If you purchased an HP laptop recently, it could be subject to a flaw that could cause its battery to overheat and catch fire.
HP said on Thursday that it’s commencing a battery recall for the company’s notebooks and mobile workstations, including the HP Probook 64x, HP x360 310 G2, HP Envy m6, and others. The affected laptops were sold worldwide between December 2015 and December 2017. Affected batteries were also sold as accessories during the period.
According to HP, the batteries in question “have the potential to overheat” after use. In some cases, that overheating could cause the batteries to become unstable and catch fire. HP also warned that the batteries could be a “burn hazard to customers.”
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The PC maker didn’t say in a support page posted to its website how many units are affected in the recall. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said in its own statement that “about 50,o00” units sold in the U.S. Are at risk. Nearly 3,000 more units sold in Canada could also be a problem. According to the CPSC, it has identified eight cases of the batteries “overheating, melting, or charring.” One person suffered a first-degree burn from the battery and three others had property damage totaling $4,500.
HP has created a support page where its laptop owners can see whether their units are at risk of overheating. If owners discover they’re subject to the recall, HP will send them a free battery replacement and help them get it safely swapped out.
“HP’s primary concern is for the safety of our customers,” the company wrote on its support page. “HP is proactively notifying customers, and will provide replacement battery services for each verified, eligible battery, at no cost.”
