Lenovo Recalls 37,400 ThinkPad Battery Packs
The company received two reports of the battery packs' overheating. This damaged the notebook computers involved, the battery packs, and nearby property, but no injuries have been reported.
Lenovo Inc., of Morrisville, N.C., has recalled about 34,500 ThinkPad battery packs in the United States and another 2,900 in Canada after receiving reports of the battery packs' overheating. This damaged the notebook computers involved, the battery packs, and nearby property, but no injuries have been reported, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's announcement of the recall.
It affects Lenovo battery packs sold with these ThinkPad notebook computers: the Edge 11, 13 and 14 series; the T410, T420, T510 and W510 series; and the X100e, X120e, X200, X201 and X201s series. The battery packs were also sold separately. They measure between 8 and 11 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide, and are about 1 inch high. Recalled battery packs have one of these part numbers, starting with the fourth digit in a long series of numbers and letters printed on a white sticker below the bar code on the battery pack: 42T4695, 42T4711, 42T4798, 42T4804, 42T4812, 42T4822, 42T4828, 42T4834, 42T4840 and 42T4890.
They were sold at computer and electronics stores, authorized dealers, and online at www.lenovo.com nationwide from October 2010 through April 2011 for between $350 and $3,000 when sold as part of ThinkPad notebook computers. The battery packs were also sold separately for between $80 and $150.
Consumers who purchased them should immediately turn off their ThinkPad notebook computer, remove the battery pack, and contact Lenovo for a free replacement battery pack. They can continue to use their ThinkPads without the battery pack by plugging in the AC adapter and power cord.