November 8, 2005 - Our story about exploding Nikons may have caused a few of our readers to smile, but Nikon is not happy about delivering the final punchline. The world’s fifth-largest camera manufacturer has issued a recall for select Nikon EN-EL3 battery packs, which according to the statement, “…can experience a short circuit causing it to overheat and possibly melt, posing a potential hazard to consumers.” It seems that uninformed consumers aren’t the only ones accidentally ruining their $1000 + DSLRs.
The recall notice has been put in two relatively prominent places on the Nikon photography service page, an unusual move for Nikon. The recall notice mentions that “Nikon is committed to safety,” though it is possible that putting the recall notice in two places is Nikon’s attempt to ameliorate bad press connected with an issue so vulnerable to sensationalism.
To be fair, Nikon states that there are only four confirmed instances of the EN-EL3 battery pack melting and no confirmed injuries, and four problems against millions of models sold is fairly insignificant statistically. The risk for consumers is small, but risking an expensive DSLR for a much cheaper battery pack is not a risk many are willing to take.
For the recall notice and details on what battery packs may be affected and further steps to take, click here.
