To determine if you have an affected battery, consult the table below. You must remove the battery to check its serial number. Turn off all power to your laptop before removing the battery.

Match your computer model to the first five digits of your battery's serial number (under the bar code).

ACER

http://www.acerbatteryrecall.com/AcerWeb/

APPLE

To order a replacement battery, visit Apple's Battery Exchange Program site.

For additional support, contact Apple at 800-275-2273.

Dell

4.2 million Dell batteries have been recalled. The possible systems affected are:

• Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810
• Inspiron: 500M, 510M, 600M, 700M, 710M, 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, E1505, E1705
• Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90
• XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

Check your battery if you have one of the above systems. Also, check your battery if you received a replacement between April 1, 2004, and July 18, 2006. Here are the steps to check your battery:

Step 1: Turn your laptop off and remove your battery. If you have an affected battery, it will have specific words written on the back. Look for the words "DELL" along with "Made in Japan," "Made in China," or "Battery cell made in Japan, Assembled in China." If you have one of these combinations, your model may be affected. If those words are not present, you are not subject to the recall.

Step 2: Check the following chart for your battery PPID (Dell Part Piece Identification) number. To find it, look for the barcode label. The PPID will be the five-letter-and-number combination following the first four characters. For example, if your code begins as JP - 3F5132 -, your PPID would be F5132. If your battery PPID is listed below, your battery may be affected. If it is not listed, your computer is not subject to the recall.

If your battery is listed, go to the Dell Battery Return Program site. You will be prompted for  your PPID information. Dell will immediately inform you if your battery qualifies for the recall. If so, you will be able to continue the order process for a new battery through Dell's site.

For additional technical support, contact Dell at 866-342-0011.

Fujitsu

Fujitsu says its computers have suffered no incidents. However, the company uses Sony batteries. So, it is recalling 338,000 battery packs.

Laptop models subject to the recall include the following:

For more information, visit Fujitsu's site.

Gateway

Gateway is also participating in a voluntary recall program. Gateway's recall includes approximately 35,000 battery packs. The possible computer models and batteries affected are as follows:

If your model is listed, visit Gateway's Web site. You will need to use thier Battery Lookup Tool to confirm if you have an affected battery.

Contact Gateway for more information at 800-292-6813.

Lenovo

Lenovo has recalled 526,000 batteries made by Sony. These batteries were sold between February, 2005, and September, 2006. The affected laptops are:

• ThinkPad R51e, R52, R60, R60e
• ThinkPad T43, T43p, T60, T60p
• ThinkPad X60, X60s

Replacement batteries may also be subject to the recall. They qualify if ordered or replaced between February, 2005, and September, 2006, for:

• ThinkPad R50, R50e, R50p, R51
• ThinkPad T40, T40p, T41, T41p, T42, T42p

If you have one of the above systems, check your battery part numbers. Note that only some batteries with these part numbers are being recalled. If your battery is not listed, it is not subject to the recall.

 

Batteries listed above must be further checked. You can use Lenovo's automated solution.

Or, you can enter your battery bar code number. This information is on the battery. Lenovo provides information on removing specific batteries. Enter the bar code number. Lenovo will tell you if your battery has been recalled.

For additional information or support, call Lenovo at 800-426-7378.

 

Sony

Sony has recalled almost 3.5 million batteries. Select Sony, Gateway, Toshiba and Fujitsu laptop batteries are included in the recall. Some models have been previously recalled by manufacturers. Others have not. Gateway is a new addition to the battery recall.

The following chart displays the batteries and models included in the recall:

If you have a Sony VAIO computer, check if your computer and battery models are included in the chart. If so, visit Sony's site for more information.

For further assistance, call 888-476-6972.

Toshiba

Toshiba has recalled 830,000 batteries. Toshiba said there have been no reports of its laptop batteries overheating. The company said the recall is preventative.

The following Toshiba portable computer models may be subject to the recall:

Do you have one of the computer models or battery packs listed above? If so, Toshiba provides two options to verify replacement eligibility.

First, you can use Toshiba's BatteryCheck utility software. Or, you can manually check your battery for possible replacement. Both options are explained on Toshiba's site after selecting your laptop model. For further support, contact the Toshiba Global Support Center at 800-457-7777.

Sharp and Hitachi

Sharp and Hitachi have recalled battery packs as well. But the affected notebooks were only sold in Japan.