With all those highly-publicized recalls of laptop batteries, we had yet to have an incident with any of the hundreds of laptops passing through our labs. Until now.
One of our engineers noticed that the two-year-old Apple MacBook Pro, which had been sitting unused and disconnected for a few months appeared to be lifting itself off the shelf! Sure enough, an inspection showed that its normally-flat-sided battery had gotten "fat" due to the expansion of one or more cells in its lithium-ion battery pack. (Click on the picture at right for a closer look.) There was no evidence of overheating or electrical trauma, just the plumping. Even the battery-condition meter on the side still indicated a partial charge.
We checked online, and this battery was NOT within the range of serial numbers included in the official Apple "battery exchange program" (now closed) of a couple years ago. But we also found other MacBook Pro owners' online complaints about expanding batteries; some hinted at a "silent recall" by Apple. We finally found this battery update notice (http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate) recommending a software update and offering a free replacement battery to MacBook and MacBook Pro owners whose batteries had "visibly deformed."
We called Apple's support number as a customer, and were connected to a very helpful representative who (after placing us on hold for several 10-minute periods) was able to authorize an immediate, overnight shipment of a new battery, free of charge, for our out-of-warranty laptop. We didn't even have to return the old battery. Aside from the long call, this speaks to why Apple tops our annual survey on computer tech support.
So, check your MacBook Pro for signs of battery bloat, and if the battery pack shows signs of "distress" (puffing up, warping, melting etc.), remove it from the computer and place it in a metal container away from any flammable objects, then call Apple for advice. Make sure you have installed the software update offered by Apple.
Should "fat" batteries be a safety concern, triggering a Consumer Product Safety Commission mandated recall? The Commission may want to look closer at this issue and ask Apple some serious questions. But, if it is determined that the batteries have been designed to "fail safely," there's probably no need for a recall, especially if Apple remains so responsive to its customers.
—Dean Gallea
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