Panasonic Australia has expanded its product recall of CF-H2 rechargeable battery packs used in its primarily B2B range of Toughbook tablet computers.
The original recall only affected products sold between 1 June 2011 and 31 May 2012. The expanded recall now covers the period from 1 June 2011 to 30 June 2014.
This recall applies to batteries sold as part of a tablet computer and as an optional accessory. Panasonic estimates that 1,602 tablets are subject to this recall, along with 840 battery accessories.
“Panasonic Corporation has identified there is a rare possibility the battery pack could overheat and cause smoke or may ignite,” the company said in a statement. “This poses a risk of fire or a burn hazard to consumers and to the CF-H2 Panasonic Tablet. There have been no reports of fires or injuries in Australia.
“At Panasonic Australia, the safety of our customers is paramount and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. The battery packs will be replaced free of charge and Panasonic is working to ensure this extended recall is completed as quickly as possible.”
The model number of the battery packs is: CF-VZSU53AW. Affected batteries can be identified by the ‘Lot Number’, which is printed on the battery. Affected Lot Numbers are: B, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C93, C94, C96, C9C, C9J, C9K.
Affected customers should immediately turn off their tablet, remove the battery pack (and there are normally two per tablet) and only use the AC adapter to power the tablet. To arrange for a free battery replacement, customers should contact Panasonic on 1300 665 507 (8:30am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday) or via email to panasonicCFH2battery@panasonic.mailus.com.au.
Customers should also note that the previous recall still applies and interested parties can read about those details at this link.