Recall ordered after nine microUSB chargers overheat; future orders to ship with new charger
HP and Google have recalled wall chargers for the Chromebook 11 after receiving reports that some adapters have overheated, resulting in burns and damage to property. According to a listing on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website, Google has received nine reports of overheating, including one report of “a small burn to a consumer” and another of “minor property damage to a pillow.”
“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled charger for the HP Chromebook 11 and contact Google for a free replacement charger,” the Commission says. Google has issued an updated statement today apologizing for the issue, and an official web form allows Chromebook 11 owners to enter their details and receive a free, updated charger in the mail.
It’s been just over a month since Google first halted sales of the Chromebook 11 over charger overheating concerns, shortly after which the company advised owners to stop using the bundled adapter and use another microUSB charger instead. Earlier this month a new charger design appeared on the Google Play Store, and presumably it’s this model Google will be shipping to Chromebook 11 owners with the defective unit.
Google says it’s resuming sales of the Chromebook 11 and that all future orders will come with the updated charger, however at the time of writing the device still hasn’t reappeared for sale.
Source: CPSC via The Verge; Google Chrome blog