The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled over 140,000 chargers for the HP Chromebook 11 after reports that the laptop’s charger can overheat and melt during use.
The laptops themselves were pulled from shelves in November because of problems with the Chromebook 11’s bundled charger. The bundled charger can heat up to such a high temperature that there was a report of a consumer suffering a burn during use and another report that a pillow was burned from an overheating charger.
Google, HP Recall Chromebook 11 Chargers After Melting and Overheating
U.S. recalls Chromebook 11 chargers; Google, HP pulled laptops from shelves last month
Quick action by manufacturers in reaction to early reports of accidents with defective products can prevent personal injury and death. Too often over the years, many accidents involving product defects occurred before manufacturers finally acted; it took a long time for them to do the smart thing instead of waiting for the product liability cases and verdicts to come in. Elsewhere, we have reported that car manufacturers appear, these days, to have gotten the message and are issuing recalls at an increased rate.  Automobile Recalls are on the Rise  Whether that trend will continue is yet to be seen.
We do know that many manufacturers and the associations that represent them have spent a great deal of time and money lobbying legislators, in the states and in the Congress, for laws that protect them from having to pay when personal injury and wrongful death caused by defective products and corporate wrongdoing. They continue to do that now even when so many products are manufactured in part or completely in foreign lands with lax safety standards and controls on manufacturing conditions.
Below is the full CPSC Recall:
Google and HP Recall HP Chromebook 11 Chargers Due to Fire and Burn Hazards; Charger Can Overheat and Melt 
Recall Date: December 17, 2013
Recall Number: 14-061
Google and HP Recall HP Chromebook 11 Chargers Due to Fire and Burn Hazards; Charger Can Overheat and Melt
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Recall Summary
Name of Product: HP Chromebook 11 power supply/charger
Hazard: The computer’s charger can overheat and melt, posing fire and burn hazards.
Remedy: Replace
Consumer Contact: Google toll-free at (866) 628-1371 between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. PT seven days a week, or online at and click on the Chromebook link at the top of the page and then click on Support for more information.
Photos Available
Recall Details
Units: About 145,000 units
Description: This recall involves chargers that were sold with the HP Chromebook 11. The charger is black with outlet pins, measures 1¾ inches by ¾ inches, and has a 6-foot long cord with a micro-USB connector on the end. The model number of the charger is MU15-N1052-A00S, which is stamped on the face of the battery charger that has the outlet pins.
Incidents/Injuries: Google has received nine reports of chargers overheating and melting during use. There is one report of a small burn to a consumer and one report of minor property damage to a pillow from an overheating charger.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled charger for the HP Chromebook 11 and contact Google for a free replacement charger.
Sold at: Best Buy stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, bestbuy.com, Google Play at play.google.com, and HP Shopping at shopping.hp.com from October 2013 through November 2013 and included with the Chromebook 11 which sold for about $280.
Importer: Google Inc., of Mountain View, Calif.
Distributor: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), of Palo Alto, Calif.
Manufactured in: China