Sony VAIO owners should be on high alert, as the electronics maker announced significant product recalls due to overheating problems at the laptops’ wiring system. The issue is said to affect the VGN-TZ100 series, VGN-TZ200 series, VGN-TZ300 series and VGN-TZ2000 series models, and customers have been notified to check their laptops for any potential problems.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Sony will recall approximately 73,000 VAIO TZ-series notebooks in the United States. Overall, the estimated number of recalled laptops reaches approximately 440,000 units worldwide.

The electronics maker took this decision after receiving 15 reports of overheating, including one report of a consumer suffering a minor burn in the United States. It appears that the number of overheating cases reached 209 worldwide, with 7 cases of minor burns.

The products possibly affected by this problem were built in Japan and the United States between May 2007 and July 2008. Customers who've purchased VAIO laptops between July 2007 and August 2008 can check if their notebooks are among the affected models here: http://esupport.sony.com/fixmypc.

Consumers who find their laptops on the recalled units list are advised to stop using them and contact Sony immediately for assistance. The company established a customer hotline at 1-888-526-6219 and said it would provide inspection at no charge, and if necessary, an on-site repair. Customers can also choose to ship their notebooks to the Sony service center.

Sony is not at its first “overheating” experience. In 2006, the company reported incidents of overheating laptop batteries. Dell, Apple, Toshiba and Lenovo recalled over 9 million batteries manufactured by Sony, after receiving customer complaints. In July and August 2007, Toshiba was forced to recall another 11,000 notebooks powered by Sony batteries.

In August 2007, Sony was forced to repeat the experience with the DSC-T5 digital cameras (they had to recall 350,000 units and replace them with new ones for free). At the time, Sony reported some “irregularity during the initial part production, the adhesive strength of the metal coating on this part. As a result, it became more likely that damage to the bottom casing could cause the metal coating to peel away and warp outward.”

Regarding the current recall situation, Sony has been criticized for announcing the Japanese authorities one year after the first overheating case was first reported. However, Sony said they had replaced the affected parts individually for every laptop suspected of overheating.

The question that remains now is how this will affect Sony’s business? Overall, the company said it will not affect its earnings; however, this will definitely affect it in terms of reputation, and consequently on economic level.

As an anonymous Tokyo-based analyst told Reuters, “as far as reliability and the delay in taking action, this case links to its past lithium battery recall. Once would wonder if Sony would be OK when both of the businesses are expanding. This will likely cast a shadow over Sony’s earnings targets in the medium to long run.”