Around 567,000 portable chargers sold at Costco have been recalled after reports that they can overheat while charging, posing fire risks, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday.
The recalled items, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at Costco stores nationwide and online from January 2022 through November 2023 for about $40.
“The portable chargers are black and include two attached cables for charging portable electronic devices, and retractable wall prongs to recharge the power bank,” the notice reads.
The commission said there have been 120 reports involving the portable chargers overheating. This includes five incidents, two of which were residential fires, that caused about $165,000 in reported property damage.
It added that Costco received “115 returns of the portable chargers mentioning melting, expanding, smoking, fire, burning, exploding, or sparking.”
No injuries have been reported in connection with the recalled items.
Consumers who purchased the recalled portable chargers are advised to immediately stop using them and contact myCharge for a free replacement.
The commission emphasized that the disposal of recalled lithium-ion batteries must be made in accordance with local and state ordinances due to their potential hazards.
Previous Recall of Portable Chargers
In August last year, Costco recalled 350,000 power banks made by Ubio Labs after three reports of fire, including an incident on a commercial flight, in which four passengers suffered from smoke inhalation and one suffered a minor burn, according to a notice on the commission’s website.The commission said the power banks, with the model number PWB1071, can overheat and ignite. The devices were sold in Costco stores and online from September 2018 through December 2020.
Costco had contacted all known purchasers directly as the Washington-based Ubio Labs was no longer in business, according to the alert.
The recall involved VRURC portable chargers with the model number “OD-B7,” manufactured in China, which have built-in cables and a built-in wall plug.
The recalled devices were sold exclusively on Amazon from July 2021 through May 2023, priced between $30 and $40, according to the commission.
