Dell Recalls Portable Power Adapters

If you bought a Dell Latitude, Inspiron, or Precision laptop between December 2003 and May 2004 you may need a new power adaptor. Dell is recalling 38,000 power adaptors. These power adaptors can cause an electric shock when third-party power cards are used. Below is a list of the effected laptop models.

Dell is recalling about 38,000 power adapters sold worldwide that can cause an electrical shock if they are used with power cords from third-party manufacturers, a company spokesperson says. The Dell Combination Auto/Air Adapters were sold between December 2003 and May 2004 as an accessory with Latitude and Inspiron notebooks, says Tom Kehoe, a Dell spokesperson. The adapters allow those notebooks to use either a standard AC wall socket or a DC power outlet such as a cigarette lighter in an automobile.

Potential Risks

If combined with a power cord other than the one provided by the manufacturer, Mobility Electronics, the adapters could pose the risk of an electrical shock. No reports of electrical shocks have reached Dell, but the company is recalling the adapters to prevent any such problems from occurring, Kehoe says. Customers will receive a new power cord and adapter inserts that prevent any other power cord from being used with the adapter, Kehoe says. Dell is in the process of contacting customers who purchased the adapters, he says.