Compaq Computer Corp. (Houston, TX) issued a worldwide voluntary recall of 1.4 million ac power adapters and their cords, used with Compaq Armada and Prosignia notebooks manufactured between September 1988 and July 2001 because of a problem that can cause the adapters and power cords to overheat.
There have been five reported incidents of fire and no reports of injury, according to Compaq. "We've worked very closely with the Consumer Product Safety Council to follow an orderly recall. We want to be very proactive to ensure the safety of our customers," stated Compaq spokesman Mike Hockey.
The fire risk comes from electrical arcing inside the brick-shaped, plastic case that houses the adapter. This causes heat to build up, deforming the case and potentially leading to a fire.
The recall focuses on adapters with the serial numbers PPP003, PPP003SD and PP2012. The adapters came with Armada models 100S, 110, V300, M300, E500, M700, 3500 and E500S, as well as Prosignia models 100, 170 and 190.
Compaq notebook owners with the affected systems should discontinue using the adapter and contact Compaq for a free replacement.
