HP last June recalled more than 40,000 lithium-ion notebook batteries due to fire and burn hazards after receiving seven reports of battery packs overheating, melting or charring. On Tuesday, HP voluntarily expanded the recall to include an additional 101,000 batteries that also pose a risk to consumers.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the expanded recall involves lithium-ion batteries containing Panasonic cells used in batteries compatible with HP, Compaq, HP ProBook, HP ENVY, Compaq Presario and HP Pavilion notebook computers sold between March 2013 and October 2016.
HP said affected models were sold online at www.hp.com and at Best Buy, Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart and other authorized dealers nationwide. Recalled batteries were also sold separately, we're told.
To determine if you have a faulty battery, simply check the barcode printed on the back of the battery. Batteries included in the expanded recall have barcodes starting with 6BZLU, 6CGFK, 6CGFQ, 6CZMB, 6DEMA, 6DEMH, 6DGAL and 6EBVA.
The CPSC said batteries previously identified as not being affected by the June 2016 recall could be included in this expanded recall.
If you have a battery that is part of the recall, you should immediately stop using it (remove it from the computer) and reach out to HP for a free replacement. In the interim, users are urged to use their system only when plugged into a power source.