CPSC, Apple Announce Recall of iBook and PowerBook Computer Batteries
Home product recall 05-179. Announced by CPSC on May 20, 2005.
- CPSC: stop using it
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own notice is on cpsc.gov.
The short answer
Announced by CPSC on May 20, 2005. Copied from CPSC on Oct 19, 2026.
- Stop using it what CPSC tells owners to do now (needs attention)
- About 128,000 units (in the United States) units, as CPSC gives them
- Not said injuries, in the notice
Every line below is in CPSC’s own words, with its source beside it.
What’s wrong with it?
An internal short can cause the battery cells to overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What should you do?
Consumers should stop using the recalled batteries immediately and contact Apple to arrange for a replacement battery, free of charge. After removing the recalled battery from their iBook or PowerBook, consumers should plug in the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
- How to reach the firm: Contact Apple at (800) 275-2273 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT Monday through Sunday or log on to Apple’s web site at www.apple.com/support/batteryexchange to check your battery’s serial number and apply for a replacement battery.
Which ones are recalled?
The recalled lithium-ion batteries are used with the following computers: 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4. The recalled batteries include those with model numbers A1061, A1078 and A1079 and serial numbers that begin with HQ441 through HQ507 or 3X446 through 3X510. Consumers should remove the battery from the computer to view the model and serial numbers labeled on the bottom of the unit. No other PowerBook or iBook batteries are involved in this recall. Computer model name Battery model number Battery serial number range 12-inch iBook G4 A1061 HQ441 - HQ507 12-inch PowerBook G4 A1079 3X446 - 3X510 15-inch PowerBook G4 A1078 3X446 - 3X509
About 128,000 units (in the United States) units, as CPSC gives them.
Rechargeable batteries for iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 computers.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
CPSC’s photos
CPSC shows 6 photos on its notice. Hearth Record doesn’t copy them; each opens on cpsc.gov.
Who made and sold it?
- Made by Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, Calif.
- Made by LG Chem Ltd., South Korea.
- National and regional resellers, catalogers, and Apple’s online and retail stores sold the computers with the batteries, from October 2004 through May 2005, for between $900 to $2300. The batteries also were sold separately for about $130.
- Made in Taiwan and China, as the notice gives it.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
Was anyone hurt?
Apple has received six reports worldwide of batteries overheating, including two reports in the United States.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What the record doesn’t say
- The notice lists no UPCs, so check the model, the description and the photos.
- The notice lists no model numbers in a field of their own; its description may give them.
- How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Hearth Record wrote these lines.
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recalls API.
Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Recalls of kids’ and home products are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record. Copied on Oct 19, 2026.