ESPOO, Finland – A potential recall surrounding some 46 million batteries in Nokia mobile phones was issued this morning by one of the largest cell phone makers in the world.
The Nokia-branded BL-5C battery manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006 is the lone battery affected and "this product advisory does not apply to any other Nokia-branded battery," states the company’s press release.
Nokia says that in rare cases the affected batteries could experience overheating initiated by a short circuit while charging, causing the battery to dislodge. "Nokia is working closely with Matsushita and will be cooperating with relevant authorities to investigate this situation," says the release. So far about 100 such incidents have been reported with no serious injuries or property damage.
Nokia has several suppliers for BL-5C batteries who have collectively produced more than 300 million BL-5C batteries but this advisory applies only to Matsushita-made ones.
Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery. "According to Nokia’s knowledge this issue does not affect any other use of the mobile device," says the release.
Consumers can request a replacement for any BL-5C battery (the affected items are pictured below.
For more, go to www.nokia.com/batteryreplacement or call, in the US, 1-888-259-4399, and in Canada 1-888-226-6542.
