Microsoft Surface Pro 4

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20190816-1C9C6-2147379241. Matched catalog product: Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Incident: A Microsoft Surface Pro 4, purchased in July/16, recently started to overheat when charging. The over heating was so server that the user obtained injury. As a result of the over heating, the device's battery swelled to the point where it pushed the screen out. A quick Google search shows this to be a common issue with the Surface Pro, and in some reported cases, the battery reportedly exploded.

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20200604-637E5-2147371902. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Matched catalog product: Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Incident: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 battery is bulging and very hot. The battery has bulged so much the screen has separated from the device. I contacted Microsoft for help and they told me the device was dangerous and could explode or cause fire, but they would not help and only offered to sell me a new one.

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20200906-E55C3-2147369990. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Matched catalog product: Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Incident: I purchased a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 laptop computer. The screen is bulging out of the of frame. Evidently this is a safety issue. I have read online that the device may catch on fire, but when I called microsoft they did not say there was any safety issue and so far they have done nothing about this safety issue.

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20201109-C1674-2147368228. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Matched catalog product: Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Incident: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 began running hot and then screen detached from case on left hand side. Further research indicates this is a very common issue with this device and is caused by the lithium battery swelling and overheating. Obviously this represents a known hazardous condition with lithium batteries.

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20201108-7991F-2147368232. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Matched catalog product: Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Incident: Internal battery began to swell, causing screen to separate from the device. When I reached out to Microsoft technical support, I was warned to stop using the device as the battery could catch fire and/or explode. I was also told that my device was out of warranty and that I was out of luck. A search online finds that numerous other users have had similar issues (some of which included photos of destroyed devices) and brought them to Microsoft's attention. While I understand that batteries may lose their ability to hold a charge as they age, they should NOT become a hazard.

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20200604-83F2B-2147371894. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Microsoft Surface Pro 4, intel Core 5, 4 GB memory, 128 GB solid state drive). Incident: My Microsoft Surface Pro 4, purchased on March 12, 2017, began showing an orange-ish blotch on the lower left side of the screen in early to mid-May 2020. The computer also became very hot to the touch. I searched Microsoft Support and found multiple postings about this problem, all stating that the battery was swollen. I followed the steps indicated by users and confirmed the same battery swelling; Microsoft itself stated that the battery could not be replaced or repaired and recommended that the entire unit be replaced. I use the MSP 4 daily, as my primary computer. My local computer repair center stated that they do not work on Microsoft products. What alarmed me was a November 5, 2017 posting on the Microsoft Support pages, from volunteer moderator [REDACTED]: "this sounds like the battery is expanding. and you should not use your Surface." This 2.5 year discussion is found at [REDACTED] I also followed some instructions found on the same Support pages, accessed the "Surface Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and got the following message, again one that alarmed me: "If the orange splotch is present on the UEFI screen, it's a hardware issue and device needs replacing." Of course, the orange splotch was still present. I am concerned: (1) that Microsoft has known about this dangerous problem - a swollen battery in a computer - for over 2.5 years, and only asks consumers to pay even more money for a refurbished product that most likely will end up in the same dangerous condition; and (2) that my personal safety is at risk due to Microsoft's cavalier attitude - "y