Garmin Recalls nuvi GPS Devices for Fire Risk

Garmin has recently issued a recall involving more than 1.25 million nuvi portable GPS units (with 796,000 in the U.S. only), due to the fact that the battery can overheat and cause a fire. Fortunately, there have been no serious damages or injuries caused by this fault, though less than 10 situations involving such a problem have been reported.

According to Consumer Reports, the company has found out the problem involves batteries provided by a third-party supplier that fall within a specific date-code range and that have a specific printed circuit board (PCB) design.

The manufacturer says the recall affects nuvi models 200W, 250W, and 260W, as well as model numbers in the 700 series.

“It appears that the interaction of these factors can, in rare circumstances, increase the possibility of overheating, which may lead to a fire hazard. Although there have been no injuries or significant property damage caused by this issue, Garmin is taking this action out of an abundance of caution,” Garmin says.

Consumers can access the following link to check if their device is among those affected by the recall. Garmin will replace the battery and insert a spacer on top of the battery next to the PCB free of charge. It also warns owners not to remove the battery or try and repair it for themselves.

Some of the recalled units were sold as aftermarket devices to retail customers, while others were installed as original equipment in passenger vehicles. So far, no carmaker has reacted to this problem.