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Japanese Investigate iPod Fires

Lithium-ion battery tentatively blamed

By Joseph S. Enoch
ConsumerAffairs.com

May 2, 2007 

The product, model number MA099J/A, shot sparks while recharging in January in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo, the anonymous official from Japan's trade and economy ministry said.

Apple reported the problem to the agency in March and no one was injured, an Associated Press report said.

The source of what the ministry is categorizing as a "fire" is believed to be the Ipod's Lithium-ion battery. Apple did not return a phone call and an e-mail seeking comment.

ConsumerAffairs.com has widely reported the dangers of Lithium-ion batteries which are found in most rechargeable consumer electronics including mp3 players, cell phones and, most notably, laptops.

Sony was at the center of the largest electronics recall in history when in 2006 and 2007 the company recalled more than 10 million laptop batteries found in almost all the major laptop manufacturer's machines, including Apple.

"You have to pack more and more energy into a small package, and when you're doing that you're really creating a little bomb, especially when the battery is fully charged," said Carl Hilliard, president of the Wireless Consumers Alliance, a nonprofit organization that has tallied several incidents involving people injured by "exploding cell phones."

ConsumerAffairs.com has received no complaints from consumers saying their Ipod has exploded. However, hundreds of consumers have complained about the Ipod battery's short life cycle, programming glitches and defective screens.

Apple settled a class action lawsuit regarding the Ipod's battery life in 2005 and has also been sued over allegations involving a defective screen design.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission did not reply to an e-mail requesting comment.

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