SAN FRANCISCO - Dell, the world's largest personal computer maker, said on Monday it would recall 4.1 million notebook computer batteries after determining they could overheat and posed a fire hazard.
Dell said the voluntary recall, issued together with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, was the biggest in its 22-year history. The devices' lithium-ion batteries could, in rare cases, produce smoke and catch fire, Dell spokesman Jess Blackburn said.
No injuries have been tied to the defect, Dell said. Dell has received six reports of batteries overheating, causing damage to furniture and personal belongings, the safety commission said.
The recall comes as Dell is trying to refresh its image, launching a marketing campaign to demonstrate improvements in its customer service after the company was hit with complaints of inferior after-sales service. Dell is investing about $100 million this year and hiring 2,000 people to improve service.
The company also has taken a beating on Wall Street, with its stock falling 47 percent over the past 12 months while rival Hewlett-Packard Co.'s stock surged 37 percent. Dell's growth has slowed amid tougher competition.
The battery cell is used by other computer makers, including Apple Computer Inc. A spokeswoman said Apple was looking into the issue.
"We are currently investigating whether batteries that have been supplied to Apple for our current and previous notebook lines meet our high standards for battery safety and performance," said Apple spokeswoman Lynn Fox.
The recall of batteries in machines sold from April 2004 through last month spans the company's notebook lines, including Latitude, Inspiron and Precision models, Blackburn said. They ranged in price from $500 to $2,850, Dell said.
Blackburn also said that the recall would have no financial "material impact" on Round Rock, Texas-based Dell. Officials from Sony Energy Devices Corp. of Japan, which made the cells, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The recall involves 18 percent of Dell's 22 million notebook computers sold between April 2004 and July 2006. It comes three days before Dell is scheduled to report its fiscal second-quarter earnings.
The batteries are Dell-branded but contain Sony battery cells, spokesman Blackburn said.
Shares of Dell were down 27 cents, or 1.3 percent, at $20.97 in extended trading. Reuters
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Dell to recall notebook PC batteries
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