Updated at 1:42 PM ET with updated statement from HP and percentage of laptops affected.
HP is issuing a voluntary recall for the batteries inside several of its laptops. The move comes after the company discovered that a small percentage of these systems could pose a safety concern for customers.
This action pertains to 0.1 percent of the HP systems sold globally over the past two years, and of those models affected, only 3 percent of those laptops could potentially overheat as a result of the battery issue. But you should still take action if your notebook is on the following list.
The systems impacted by the recall are:
- HP ProBook (64x G2 and G3, 65x G2 and G3)
- HP x360 310 G2
- HP ENVY m6
- HP Pavilion x360
- HP 11 notebooks
- HP ZBook (17 G3, 17 G4, Studio G3)
To find out if your laptop’s battery should be replaced, HP is asking that you visit this page and download a battery validation tool that will run on your machine. HP will then come directly to your home or place of business to perform the replacement, once you set up an appointment.
If it turns out that your HP laptop battery does need to be replaced, you’ll be able to still use your machine, but only while it’s plugged in. The downloaded software will enable a battery safety mode that will fully discharge the battery; after that, you’ll be able to use the laptop on AC power. Once the battery is replaced, this limitation will be lifted.
So what exactly happened? HP has identified a specific battery supplier to be the source of the issue. “No matter how small the number, we want to be treating this super seriously,” said Mike Nash, HP’s vice president of customer experience. “It was a very isolated issue in the manufacturing. And it's a thing we all learned from.”
HP provided the following statement to Laptop Mag:
The quality and safety of all HP products is our top priority. We recently learned that batteries provided by one of our suppliers for certain notebook computers and mobile workstations present a potential safety concern. We are taking immediate action to address this issue including a voluntary recall and replacement of the batteries. This action pertains to 0.1 percent of the HP systems sold globally over the past two years.
Customers can visit HP’s site to learn if their battery should be replaced. Impacted customers will have their batteries replaced free of charge and may continue safely using their device by placing the battery in Safety Mode and connecting to an external power source.
