CPSC, Thomson Inc. Announce Recall of Portable DVD Player Batteries

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Portable DVD player batteries

Units: About 47,000 units

Manufacturer/Importer: Thomson Inc., of Indianapolis, Ind.

Hazard: The battery can overheat and explode while recharging, posing a burn and fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Thomson Inc. has received 11 reports of batteries overheating and five reports of batteries exploding. There are two reports of consumers suffering burned fingers from picking up a battery after it overheated.

Description: Only batteries used with the RCA portable DVD players with model number DRC600N are being recalled. The DRC600N model DVD player with the battery attached is about 7?-inches wide, 5?-inches deep, and 2-inches high. The cabinet housing is plastic, except for a metal "skin" on the top of the player. The metal "skin" is silver colored, and the rest of the DVD player is tan or dark gray. The logo "RCA LiFE," along with the words "DVD VIDEO" are printed on the top of the DVD Player. The battery attaches to the bottom of the DVD player.

Manufactured in: China

Sold at: Electronic and department stores nationwide from September 2002 through July 2003 for between $340 and $490.

Remedy: Consumers should stop using and stop recharging the battery immediately and contact Thomson Inc. for a free replacement battery. The portable DVD player is not being recalled, and consumers can continue to use it without the battery until they receive a replacement battery. The player can be used with the AC Power Adapter by simply unplugging the battery from the unit and plugging the AC Power Adapter into the 9-volt jack on the unit.

Consumer Contact: Contact Thomson Inc. at (866) 670-4844 anytime. Consumers also can contact the company by mail at Thomson Inc., RCA Portable DVD Battery Recall, P.O. Box 1976, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1976. Please do not send products or batteries to this address.