SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260106-248B0-2147324811. Severity: No Incident, No Injury. Product: Apple iPhone 13 (iPhone 13 with swollen battery which is under a quality program of Apple but Apple refused to take care of it.). Incident: I am a California resident. My iPhone 13 was diagnosed by the Apple Store in Pasadena, CA (Case no: [REDACTED], Repair no: [REDACTED]) on Jan. 2 as having a swollen battery (fire hazard). Apple technicians confirmed this device is under an internal quality program due to a well-documented global quality issue with iPhone 13 batteries. Despite confirming the danger, Apple refused local repair or replacement because the device was purchased in China. Furthermore, Apple Senior Advisors repeatedly advised me to personally carry this confirmed fire hazard on a commercial flight back to China. This advice directly encourages a violation of FAA regulations regarding the transport of damaged/defective lithium batteries. Following my initial [REDACTED] complaint, a representative from Apple Executive Relations ( [REDACTED]) contacted me but refused any assistance or compensation, citing "internal policy." Instead, he suggested I take this confirmed fire hazard to a local third-party repair shop. This recommendation is highly negligent, as it forces a consumer to transport and hand over an unstable, explosive device to an unauthorized facility, further endangering public safety. Apple is prioritizing regional boundaries and internal policies over public safety and federal laws. As a resident, I am being forced to store a hazardous, explosive device at home. I seek a local resolution (replacement or refund) immediately.