NEWS Sony is recalling around 438,000 Vaio TZ-series notebooks worldwide.
The notebooks may overheat and cause burns, the company said on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by Sony and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the problem is related to irregularly positioned wires near the computer's hinge and/or a dislodged screw inside the hinge, which can cause a short circuit and overheating.
The problem affects notebooks in the Vaio VGN-TZ100 series, VGN-TZ200 series, VGN-TZ300 series and VGN-TZ2000 series that were sold through the Sony Style stores and website, as well as electronics retailers and authorised business-to-business dealers, from July 2007 to August 2008.
Sony has received 15 reports of overheating, including one from a user who suffered a minor burn. The company said it would inspect and repair affected computers, if needed.
Users are advised to visit the company's support web page.
In 2006, Sony had to conduct a multi-million-dollar battery recall due to overheating issues.