Reports are circulating this morning that Sony has recalled 1.6 million flat-panel Bravia TVs sold in several countries since 2007, because a faulty component in the backlight system may overheat, potentially causing the television to melt or catch fire. Other outlets, including the U.K.'s TechRadar.com, say that this is not a recall, but that Sony said there is a problem with overheating components and is offering free inspections of potentially affected Bravia sets. We've reached out to Sony to confirm and will update the post with the company's reply. [11:20 AM: Updated with Sony's reply, below.]
From Sony:
It has come to our attention through reports in Japan that in rare cases a particular component incorporated in certain models of 40" BRAVIA LCD HDTVs was damaged and as a result, may overheat and at times ignite inside the television.
The 40" models affected include KDL-40V3000, KDL-40VL130, KDL-40W3000, KDL-40WL135, KDL-40XBR4, and KDL-40XBR5.
Sony has sold nearly 400,000 of these TVs in the U.S. and no incidents have been reported to date.
While we have no reports of any resulting damages to other property or bodily injuries, Sony offers all customers of the affected models a free in-home evaluation for the covered product.
U.S. customers who have a covered TV can visit www.updatemytv.com or call toll-free (888) 868-7389 to schedule a dedicated service technician to perform an evaluation.
As a leading TV brand in the U.S. market long known for its quality and reliability, Sony is committed to addressing this issue proactively.
Sony recalled certain LCD TVs after a September incident in which a customer noticed a small fire and smoke. Eleven incidents have been reported in Japan since 2008. The recall of some 40-inch Bravia LCD models was first announced in Japan, but will affect consumers in the U.S. and U.K. as well because the televisions were sold worldwide.
Affected models, according to the website Product Reviews, include the following:
KDL-40D3400, KLD-40D3500, KDL-40D3550, KDL-40D3660, KDL-40V3000, KDL-40W3000, KDL-40X3000 and KDL-40X3500.
The affected model numbers do not appear in our LCD TV Ratings, available to subscribers.
Sony Recalls 1.6 Million Bravia TV Sets Because of Fire Risk [Bloomberg Businessweek]
Sony denies Bravia TV recall, but admits fault issue
Sony Bravia recall: List of KLD-40 Model numbers affected [Product Reviews]
