The following article was posted on Toshiba laptop battery recall affects 9,000 units in Canada

Last Updated: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 | 12:54 PM ET




Toshiba Corp. has issued a worldwide recall of 340,000 laptop computer batteries manufactured by Sony Corp., including 9,000 sold in Canada, because of problems associated with recharging the cells.
The recall, announced Tuesday, is the third recall of Sony-made batteries since August.
"Around 9,000 units are potentially affected in Canada," Toshiba Canada spokeswoman Sherry Lyons told CBC in an e-mail message.
The batteries pose no safety risk and were manufactured between March and May of this year, Toshiba says in a notice on its Canadian website. The power cells were shipped with computers in the Satellite, Satellite Pro and Tecra lines.
"The affected battery packs simply stop working, i.e. stop accepting a charge, and they no longer supply power to the computer. They do not overheat, or pose any safety related issue or concern," the notice says. "This issue has no relation with the problem reported by Dell Inc. and Apple Computer, Inc., in their recalls of battery packs."
Affected models include Toshiba's Satellite A100, M70 and M100; Satellite Pro A100 and M70; and Tecra A6 and A7.

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Spokespeople for Toshiba were unable to immediately say how many of the affected units are in Canada.
String of problems
The recall is another in a string of embarrassing problems related to lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Sony.
On Monday Virgin Atlantic banned the use of battery-powered Apple or Dell laptop computers on international flights because there have been recalls related to concerns that they could overheat and catch fire. The laptops may only be used if they are running on in-seat power.
Virgin, Qantas and Korean Air halted the use of the battery-powered laptops after Dell and Apple issued recalls last month.
In August Dell recalled 4.1 million laptop batteries and days later Apple recalled 1.8 million.
Dell said in a statement that the recall would affect approximately 95,000 battery packs sold to customers in Canada.
Battery packs contain cells of rolled up metal strips. Sony said that during production, the crimping of the rolls left tiny shards of metal loose in the cells that were supplied to Dell and Apple. Sometimes those shards can cause batteries to short-circuit.

so then if you have a toshiba laptop, then where do you bring it if the battery is recalled?

Toshiba Battery Pack Exchange ProgramToshiba has identified a problem with some of the battery packs in Toshiba portable computers. The affected battery packs simply stop working, i.e. stop accepting a charge, and they no longer supply power to the computer. They do not overheat, or pose any safety related issue or concern.

The affected battery packs were sold with several Toshiba portable computer models, and were also sold as accessories. The problem has been fixed by the third-party battery vendor. Battery packs manufactured since June 1, 2006 are not affected by this problem.

Toshiba is offering to replace affected battery packs free of charge. This offer extends to affected battery packs only – those that are known to have this problem. Toshiba will replace affected battery packs whether or not they have actually failed. Toshiba’s intent is to ensure as few customers as possible from experiencing this problem

Since the problem is confined to the battery pack itself, and is not related to the computer that uses the battery pack, this exchange program is for replacement of affected battery packs only.

The affected battery packs were included in certain Toshiba portable computer models. Some - not all – of the battery packs used in these models are affected.

Satellite A100, Satellite Pro A100

• PSAA0C-LE400E
• PSAA0C-LE400F
• PSAA0C-LE600E
• PSAA0C-LE600F
• PSAA2C-LE100E
• PSAA2C-LE100F
• PSAA3C-ED10XE
• PSAA3C-ED10XF
• PSAA6C-ED20XE
• PSAA6C-ED20XF
• PSAA8C-0FH00E
• PSAA8C-0FH00F
• PSAA8C-SK400E
• PSAA8C-SK400F
• PSAA8C-SK800E
• PSAA8C-SK800F
• PSAA8C-SK800C

Satellite M70, Satellite Pro M70

• PSM70C-DL400F
• PSM70C-SR300E
• PSM73C-CL100E
• PSM73C-CL300E
• PSM73C-CL300F
• PSM75C-GM30XE
• PSM75C-GM30XF
• PSM75C-GM50XE
• PSM75C-GM50XF

Satellite A110, Satellite Pro A110

• PSAB6C-CF100E
• PSAB6C-CF100F
• PSAB1C-GM60XE
• PSAB1C-GM60XF
• PSAB1C-GM80XE
• PSAB1C-GM80XF

Satellite M100

• PSMA0C-JG200E
• PSMA0C-JG200F

Tecra A6, A7

• PTA61C-CV301E
• PTA71C-LL201E

Some – not all – of the Toshiba option battery packs with the following three model numbers are affected by this problem:
PA3399U-2BAS PA3400U-1BAS PA3465U-1BAS

Other Toshiba option battery packs are not affected by this problem, and are not eligible for exchange under this program.

If your computer is not among the models listed above, and if you do not have one of the option battery packs listed above, then please disregard the remainder of this document and any other material regarding the Toshiba Battery Pack Exchange Program.

Battery Pack identification

If you own one or more of the Toshiba computer models, or one or more of the option battery packs listed above, then please determine whether or not the battery packs are actually among those affected by the problem described above. By far, the easiest and most accurate way to make this determination is with Toshiba’s BatteryCheck utility software. The BatteryCheck utility software will identify whether or not the battery pack in a Toshiba portable computer is affected by the problem described above. If it finds an affected battery pack, it will display the notebook and battery pack identification information. It will also launch your web browser and open the Toshiba Authorize Service Provider Locator page. Please go to the nearest authorized service provider to have your battery pack replaced.

The BatteryCheck can be downloaded quickly. Click to download the Battery Check utility software, then run it and follow the simple on-screen instructions.

If you do not want to download and use the BatteryCheck utility software, follow the instructions in the document to determine whether or not you have an affected battery pack, and to then obtain the Battery Pack Number and Battery Pack Serial Number. This manual method requires that you remove the battery pack from the computer, and then match identification numbers on the battery pack’s identification label with those listed in the Manual Battery Pack Identification document. Use of the downloadable utility is the preferred and recommended method to perform battery pack identification.

If you need help with the identification process you may call the Toshiba Global Support Center, at 1 800-663-0378.(Last Updated: September 26, 2006)

Toshiba Battery Pack Exchange Program - Frequently Asked Questions
The following frequently asked questions address some questions you may have about the Toshiba Battery Pack Exchange Program. Please refer to the document for detailed information about how to identify a battery pack that is eligible for replacement, and for instructions on how to submit a replacement request.


Q4: How can I get my battery pack replaced?

A4: If the BatteryCheck utility or visual inspection confirms that you have an affected battery pack, please go to the nearest Toshiba Authorized Service Provider and they will replace the affected battery pack at no cost to you.

Q5: What is the deadline to participate in the replacement program and receive the replacement battery pack?

A5: The Toshiba Battery Pack Exchange Program will be effective until December 31, 2006. Please apply for the replacement battery pack before the exchange program expires.

Q7: Do I have to replace the battery pack even though I haven’t had any problems?

A7: No. However, if your notebook PC has one of the affected battery packs, Toshiba recommends that the battery pack be replaced regardless of any symptoms that may occur.

Q8: What should I do if the BatteryCheck utility does not seem to be working on my system?

A8: If the utility does not work as expected you may choose to inspect your battery pack visually by removing it from the notebook PC and examining the attached label. See the document for more details.