Microsoft Recalls Surface Pro Power Cords on Overheating Fears

Microsoft will on Friday announce a voluntary recall on some of its Surface Pro AC power cords on overheating fears. The recall is expected to affect a large number of users who bought Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, and Surface Pro 3 tablets.

According to a European publication Channelnomics, those who bought the Microsoft Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, and Surface Pro 3 tablets before March 2015 in the US and before July 15 in Europe will be offered a trade-in scheme for replacing the chargers and charging cables that shipped with the tablets. The company will be offering free power cord exchanges to affected Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, and Surface Pro 3 tablet customers.

Microsoft was quoted in a statement where it detailed that if the cords are "sharply or repeatedly bent... [or] tightly wrapped" they become prone to overheating, and can also cause a fire hazard. Notably, affected customers will be asked to obtain a replacement starting Friday through a dedicated website for the voluntary recall.

A statement from Microsoft spokesperson said, "As a result of damage caused by AC power cords being wound too tightly, twisted or pinched over an extended period of time, a very small proportion of Surface Pro customers have reported issues with their AC power cord. We will be releasing details of how customers can obtain a free replacement cable shortly."

ZDNet also received confirmation from a Microsoft spokesperson who in an emailed response said, "As a result of damage caused by AC power cords being wound too tightly, twisted or pinched over an extended period of time, a very small proportion of Surface Pro customers have reported issues with their AC power cord. We will be releasing details of how customers can obtain a free replacement cable shortly."

It's worth noting that the recall will not affect the recently unveiled Surface Pro 4.