Microsoft Recalls 'Surface Pro 3' or Earlier Power Cords Over Fire Hazard Issues

Only a handful of Surface Pro owners were accounted so far regarding claims of problems with the power units of their devices, but the Redmond-based American tech company is not about to throw caution to the wind.

Microsoft will issue a voluntary recall of the AC power cords for the Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 tablets that were purchased prior to March 2015 in stores across the U.S. and Canada. The company said that these power cords have the tendency to overheat and may cause fire hazard problems.

"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," a Microsoft spokesperson told ZDNet in an email.

Other Surface devices, which are non-Pro, are not included in the impending recall, as well as the latest installment from the Surface Pro series, the Surface Pro 4. The latest flagship model hit the stores at the latter part of 2015.

More details on the recall will be released by Microsoft this coming Friday, Jan. 22 at 6 a.m. Pacific standard time, according to a report from the Channelnomics Europe. Meanwhile, the owners of Surface Pro devices that were covered by the issue are advised to put away the power cords accordingly.

"Eligible customers wishing to obtain a replacement will, as of Friday, be directed to a specially constructed website, where they can order one. Affected customers will also be advised to dispose of or recycle their existing power cords safely and in accordance with local regulations," Channelnomics Europe added in the report.

There were no exact figures released by Microsoft regarding the number of Surface Pro owners affected by the power cords problem as of now, but it was reported that the company was shipping about 500,000 units each month since the start of the last quarter of 2015. As per market watcher Canalys, Microsoft was able to sell around two million tablets on the last quarter of 2014.

Just last October of 2015, there were also reports that have surfaced regarding another rumored recall from the tech giant. According to Tech Times, Lumia 950 XL demo units may have been "pulled out from Microsoft Store shelves" for possible hardware issues. This happened just after the company launched some of its latest products like the detachable Surface Book and the Band 2.

But Microsoft was also quick to downplay the reports saying that the devices said to have been recalled were just prototypes and were meant to stay on the stores for a limited time. They were just temporarily released for potential buyers to get a glimpse of.