Hewlett-Packard has issued a voluntary recall of more than 6 million notebook power cords over risks of fire, burns or property damage.
The PC maker is recalling more than 6 million faulty power cords that connect to its notebooks and select accessories. HP found the AC power cords sold with certain HP laptops could increase the risk of fire. The defective units can be identified with their model number LS-15, molded at the end of the AC adapter.
HP said the voluntary recall, announced on Tuesday, was its way to "provide the highest quality of service to our notebook customers." According to the notice submitted to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 29 incidents of overheating AC power cords were reported, along with two claims of minor burns and 13 property damage reports.
Customers are strongly advised to immediately stop using the AC power cord if they fall under the recall and request a free replacement.
Not all HP and Compaq notebooks were sold with black LS-15 cords. According to the tech giant, HP laptops, including Compaq notebooks, mini notebook computers among other AC adapter-powered accessories such as docking stations sold between September and June 2012, need a replacement power cord.
HP found most affected customers located in the U.S. and Canada. The recall notice on U.S. CPSC's webpage shows more than 5.5 million units of faulty power cords were sold in the U.S. Nearly 447,000 were in Canada.
HP has a history of malfunctioning power cords and batteries. According to CNET, the Palo Alto-based PC giant halted sales of Chromebook 11, after reports of overheating chargers last year. In 2011, HP notebook batteries were recalled due to overheating.
