After the Laptop Battery Advisories come the mobile phone battery nightmares. There have been a lot of mobile explosions due to improper usage and charging. Nokia has just issued a product advisory for Matsushita branded BL-5C batteries.
BL-5C is used in a lot of nokia phones
Nokia Press Release
Nokia announces product advisory for BL-5C battery
Espoo, Finland – Nokia today issued a product advisory for the Nokia-branded BL-5C battery manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006. This product advisory does not apply to any other Nokia-branded battery.
Nokia has identified that in very rare cases the Nokia-branded BL-5C batteries subject to the product advisory could potentially experience overheating initiated by a short circuit while charging, causing the battery to dislodge. Nokia is working closely with Matsushita and will be cooperating with relevant authorities to investigate this situation.
Nokia has several suppliers for BL-5C batteries who have collectively produced more than 300 million BL-5C batteries. This advisory applies only to the 46 million batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006, from which there have been approximately 100 incidents of overheating reported globally. No serious injuries or property damage have been reported.
Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery. According to Nokia’s knowledge this issue does not affect any other use of the mobile device.
While the occurrences in the BL-5C batteries produced by Matsushita in the time-period specified are very rare, concerned consumers can request a replacement for any BL-5C battery subject to this product advisory.
It is important to note that the BL-5C battery is not used in all Nokia products and that only a portion of the Nokia BL-5C batteries in use are subject to this advisory.
How to identify a BL-5C battery manufactured by Matsushita during the relevant period
In order to determine if a battery is subject to this advisory, it is necessary to remove the battery from the device. A Nokia battery will have “Nokia” and “BL-5C” printed on the front of the battery. On the reverse, the Nokia mark appears at the top and the battery identification number (consisting of 26 characters) is found at the bottom. Consumers should refer to this identification number to determine if their battery is among the batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006. A comparison of that number with those subject to this advisory will determine a consumer’s ability to obtain a replacement free of charge.
Consumers should visit the website www.nokia.com/batteryreplacement or contact their local Nokia call center.
About the BL-5C battery
The BL-5C is one of 14 different battery models used in Nokia products. As with many of its components, Nokia has a multi-supplier strategy for batteries, including the BL-5C. Matsushita is one of several suppliers Nokia has for the BL-5C battery.
A list of Nokia products that include the BL-5C battery is available at www.nokia.com/batteryreplacement.
