HP has recalled around 135,000 lithium ion rechargeable battery packs worldwide after several melted or charred the plastic cases of laptops.
The battery is used with the HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario, HP Compaq and Compaq Evo laptops, company spokesperson, Mike Hockey, said. The battery was made by a third-party vendor that HP would not identify.
Hockey said the company received 16 reports of batteries overheating, with four cases of damage to the laptops. No injuries have been reported.
According to a local spokesperson, about two per cent, or 2700, of those products affected were located in the Asia-Pacific region. The company would not specify Australian figures.
The models affected are: HP Pavilion zv5000, ze5000 and ze4000, and Presario R3000, 2100, and 2500. Batteries from Compaq series notebooks nc6000, nc/nw8000, nx5000, 9000, 9005, 9100 and 9010 are also being recalled.
HP recommends these notebook computers should be used under A/C power as designed until the replacement battery pack arrives.
Consumers can verify if they have the battery pack in question by going to www.hp.com/support/batteryreplacement or by phoning 131047. A new battery would be sent to Australian customers in 7-10 days. A postage-paid envelope would be provided to return the old one, Hockey said.