Australia lithium battery recalls surge 280% in 2025

Lithium battery recalls in Australia rose to 19 in 2025, according to analysis by Carbone Lawyers. That was 7.6% of all consumer product recalls recorded that year.

The law firm reviewed 3,528 recall notices published by Product Safety Australia and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission between 2016 and 2025. It found lithium battery recalls rose 280% from five in 2022 to 19 in 2025, making the category one of the fastest-growing sources of recall activity in the consumer market.

Of the 19 lithium battery recalls recorded in 2025, 15 involved a confirmed fire, injury or property damage event disclosed in the notice. That was 79% of the year's lithium battery recalls, up from one confirmed incident in 2023, based on the same analysis.

The underlying figures show a marked shift over the decade. Lithium battery recalls made up 1.3% of all recalls in 2016, 0.8% in 2017, none in 2018, and 0.6% in 2019, before rising to 1.7% in 2020 and 2022, 2.3% in 2023, 5.2% in 2024 and 7.6% in 2025.

The review said the primary series covered 66 battery-related lithium recalls in which notices explicitly identified fire or overheating as a hazard. Button and coin battery recalls were excluded from the headline measure because of a regulatory break linked to mandatory safety standards introduced in 2022.

Recall patterns

While lithium batteries showed the sharpest recent rise, they were not the largest category by volume over the full period. The analysis found toys for babies and toddlers, power supply and storage items, car parts and accessories, and home electrical appliances were among the most-recalled product groups in Australia between 2016 and 2025.

That broader pattern points to risks in routine consumer purchases rather than niche goods. The categories identified in the analysis include products commonly found in homes, vehicles and children's settings.

Manny Carbone, partner at Carbone Lawyers, said the trend matched what the firm had been seeing in claims.

"We have seen a significant increase in claims involving lithium-ion batteries in everyday household products, including mobile phones, portable chargers and lamps and, alarmingly, even devices used in babies' rooms, such as monitors. Given how prevalent these batteries have become in day-to-day life, the potential risk now extends across an enormous range of commonly used products in Australian homes," Carbone said.

He said the fires could be difficult to contain once they started.

"These fires are particularly dangerous because the chemical reaction can make the initial flames extremely difficult, if not impossible, to extinguish. In some cases, they have caused extensive damage to homes and catastrophic injuries, including severe burns. Even where people have escaped physical harm, many have suffered significant psychological injuries, including PTSD," he said.

Carbone also identified the products his firm sees most often in serious cases.

"The most serious injuries we have seen have typically involved mobile phones and power banks, as these devices are often held or carried close to the body when they ignite," he said.

Everyday risks

Beyond battery incidents, Carbone said many consumers underestimated how many products could give rise to a product liability claim. He pointed to appliances, toys, pet accessories and power tools as examples of goods involved in injuries and property damage.

"We see product failures across the board, from household appliances such as rangehoods and ovens causing fires, to everyday products such as dog leads failing, children's toys presenting safety risks, and power tools such as hedge trimmers causing serious injuries. Some products are poorly designed from the outset and are, in practical terms, accidents waiting to happen," he said.

He said portable power banks and battery-operated devices used near infants were among the products he would approach with the most caution.

"I would personally avoid portable power banks. In my experience, they are disproportionately represented in product liability claims, and because they are often carried in a pocket, bag or held close to the body, a failure can cause catastrophic injuries.

"I would also be extremely cautious about lithium-ion batteries in products used in babies' rooms, including monitors. If one of these devices ignites in a nursery, the consequences can be devastating for a child who cannot move away from the danger or protect themselves. I have seen harrowing footage provided by clients of monitors igniting in nurseries," he said.

Claims and evidence

Carbone said a common misunderstanding was that a claim depended on a formal recall or on proof that the user had handled the product incorrectly.

"A common misconception is that a battery will only ignite if the product has been dropped, damaged or otherwise mishandled, leading many consumers to assume they must somehow be at fault. In our experience, batteries can fail even where the product is in near-new condition, has been purchased recently and has been used strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

"Another misconception is that a product must have been recalled before a claim can be brought. That is not the case. While a recall may support a claim, it is not decisive, and we have successfully pursued many claims involving products that were not subject to any recall," he said.

He said preserving the product and related evidence was often central to whether a case could proceed.

"Claims most commonly fall short because vital evidence has not been preserved, the product cannot be inspected, the correct parties have not been identified, or there is insufficient evidence connecting the defect to the injury or loss," he said.