Garmin on Wednesday announced that it is voluntarily recalling about 1.25 million Nuvi personal GPS navigation devices, about 796,000 of which were sold in the U.S.
The problem? The batteries inside — manufactured by a third-party supplier, of course — can cause the unit to overheat and become a fire hazard.
The units in question are within a defined date code range and have a specific printed circuit board design that, in conjunction with the other parts, can lead to the problem.
Garmin says it has identified the issue in fewer than 10 cases, none of which caused “significant property damage” or injuries.
To determine if your Garmin Nuvi GPS device is involved in the recall — models 200W, 250W, 260W, 7xx and 7xxT, where xx is a two-digit number, are affected — you can visit Garmin’s website and plug your unit’s serial number in.
You can also call:
- In the United States and Canada, call ? (At press time, Garmin omitted this number. -Ed)
- In North America and South America outside the U.S. or Canada call +913 397-8200
- In Europe, Middle East, and Africa, call (At press time, Garmin omitted this number. -Ed)
- In Asia, call 886/2.2642.9199
- In Australia, call 1800 113 738; and in New Zealand call 0800 427 652
Garmin says it will replace the battery and insert a spacer on top of the battery next to the PCB before returning the device to affected customers free of charge.
