NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2007
Release #07-118

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 426-7378
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Lenovo Recalls ThinkPad Notebook PC Extended-Life Batteries Due to Fire
Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - 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
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of product: Lithium-ion extended-life batteries used in ThinkPad
notebook computers.

Units: About 100,000 battery packs (an additional 105,000 battery packs
were sold worldwide)

Battery Distributor: Lenovo (United States) Inc., of Research Triangle
Park, N.C.

Battery Manufacturer: Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., of Japan

Hazard: If the battery in the laptop is struck forcefully on the corner,
such as from a direct fall to the ground, the battery pack can overheat
and pose a fire hazard to users. This is not an internal battery cell
defect.

Incidents/Injuries: Lenovo has received four reports of batteries
overheating and damaging the notebook. This caused damage to the
notebook computers, minor property damage and, in one case, minor eye
irritation to one consumer.

Description: Lenovo sold these extended-life batteries with new ThinkPad
notebook PCs or as optional or replacement batteries for the following
ThinkPad notebook models: R Series (R60 and R60e), T Series (T60 and
T60p) and Z Series (Z60m, Z61e, Z61m, and Z61p). The recalled 9-cell
batteries have the following part number, which can be found on the
battery label: FRU P/N 92P1131.

Sold through: Lenovo's Web sites, telephone and direct sales, and Lenovo
authorized distributors nationwide between November 2005 and February
2007, as an accessory for about $180, and as part of a ThinkPad notebook
computer for between $750 and $3,500.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled batteries and contact
Lenovo for additional information and to receive a free replacement
battery. Consumers should use only ThinkPad batteries obtained from
either Lenovo or an authorized reseller.

Consumer Contact: Customers should contact Lenovo at (800) 426-7378
anytime, or log on to www.lenovo.com/batteryprogram to determine if the
battery is part of the recall and to order a replacement battery.

Note: In September 2006, Lenovo conducted a recall of batteries
manufactured by another firm for a different problem.

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the
recalled product, please go to:
[www.cpsc.gov]