Sony denies Bravia TV recall, but admits fault issue

Sony has dismissed reports that it is to recall 1.6 million Bravia TVs because of safety issues but has revealed that it is initiating a free inspection programme of all TVs that could have faulty components inside.

TechRadar contacted Sony about news that Japan was 'recalling' televisions from Sony's 2007-2008 Bravia range but the company stressed that it was not a recall.

Speaking about the situation, David Edwards, UK PR Manager, B2B and Essentials, said: "The issue came to our attention through reports in Japan that a limited number of products might contain a component affected by a quality issue, which in a rare number of cases might over-heat and ignite inside the television and possibly result in the melting of the upper casing of the television.

"To date, there have been no reports of any damage to other property or physical injuries.

"However, as part of our ongoing commitment to customer service and satisfaction, and as a precaution, Sony is voluntarily initiating a programme to perform a free inspection and, if necessary, a free repair to reassure you that these products meet your expectations of our high standards for quality and safety."

Television inspection

The TVs that could have the fault are from the following ranges:

• KDL-40D3400
• KDL-40D3500
• KDL-40D3550
• KDL-40D3660
• KDL-40V3000
• KDL-40W3000
• KDL-40X3000
• KDL-40X3500

Sony is urging anyone who has these televisions to "contact your nearest Service Centre to arrange an inspection of your Bravia TV."

Recall or not, this is not a great situation for Sony, which is still licking its wounds from the PSN hacking fiasco.

For those affected, there is a Sony support page but at the time of writing it was, for obvious reasons, over-burdened.