Nokia, the world’s leading mobile manufacturer, announced on Monday that some 14 million mobile phone chargers could be dangerous for users and said it will replace them free of charge. The chargers, bearing Nokia’s name and made by Chinese battery and auto part maker BYD Company, are models AC-3E and AC-3U, made between June 15 and August 9 this year; and AC-4U, manufactured between April 13 and October 25, 2009. They were mostly sold in Europe and North America. The defective chargers were not sold in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Chile, China and New Zealand. Nokia is replacing the chargers, which it says could give users an electric shock.

Nokia said its Chinese supplier, BYD, would cover the costs of recalling the chargers, for which handset makers normally pay around $1. BYD Company Ltd’s battery-making arm BYD Electronic said it expects no material impact on its financial and operating conditions or its business prospects. The Chinese company has become an increasingly important supplier to Nokia over the last few years, helped by its wide offering — from components to manufacturing services.

Nokia said the chargers’ plastic covers might work loose and expose wiring, which could cause an electric shock if touched while the charger is plugged into a socket. It said it had received no reports of injuries or accidents related to the chargers. The company will start its charger exchange programme from Tuesday, a top company official said. Nokia announced a free charger exchange programme on Monday.

“The AC-3E charger models manufactured between June 15-August 9, 2009, are the affected ones. This exchange program is limited to the models within this stipulated time,” Nokia retail director Shankar Subramanian said in Mumbai. The consumers can SMS CHG (space) and the 27 digit code printed on the charger and send it to 55555.

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