Electronics retailer Best Buy is recalling 5,100 third-party built MacBook batteries. The batteries, built by manufacturer ATG, are being recalled after a number of users reported their units caught fire.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been 13 reports of the battery model catching fire, with one user suffering serious burns to their leg, the Associated Press reports.
The recall covers both the black and white versions of a $50 replacement battery sold by its Geek Squad repair department through its stores, or online from September 2008 to June 2012. The lithium-ion batteries, carry the model numbers “MC-MBOOK13B” (black batteries) and “MC-BOOK13W,” (white batteries) and were made by ATG, not by Apple.
While original reports incorrectly stated the batteries were a replacement unit for the MacBook Pro, they are not. These two particular models were built for Apple’s polycarbonate MacBooks, which Apple no longer sells.
Best Buy gave the following statement to Gizmodo:
After receiving reports from customers of these lithium ion batteries overheating when charging, we believe the right thing to do is to contact our customers and ask them to return the product for replacement or for a Best Buy gift card. While we are only one of many companies that may have sold these batteries, we feel they are a potential fire and burn hazard and want to keep our customers safe.
Best Buy will be contacting customers affected by the recall directly.
