October 28, 2004
Kyocera is recalling the batteries in about one million cell phones. Some of the batteries may be counterfeit. This can cause the batteries to short-circuit, overheat and pose burn hazard to consumers.
Kyocera has received 14 reports of battery failures, resulting in smoke and minor property damage. Two minor burn injuries have been reported.
The recalled batteries are included in Kyocera Slider, K400, and 3200 Series cell phones. Below is additional information about the cell phones and recalled batteries:
| Cell Phone Model Name | Cell Phone Model Number | Battery Model Numbers | Battery Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slider Series | SE44/SE47 | CV90-L305N-01 CV90-L305P-01 CV90-L305T-01 CV90-L349T-01 | Battery has the Kyocera name printed in red and
black along with the model number |
| K400 Series Phantom Blade Rave | KE413 KE433 KE/KX414 KE/KX424 KE/KX434 | CV90-K3040-03 CV90-K3040-09 CV90-K3040-10 CV90-K3040-11 | Battery has the Kyocera name printed in red and
white along with the model number |
| 3200 Series |
3225 3250 (Appears above or below phone display) | CV90-K3040-03 CV90-K3040-09 CV90-K3040-10 CV90-K3040-11 | Battery has the Kyocera name printed in red and
white along with the model number |
The phones were sold at: ALLTEL, Virgin Mobile, Cricket Communications, MetroPCS, US Cellular and Verizon Wireless stores nationwide; telemarketing retailers; various Web sites; and regional phone carriers sold the cell phones with the recalled batteries. The 3200 Series and K400 Series phones were sold from December 2003 to September 2004 for between $30 and $100. Slider Series phones were sold from May 2004 to September 2004 for between $30 and $170. The recalled batteries were also sold separately during the same periods for between $30 and $60.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled batteries in their cell phones. Kyocera will contact consumers directly to arrange for delivery of a free replacement battery. If consumers with recalled batteries are not contacted by Kyocera, they should call the company to receive a free replacement battery. The batteries should be stored in an environment with non-flammable materials.
Consumer Contact: Call Kyocera Wireless Corp. toll-free at (866) 559-3882 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or request a replacement battery online at www.kyocera-wireless.com.
The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
