Sony has warned that almost half a million of its Vaio notebooks are at risk of overheating and could pose a risk of burns to owners.
The problem is found in Vaio models with serial numbers beginning F11 and CW2, the company said in a notification on Wednesday. The total number of devices affected could reach up to 509,000 units world-wide, 90,000 of which are located in Europe, it said.
"In rare instances, a malfunction can occur when the unit is in recharging mode while not being used and implements its automatic shutdown process in response to detection of insufficient battery power, and is then plugged into an AC power outlet. In rare instances, this causes the internal temperature management systems to malfunction," Sony said.
The computer manufacturer received 30 complaints from customers about the overheating issue, though no injuries have been reported, according to a statement from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on the problem. However, the overheating could deform keyboards and casings on the Vaio and pose a potential burn hazard, Sony said.
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Owners of Vaio laptops with model numbers beginning VPCF11 and VPCW2 are being urged to download updated Bios settings, which Sony said will provide a full fix for the problem. "The new version Bios improves the reset timing of the power supply of a chip set and enhances the detection of any malfunctioning status," the company said.
In the US, the CPSC has issued a voluntary recall for the models affected, which means that customers there have the option of sending the units back to Sony for repair, according to a spokesperson for the manufacturer. No product recall has been launched in the UK, the spokesperson added.
Sony Vaios have suffered overheating problems in the past: in September 2008, the company recalled 438,000 TZ-series notebooks worldwide after an issue with the hinge led to one person being burned.
Customers can visit Sony's eSupport site to check which serial numbers are affected and to get instructions on installing the updated firmware. The update is also available using the Vaio Update button on the laptop, which will download and install the tweaked Bios.
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