Lenovo has announced a series of laptop models where they are issuing a complete recall for the batteries installed in the devices. 
These batteries were manufactured for use with ThinkPad notebook computers that shipped between February, 2010 and June, 2012.
- Edge 11, Edge 13, Edge 14, Edge 15, Edge 120, Edge 125, Edge 320, Edge 325, Edge 420, Edge 425, Edge 430, Edge 520, Edge 525, Edge 530
- X200, X201, X200S, X201S, X220, X220T, X100E, X120E, X121E, X130E
- T410, T420, T510, T520
- W510, W520
- L412, L420/421, L512, L520
- T430 (China and Europe only)
- X131E (Australia only)
If you have a laptop which is affected by this recall Lenovo will supply a new battery free of charge.
Most importantly they are advising that if you have a battery which is on the recall list you should immediately remove it from your laptop and not use the computer with the battery connected. You can still use the computer with the power supply in place.
This is a pretty significant caution and one which warrants every Lenovo Thinkpad user who has a laptop from the time period being referenced to check their battery. Lenovo has built a tool which can do this for you automatically if you are connected to the internet on the computer you are reviewing. You can access this tool here. Select your language preference then scroll down about halfway down the page and you will see a link which looks like this:
Click on the link (this one is not active) and you will download a small utility which will check your computer for you. If it comes up with a message that says battery not found then your battery is not part of the recall. I knew my computer I use to write this blog was not on the list but thought I would check anyway and it was a pretty painless process. If you suspect you are affected this is an easy check.
Lenovo has developed a good FAQ which explains the whole recall process for you and by following their instructions you will be able to get a replacement battery if your computer is affected.
Lenovo announced the recall in late March and then again in April so many people will have already become aware of the potential problem but it never hurts to check further just in case. The efforts the company has taken to advise people of the difficulties are significant and they are to be commended for persisting in reaching out to purchasers, vendors and media to ensure that users are protected.
Unfortunately product recalls do occur and it is one of the good reasons for registering your purchases with the manufacturer so you can receive direct notification of any issues. In this case, as with many computer related purchases not ever consumer will be on the manufacturer's notification list and further steps such as those taken are required.
If your Thinkpad laptop is from the time period, February 2010 to June 2012, check your laptop now to see if it is affected. Of course if you have picked up one used then it is a good idea to check no matter when it was bought to see if it is on the affected list. Lenovo says that 921,500 batteries which were shipped worldwide are affected by the recall.
Lee K
