surfacepro3Updated to include details on how to get your power cord replaced, below.

You may want to be careful with your Surface Pro power cord over the next few days. Microsoft is planning a recall for Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 power cords due to a defect that could cause overheating or even fire.

Only the AC cord, circled in red, is included in the recall; the power supply brick and the cord attached to it are not affected by the defect. Image via Microsoft.
Only the AC cord, circled in red, is included in the recall; the power supply brick and the cord attached to it are not affected by the defect. Image via Microsoft.

Surface Pro devices sold before March 15, 2015 in the U.S. and Canada came with the at-risk power cord. Outside the U.S. and Canada, devices sold before July 15, 2015 may be effected. According to Microsoft, the problem arises when cords are “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 said.

The most recent Surface Pro 4 and new Surface Pro models sold after the above dates supposedly don’t have the power cord issue. The recall is supposed to be officially announced Friday, according to a report by Channelnomics Europe. (Update: the details have been released; more info below.)

Microsoft isn’t the only hardware maker to receive heat for faulty power adapters. Apple replaced some users’ MagSafe power cords starting in 2011 after many complained of frays and kinks after normal use.

Update: Microsoft reached out to clarify that the dates the affected devices were sold.

Update 2: Here are the details on how to get your power cord replaced. Note, the recall only includes the cord that connects your power brick to the wall and not the power supply (that brick that sits in the middle of the charging setup).

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