The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Columbia Sportswear announced a voluntary recall of 33 electrically-heated Columbia jackets on Wednesday, January 9, 2013. Each jacket contains two Omni-Heat Lithium-Polymer Rechargeable Batteries with a defect that causes overheating, making the jackets a fire hazard.
Although there were no incidents reported in the U.S., CPSC received a report of an overheating battery in Europe. CPSC and Columbia Sportswear are urging consumers to stop using the product immediately.
According to Columbia Sportswear spokesperson Ron Parham, this incident is related to the November 2011 recall of 220 jackets containing the same Omni-Heat Lithium-Polymer Rechargeable Batteries, and that 33 jackets with the same battery were mistakenly sold after the recall.
The defective batteries were inside several Fall 2011 jackets styles, including: Men’s Electro Amp Jacket, Men’s and Women’s Circuit Breaker Softshell, Women’s Snow Hottie Jackets, and Women’s Snow Hottie Parka.
Parham says Columbia Sportswear believes the jackets were sold between September and November 2012 at nine shopping outlet stores in the following locations:
- Sunrise, Florida
- Wrentham, Massachusetts
- Birch Run, Michigan
- Albertville, Minnesota
- Central Valley, New York
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Grove City, Pennsylvania
- Park City, Utah
- Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
CPSC advises consumers to check the battery pack inside the Columbia jackets to determine whether they are part of the recall. The enclosed battery is black and marked with “Columbia” on the top and “OMNI-HEAT” on the bottom. The batteries are 3.25 inches long, 2.3 inches wide, and .7 inches deep. The part number, which is 054978-001, can be found on the battery label’s side.
Consumers with defective batteries should remove the pack from the jacket immediately and contact Columbia Sportswear for a free replacement. To contact Columbia Sportswear, consumers can call (800) 622-6953 or email columbia@custhelp.com. Consumers can find more information at www.Columbia.com/Recall.
Sources: Examiner, Oregon Live
