Lenovo recalls ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptops over fire risk

If you own a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop, you may have a fire hazard on your hands. Lenovo has initiated a recall of around 78,000 fifth-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptops following the discovery of a manufacturing issue that could cause them to overheat.

From Lenovo:

Lenovo has determined that a limited number of such laptops may have an unfastened screw that could damage the laptop's battery causing overheating, potentially posing a fire hazard.

The machine types impacted include 20HQ, 20HR, 20K3, 20K4, Lenovo says. Affected laptops were built between December 2016 and October 2017. Those built after November of 2017 are unaffected. To determine if your machine is included in the recall, you can check the sticker on the bottom of your laptop and enter your serial number at Lenovo's recall site. If your laptop is among those recalled, Lenovo recommends discontinuing its use and following the instructions located on the recall page.

Lenovo Serial Sticker

Lenovo says it has received a total of three reports of the issue worldwide thus far. So far, the company says, there haven't been any reports of damage to people or property. Fortunately, fixing the issue appears to simply require removal of the unfastened screw, and Lenovo is offering to perform the fix for free at authorized service providers.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl