Apple replacing iPod nano MP3 players due to overheating risk

November 12, 2011

Apple is replacing certain first generation iPod nanos because a defective battery can cause the unit to overheat, posing a burn hazard.

“This issue has been traced to a single battery supplier that produced batteries with a manufacturing defect. While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages,” Apple said in a statement.

While Apple called it a Replacement Program, not a recall, the manufacturer recommends that owners of this iPod nano model stop using the device and order a free replacement.

Consumers can identify first generation nanos by the white or black plastic front and a silver metal back. Retailers sold nanos affected by this defective battery between September 2005 and December 2006.

Only certain first generation nanos have this defective battery. Owners can check their serial number, and if eligible, order a replacement online. They will need to return the defective nano to the manufacturer and then wait approximately six weeks for a replacement. Since the nano model is currently on the seventh generation, it is unclear what model Apple will send as a replacement.

According to PCMag.com, Apple has known of the battery defect. Apple recalled first generation nanos in South Korea in July of 2009 after four cases of the devices overheating or exploding.

In August 2010, Apple recalled first generation nanos in Japan after pressure from the Japanese government, with the nano responsible for about sixty incidences of overheating and burns in that country, reports Reuters.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has not issued a recall notice from Apple for this product.