Sony Recalls Vaio Notebooks For Overheating Problem

Just when I was about to open my pocket book and buy a new Sony Vaio TZ notebook, I hear this craptacular news: “The company’s Vaio TZ-series may have irregularly positioned wires and/or a dislodged screw near the computer’s hinge that can cause a short circuit.” Great….Sony now has to recall almost 500,000 laptops. The recall effects 19 Vaio TZ models manufactured between May 2007 and July 2008. In the U.S. the flawed models include the Vaio VGN-TZ100 series, VGN-TZ200 series, VGN-TZ300 series, and VGN-TZ2000 series.

Details after the break:

Sony (NYSE: SNE) has recalled 440,000 Vaio notebooks worldwide because of an overheating problem that has caused more than a half dozen minor injuries.
The recall of Vaio TZ-series PCs was due to “irregularly positioned wires” and/or a dislodged screw near the computer’s hinge that can cause a short circuit, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement. The commission said Sony has recalled about 73,000 notebooks in the U.S. and worldwide, however, the recall covers a total of 440,000 units, The Associated Press reported.

ithin the U.S., Sony has received 15 reports of overheating, including from one person who suffered a minor burn, the commission said. Worldwide, Sony has received 209 reports, including a total of seven reports of minor burns, the AP said.
Globally, the recall covers 19 Vaio TZ models manufactured between May 2007 and July 2008. In the U.S. the flawed models include the Vaio VGN-TZ100 series, VGN-TZ200 series, VGN-TZ300 series, and VGN-TZ2000 series. The PCs have 11-inch screen sizes and cost between $1,700 and $4,000. They were built in Japan and the United States.

Not all Vaio TZ notebooks have the wiring problem, so U.S. owners are asked to call Sony toll free at 888-526-6219 or visit the company’s support site to arrange to have the computers inspected and repaired, if needed.

Until consumers check the safety of the notebooks, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has advised them to stop using the PCs immediately.

This Sony recall comes two years after the consumer electronics maker issued a massive recall of batteries that caused some notebooks to overheat and even burst into flames. That recall affected notebooks built by Apple, Dell, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard and Sony.

TOKYO – Sony Corp. said Thursday that overheating notebook computers slightly injured seven people and urged customers to bring in some 440,000 units for repairs.

More than 200 laptop computers of Sony’s Vaio TZ series, manufactured from May 2007 to July 2008, overheated, the company said. Of the cases, 83 were reported in Japan and the rest overseas.

Seven people suffered light burns which were not serious, it said.

Sony urged the owners of 440,000 laptop computers, which span 280 models, to come to the manufacturer for free repairs.

“The laptop computers overheat in the section connecting the display and the keyboard, as the joint section bites into a bunch of wires inside the computer,” a Sony spokesman said.

But the company will not recall the products because there is no risk of fires or serious injuries, the spokesman said.

Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/desktop/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210300559

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