Recalls of Sony batteries push share price down

TOKYO - Sony shares fell about 1 per cent yesterday after it launched a global replacement programme for batteries in the wake of yet another recall by notebook PC makers of potentially faulty Sony-made battery packs.

Lenovo Group and IBM are recalling more than half a million notebook computer batteries made by Sony after a computer caught fire at Los Angeles International Airport.

Sony separately initiated a global replacement programme for lithium-ion batteries it made for notebook PC companies, saying short circuits could occur on rare occasions when tiny metal particles come in contact with other parts of the batteries.

Lenovo and IBM's move to recall ThinkPad batteries brings the number of battery cells recalled to more than 6 million since Dell in August said it was recalling 4.1 million notebook batteries made by Sony.

Apple Computer on August 25 announced a recall of 1.8 million lithium-ion batteries made by Sony.

Lenovo, the world's third-largest PC maker after Dell and Hewlett-Packard, bought IBM's PC division in May 2005 and has continued to sell machines with IBM's ThinkPad brand.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall affects 168,500 battery packs sold in the United States and about 357,500 packs sold internationally.

- REUTERS