Chip
Well-known member
don't know how many here might own the Nuvi, but here's the recall news.
A GPS can lead you astray, but it should not be DIRECTLY responsible for KILLING you!... 1.3 million units sold and fewer than 10 cases of overheating, none of which produced any property damage or injury. I have a Nuvi. ... Actually, if ten of those units exploded and killed an entire family, I don't think I'd be excited enough to send it back....
The Nuvi 550 has a (non-user-replaceable) lithium-ion battery, probably also true for the rest of the line.The recall is just to replace the battery packs, and if they're Lithium-Ion (which I suspect) then they really do have the potential to burn to a crisp if not manufactured correctly. Such situations have happened with various vendors of laptops and cell phones. Sure, they sound like long odds, but if the battery pack vendor identified an actual problem with a given manufacturing run, it's realistic and worth it to have the recall.
The Nuvi 550 has a (non-user-replaceable) lithium-ion battery, probably also true for the rest of the line.
Lithium ion batteries are delicate and it only takes a speck of metal dust in the wrong place to set them up to catch fire. Given the liability and PR risks, a recall make good business sense and given the safety risk it also makes good humanitarian sense.
There are more robust and safer versions available or soon to be available (developed for use in such applications as electric cars), but all/most sold today for use in consumer electronics are pretty delicate.
Doug
Actually, they don't just get warm. When a Lion battery (or just a small part of a Lion battery) gets above a certain temp, it enters thermal runaway--ie it just spontaneously gets hotter and hotter until it catches fire or the case explodes.I wonder what if the odds were 1/1.3M or 1/13M. Is that low enough risk simply because one unit might get warm? Jesus, don't even get me started in the liability when kids are involved.
Actually, they don't just get warm. When a Lion battery (or just a small part of a Lion battery) gets above a certain temp, it enters thermal runaway--ie it just spontaneously gets hotter and hotter until it catches fire or the case explodes.
Probably not a happy event if one is driving down the road at ~60 mph and this doohickey sitting on the dash decides to catch fire...
Doug
Actually, they don't just get warm. When a Lion battery (or just a small part of a Lion battery) gets above a certain temp, it enters thermal runaway--ie it just spontaneously gets hotter and hotter until it catches fire or the case explodes.
Probably not a happy event if one is driving down the road at ~60 mph and this doohickey sitting on the dash decides to catch fire...
Doug
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