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From January 2004 through January 2005, the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission listed seven recalls
of computers and associated equipment, almost double the
number of products recalled in 2003. Power adapters and
batteries were the most common items recalled. Some
companies affected include: Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Psion
Teklogix, Apple, Lexmark, IBM, Netgear and NCR. For a
complete list and descriptions please see the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website at, http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html
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Name of Product: Hewlett-Packard (HP)
L2035 Flat Panel Monitor
Units: About 15,000
Manufacturer: Philips PC Peripherals, of
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Hazard: A ground clip inside the back
plastic panel of these monitors can be incorrectly
installed, posing a risk of electrical shock to
consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Philips has received one report of a
consumer receiving an electrical shock from one of these
monitors. The consumer was not injured.
Description: The recall involves only the
HP L2035 Flat Panel Monitor with serial numbers ranging
from CNP352Y001 to CNP423Y1HS. The model number is
displayed at the bottom, center of the monitor’s bezel,
just above the control buttons. The recalled monitors
were produced from December 2003 through June 2, 2004.
Sold by: HP’s Web site for business use,
and directly to business/corporate accounts. HP and its
distributors also resold the monitors to HP’s Channel
Partners. The recalled monitors were sold by HP from
February, 2003 through October, 2004 at retail for about
$900.
Manufactured In: China
Remedy: Consumers should unplug the
monitor and either use a different computer to go to the
recall Web site or contact the HP L2035 Recall Helpdesk
for instructions on how to determine if their monitor is
affected by this recall program. If affected, consumers
will receive instructions for getting their monitor
tested and repaired or replaced at no cost.
Consumer Contact: For more information,
contact the recall Web site at www.l2035recall.com or
the HP L2035 Recall Helpdesk at (800) 254-2280 between 8
a.m and 9 p.m. ET Monday to Friday and between 10 a.m.
and 5 p.m. ET Saturday. Consumers also can write to
Philips’ at North America Quality and Customer Care
Manager, Philips PC Peripherals, Holly Sugar Boulevard,
2 North Cascade Ave, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO
80903.
Name of product: AC power adapters for
Psion Teklogix notebook computers
Units: 682
Distributor: Psion Teklogix Corp., a
subsidiary of Psion Teklogix Inc., of Ontario, Canada
Hazard: The adapters can overheat, posing
a fire hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Psion Teklogix has received nine
reports of overheating, though no injuries have been
reported.
Description: The recalled AC power
adapters are used with Psion Teklogix netpad®, netBook™,
and NETBOOK PRO™ notebook computers. The recalled
adapters have a label on the back of the unit which
include the name “Sunpower (UK) Ltd,” the part number
9NA0180300, and date code “D/C: 034810.”
Sold to: Psion Teklogix corporate customers and through
mobile computing products distributors nationwide
between December 2003 and October 2004 for about $45.
Manufactured in: China.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the
adapters immediately and contact Psion Teklogix to
receive a free replacement unit.
Consumer Contact : Call Psion Teklogix
Corp. at (800) 387-8898 between 4 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET
Monday through Friday or e-mail the company at
adapter.recall@psionteklogix.com to receive the free
replacement unit. For additional information, consumers
can view the adapter recall at www.psionteklogix.com .
Name of product: AC adapters used with
notebook personal computers
Units: About 990,000
Manufacturer: Delta Electronics Inc., of
Taipei, Taiwan
Importer/Distributor: Dell Inc., of Round
Rock, Texas
Hazard: The adapters can overheat, posing
a risk of fire and electrical shock hazards to
consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: : Dell has received
seven reports of incidents of adapters overheating,
though no injuries have been reported.
Description: The recalled AC adapters were
used with Dell Latitude™, Precision™, and Inspiron™
notebook-style personal computers. The notebook
computers have the following model numbers, which can be
found either screened onto the surface of the computer
or printed on a label on the bottom of the computer:
• Latitude: CP, CPi, CPiA, CPtC, CPiR, CPxH, CPtV, CS,
CSx, CPxJ, CPtS, C500, C510, C600, C610, C800, C810,
V700, C-Dock, C-Port.
• Inspiron: 2500, 2600, 3700, 3800, 4000, 4100, 4150,
5000, 5000e, 7500, 7550, 8000, 8100, Advanced Port
Replicator, Docking Station.
• Precision: M40
The recalled adapters have the words “DELL” and “P/N
9364U,” P/N 7832D” or “P/N 4983D” printed on the back of
the unit.
Sold through: Dell’s Web site and customer
service center sold the computers with adapters from
September 1998 through February 2002 for about $1,500 to
about $3,200. The adapters also were sold separately for
between $30 and $70. The advanced port replicators and
docking stations sold for between $300 and $600.
Manufactured in: China and Thailand.
Remedy: Consumers with these adapters
should immediately contact Dell to determine if they are
included in this recall. Not all adapters listed above
are being recalled. Dell will send consumers with
recalled adapters a free replacement adapter.
Consumer Contact: Consumer should call
Dell at (800) 418-8590 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT
Monday through Friday, log on to Dell’s Web site at
www.delladapterprogram.com or write to the company at
Dell Inc., 9701 Metric Blvd., Austin, TX 78758, Attn:
Adapter Program
Name of product: NCR Universal Inkjet
Refill Kits
Units: About 78,000
Manufacturer: NCR Corp., of Dayton, Ohio
Hazard: The product does not have required
child-resistant packaging or required warning labels.
The product contains ethylene glycol, posing an
ingestion hazard to young children.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: The recalled kits were sold
in a clear plastic package with color or black ink. The
black ink kits have model numbers 943264 and 999292 and
the color ink kits have model number 999289 printed on
the side panel above the UPC code. The two black inkjet
sets contain four plastic bottles of black ink, two
plastic bottles of cleaning fluid and one toolkit. The
color inkjet set contains six plastic bottles of colored
ink, two plastic bottles of cleaning solution and one
toolkit.
Sold at: Big Lots and Walgreens nationwide
from April 2004 through June 2004 for about $12.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately
remove the kits out of the reach of young children and
return to the store where purchased to receive a refund
or a free replacement kit.
Consumer Contact: Contact NCR Corp. at
(800) 279-0203 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday
through Friday, e-mail the firm at systemedia.info@NCR.com
or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ncr.com .
Name of product: Lexmark, Dell and IBM
Laser Printers
Units: 39,431
Manufacturer: Lexmark International Inc., of Lexington,
Ky.
Hazard: These printers can short-circuit,
posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported. This
recall is being conducted to prevent the possibilities
of incidents or injury.
Description: The recall includes Lexmark,
Dell and IBM brand laser printers. The brand name and
model number for the Lexmark and IBM laser printers can
be found on the front of the printer. For Dell laser
printers, the brand name is on the front of the printer
and the model number is inside the front cover. The
recall includes the following model numbers: Lexmark
E232, E232t, E330, E332n, E332tn; IBM Infoprint 1412,
1412n; Dell 1700 and 1700n.
Sold at: These Lexmark printers were sold
directly through distributors, and at electronic, office
supply and computer stores. IBM printers were sold
directly through authorized distributors and resellers
and via IBM’s web site. Dell printers were sold directly
through the firm’s Web site. These laser printers were
sold from May 2004 through August 2004 for about $200.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the
laser printer, unplug it, and contact their
corresponding laser printer company to register their
product to receive a free replacement laser printer.
Consumer Contact: For more information,
contact Lexmark Web site at http://recall.lexmark.com or
toll-free at (877) 877-6218 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET
Monday through Friday or between Noon and 6 p.m. ET on
Saturday; Dell Web site at www.1700printer.com or
toll-free at Dell (888) 245-3959 between 8 a.m. and 6
p.m. CT Monday through Friday; or IBM Web site at
www.printers.ibm.com or toll-free at (800) 426-7378
anytime.
Media Contacts: Julane Hamon, Lexmark
International at (859) 232-1536, or jhamon@lexmark.com.
Don Canfield, IBM at (303)924-4644 or doncan@us.ibm.com.
Jennifer Richard, Dell, at (512) 723-3309 or
Jennifer_Richard@dell.com.
Name of product: Wall Plug
Ethernet Bridge
Units: About 53,500 units
Manufacturer: NETGEAR Inc., of Santa
Clara, Calif.
Hazard: The plastic housing on these units
can detach, posing a shock hazard.
Incidents/Injuries: NETGEAR has received
one report from a consumer of a detached casing. No
injuries were reported.
Description: The Wall Plug Ethernet Bridge
is used to extend internet availability throughout a
home or business. It is 2.75 inches high, 3.5 inches
wide, and 2 inches thick, with a grayish silver plastic
housing. “NETGEAR” is written on the top of the housing.
The plastic housing contains a label with the model
number and the serial number on it. The model number is
XE102 and the serial numbers are XE12A32LB000001 through
XE12A32LB005000 and XE12134LB005021 through
XE12143LB053586.
Sold at: Various electronics stores, Web
sites, and through the NETGEAR Web site from February
2003 through May 2004 for between $50 and $80.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the
product immediately. Remove electrical power source to
the receptacle and unplug the unit. Contact the company
for a free repair kit. The free repair kit when affixed
will ensure that the plastic housing will not become
loose or separated.
Consumer Contact: Call NETGEAR Inc.,
toll-free at (800) 303-5507 anytime for a free repair
kit. Consumers also can register at the company’s Web
site www.netgear.com to order a free repair kit.
Name of product: Rechargeable
batteries used in 15-inch PowerBook G4 computers
Units: About 28,000
Computer Manufacturer: Apple Computer
Inc., of Cupertino, Calif.
Battery Manufacturer: LG Chem Ltd., of
South Korea
Problem: An internal short can cause the
battery cells to overheat, posing a fire hazard to
consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Apple has received
four reports of batteries overheating, though no
injuries have been reported.
Description: The recalled batteries are
used with the 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) laptop
computer. The batteries, which contain cells
manufactured during the last week of December 2003 only,
have the model number A1045 and serial numbers that
begin with HQ404, HQ405, HQ406, HQ407, or HQ408. The
model and serial numbers can be found on a label on the
bottom of the battery. The battery is approximately 4 ¾
inches long, 3 ¼ inches wide, and ¾ inches tall. No
other PowerBook or iBook batteries are involved in this
recall.
Sold at: National and regional resellers,
catalogers, and Apple’s online and retail stores sold
the computers with the batteries from January 2004
through August 2004 for between $2000 and $2600. The
batteries also were sold separately for about $130.
Assembled in: Taiwan
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the
recalled batteries immediately and contact Apple to
arrange for a replacement battery, free of charge.
Consumer Contact: Contact Apple at (800)
275-2273 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT Monday through
Sunday or log on to Apple’s Web site at www.apple.com/support/powerbook/batteryexchange
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Rob Rice is a computer specialist working
in Anchorage, Alaska. Rob can be contacted at articles@isp.com
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