Kyocera Recalls 7135 Smartphone Batteries

The US Consumer Product Safety commission and Kyocera have announced the voluntary recall of the batteries found in the Kyocera 7135 Smartphone. Consumers are recommended to stop using the affected battery immediately. Kyocera is replacing the batteries for free.

Kyocera says over 140,000 batteries in the 7135 Palm OS smartphone are affected in the recall. The recalled batteries are included in Kyocera model 7135 Smartphone cell phones. The black and silver flip-up phones say "Kyocera" at the top of the screen. The recalled batteries have the red and white Kyocera name printed on the front and a product code ending with -05 printed on the underside.

The recalled batteries can short-circuit and erupt with force or emit excessive heat, posing a burn hazard to consumers. Kyocera Wireless has received four reports of battery failures, including one minor burn injury. Coslight International Group, of Hong Kong, manufactured the batteries for Kyocera in China.

Verizon Wireless, US Cellular and ALLTEL Corporation stores, in addition to Web site and telemarketing retailers nationwide sold the cell phones with the -05 battery from September 2003 through December 2003 for about $500. The batteries also were sold separately during this time for about $21.

Consumers with the recalled units should immediately stop using the battery in the cell phone. Kyocera Wireless will contact consumers to arrange for delivery of a free replacement battery. If consumers are not contacted by Kyocera by Feb. 6, they are asked to contact the firm to receive the free replacement battery. The batteries should be stored in an environment with non-flammable materials. Kyocera Wireless can be reached at: (800) 349-4478 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit their Web site at kyocera-wireless.com.