Toshiba issues big recall for laptop batteries over fire fears

Toshiba has issued a recall for Li-Ion battery packs sold with certain models of its laptops and notebooks due a risk of the device catching fire. 

The hardware company yesterday advised customers to immediately turn off their PC and remove their battery to check whether their device was affected.

The vendor is offering free replacement battery packs for customers with affected units.

Around 54 different PC models are affected, sold nationally from retail stores like Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi from June 2011 to September 2015. A full list can be found here.

"There is a risk that the rechargeable battery pack may overheat, cause smoke or may ignite," Toshiba warned.

"If the defect occurs, there is a risk of a fire or a burn hazard to consumers."

Fellow hardware vendor Panasonic was also this week forced to recall rechargeable battery packs due to a fire hazard.

Panasonic CF-S10 ruggedised laptops built between April 2012 and June 2013 were affected.

"There is a risk that the battery pack may overheat and cause smoke or may ignite posing the risk of fire or burn hazard to consumers and to the [computer]," Panasonic said.