Gateway Inc. Recalls Defective Notebook Batteries

[hausdok]

Washington, D.C./June 19th - Release #07-219

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using the recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Gateway Lithium Ion Battery Packs

Units: About 14,000

Battery Distributor: Gateway Inc., of Irvine, Calif.

Hazard: These lithium-ion battery packs can overheat, which could pose afire hazard to consumers. This is not an internal battery cell defect.

Incidents/Injuries: Gateway has received four reports of battery packs overheating, including minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled battery packs were shipped as the primary or spare battery pack for some Gateway 400VTX and 450ROG series notebooks, and are identified by part numbers: 6500760 or 6500761. The part number and "made by SMP" are printed on a label on the underside of the battery pack.

Sold through: Gateway's professional and direct distributors and Gateway Country stores nationwide from May 2003 through August 2003. The computers with these batteries sold for between $1,200 and $2,400 and individual batteries sold for between $60 and $90.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these recalled batteries immediately and contact Gateway to receive a replacement battery. Consumers can continue to use the notebook computers safely by turning the system off, removing the battery pack, and using the AC adapter and power cord to power the system until the replacement battery is received.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Gateway at (800)292-6813 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. CT seven days a week or visit the company's Web site at www.gateway.com/battery

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to:http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07219.html

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.