’s website to find out if your battery is affected. If it is, follow the instructions provided by the utility or contact HP directly using the buttons on the recall webpage.
The firm is urging anybody who uses an affected model to request a replacement battery and apply a software update that switches their battery into a safe mode, preventing it from charging.
What are my rights?
To obtain repairs, you should not require proof of purchase; simply running the battery software tool and then contacting HP should be enough. You should also not be charged for any work undertaken.
