(Bloomberg) – U.S. safety regulators started an official recall of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, about two weeks after the company halted sales of the devices following reports that they are susceptible to catching fire and exploding.
Samsung is recalling about 1 million of the phones because a battery flaw can lead to overheating, posing a serious burn hazard to consumers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday in a statement. That represents about 97 percent of the Note 7 devices that hit the U.S. market, CPSC chairman Elliot Kaye said at a press conference.
Short circuit
Samsung told regulators the phone's battery was slightly too big for its compartment and the tight space pinched the battery, causing it to short circuit, Kaye said.
"Last week the public heard our message to power down the phone. This week's message is go get a replacement or a refund," Kaye said. "Because this product presents such a serious fire hazard, I am urging all consumers, to take advantage of this recall right away."
A comprehensive report hasn't yet been released on the battery issue. Samsung said previously in a report to a Korean government agency that there was an error in production that pressured the plates within the battery cells and brought opposing poles into contact, which triggered the excessive heat. The company sent a separate report to China's inspection agency asserting that the problem came from separators sitting between the electrodes that could thin out and cause short-circuiting.
55 reports involving property damage
Customers who purchased the smartphone before September 15 should immediately stop using and turn off their phone, according to the CPSC. The agency advised consumers to contact their wireless carrier or a Samsung retail outlet to receive a new, free phone with a different battery, a refund or a replacement device. There have been about 92 reports of batteries overheating in the U.S., with 26 cases involving burns and 55 involving property damage, according to the CPSC.
New replacement phones will be available at most retail locations in the U.S. no later than Sept. 21, the Suwon, South Korea-based company said in a separate statement.
Samsung has been criticized for its lack of guidelines and for announcing its own replacement program on Sept. 2, rather than immediately working with the CPSC to issue an official recall.
Today's announcement gives the U.S. government the option of formally banning the phones on flights and makes it illegal to continue to sell them.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which regulates the items airlines can carry on flights, can bar products that have been recalled for safety reasons, according to its website. Currently, most airlines aren't allowing passengers to power up the phones or charge them on flights, based on a warning from the Federal Aviation Administration. The restrictions currently don't have the force of law.
The CPSC is responsible for ensuring the safety of consumer products and coordinates with companies to rectify problems and minimize injuries when things go wrong. For product recalls, the general procedure in the U.S. is for a company to reach out to the agency and jointly create a statement to be issued by government officials that covers the scope of affected units, the exact problem and the remedy.
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