Lenovo Announces 2nd Battery Recall Program

Lenovo is recalling certain 9-cell lithium-ion, rechargeable batteries that were used with various models of their portable lines sold between November 2005 and February 2007. There is a possibility that these batteries can overheat, which could cause a fire risk.

Affected machines sold in the United States include:

• Lenovo ThinkPad T60 and T60p
• Lenovo ThinkPad Z60m, Z61e, Z61m, and Z61p
• Lenovo ThinkPad R60 and R60e

These include some, but not all, of the Lenovo ThinkPad T60s and ThinkPad T60ps sold in the 2006 Back-To-School sale. These models may have shipped with either 6-cell or 9-cell batteries; only the 9-cell batteries with the part number FRU P/N 92P1131 are being recalled. These batteries were also sold during the affected period as replacement batteries for the listed models.

Lenovo is prepared to dispatch a replacement battery upon the receipt of a replacement order via web form (suggested) or telephone. Customers will be asked to return their old batteries to Lenovo to ensure proper disposal. A postage-paid envelope will be provided to do so.

No other ThinkPad batteries are part of this recall. The recall involves the specified batteries only, not the computers themselves.

Identifying your battery

Lenovo suggests, and Information Systems & Computing (ISC) agrees, that the most reliable and convenient way to identify a recalled battery is to download Lenovo's identification utility available here.

For users who do not wish to run this utility and/or are not running Microsoft Windows, Lenovo has an identification web form with a Battery Part Number Entry Box on their Battery Recall page.

To view the serial number label on the bottom of the battery, remove the battery from the computer. The battery serial number is printed in black or dark grey lettering beneath a barcode, in a form resembling that shown to the right. If your serial number does not match when entered into the web form, you do not need a replacement battery.

Whether you use the identification utility or the identification web form, the identification of a battery that is part of the recall will take you to a second web form which will start the exchange process.

For more information and pointers to instructions on how to inspect your battery, and how to begin the battery exchange process, see Lenovo's Battery Recall page.

--John Mulhern III, Senior Project Leader, ISC Technology Support Services (March 2, 2007)