Is Apple Hiding Complaints of Flaming iPods?

iPod users reportedly have been complaining to the Consumer Product Safety Commission for years about the popular MP3 players suddenly bursting into flames or getting so hot that they inflict painful burns to the skin. But iPod maker Apple is being accused of trying to keep a tight lid on the consumer reports out of fear of hurting skyrocketing sales of the blockbuster product.

Seattle television station KIRO is reporting that an investigative reporter has uncovered dozens of reports of iPod users being burned or otherwise injured when the batteries in their units overheated or caught fire. KIRO said its viewers have reported being burned and suffering extensive property damage from iPods that suddenly and unexpectedly caught fire.

According to the KIRO investigation, the CPSC has released about 800 pages of internal documents that show for the first time that iPods have been shown to unexpectedly catch fire, start to smoke, and in some cases cause serious burns to users.

Reports Document iPod User Complaints

The documents were released only after a KIRO reporter hounded the CPSC for the data for seven months while Apple attorneys reportedly filed one legal challenge after another seeking to keep documentation of the consumer complaints under wraps.

Contained in the reports are stories of consumers from across the United States who say they were burned by their iPods while jogging or awoke to find their iPods smoking, glowing bright orange, or on fire.

Some victims complained that when they contacted Apple directly to report the iPod-related damage and injuries, they were given little information about what was causing the problems. Others said they felt Apple was taking their reports of injuries and sweeping them under the rug.

iPods contain lithium ion batteries, the same technology that has posed problems in other personal electronics. In 2006, millions of the batteries were recalled by Dell and Apple in because of problems with the batteries overheating in laptop computers and causing fires.

CPSC in Wait-and-See Mode

The CPSC appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach to the iPod complaints. There have been no warnings or advisories issued about the risks of burns or other injuries from overheated iPods. Also, there is no word about a recall of the roughly 175 million iPods that have been sold over the years and may still be in use.

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