Dell pinpointed Sony battery flaw last year
Edward Moltzen
CRN
(10/04/2006 4:38 PM EDT)
Dell pinpointed the problem with faulty Sony notebook batteries almost a year ago but only called for a 22,000-unit recall at the time because it believed the problem was limited in scope.
Only later, after more customers reported incidents of Dell laptops overheating or catching fire, did Dell realize that millions of its notebook PCs -- not just thousands -- could be at risk, according to records from government regulators and interviews with Dell spokesmen.
Letters from a top official at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to a Dell lawyer, obtained by CRN under the Freedom of Information Act, show that Dell reported to regulators on Oct. 24, 2005, that overheating problems with Sony battery packs were under review. Within weeks, Dell knew the exact defect causing the problems.
Only later, after more customers reported incidents of Dell laptops overheating or catching fire, did Dell realize that millions of its notebook PCs -- not just thousands -- could be at risk, according to records from government regulators and interviews with Dell spokesmen.
Letters from a top official at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to a Dell lawyer, obtained by CRN under the Freedom of Information Act, show that Dell reported to regulators on Oct. 24, 2005, that overheating problems with Sony battery packs were under review. Within weeks, Dell knew the exact defect causing the problems.
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