Sony has admitted that potentially 1.6 million of its Bravia-brand TV sets may have safety issues relating to overheating, but has denied recalling the products from the market.
In a statement about the issue, the UK PR manager for the company, David Edwards, explained the situation:
“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.”
Mr Edwards stressed that so far, there have been no reports of damage to property or physical injuries as a result of the fault. However, if there were, the company could face numerous product liability lawsuits in which claimants could seek compensation. This is why Sony is likely to have extensive professional insurance in place.
In an attempt to address the situation, Sony is offering customers contacting its service centres a free inspection of their Sony Bravia TV set, as well as free repairs if a problem is found.