Sony has issued a warning that some models of its Vaio TZ notebook have potentially serious faults that could damage the unit or cause injury to owners.

The company said these units have incorrectly positioned wires near the hinge. This could result in overheating and damage to the notebook.

Although there are reports of 83 faulty PCs in Japan, and some owners suffered minor burns, the company claimed that only “a small number” of notebooks were affected.

It also said that there had been no reported incidents in the UK so it was not issuing a product recall. However, it is urging anyone who has bought a Vaio TZ notebook produced between June 2007 and July this year to check if their model could be affected.

If this is the case it is offering to perform a free inspection in the 48 countries, including the UK, where the notebook has been sold. If the problem is found, Sony said it would correct the problem.

Sony Vaio owners who are concerned should look for the following:

• All model numbers beginning VGN TZ1 (eg VGN-TZ11XN/B)
• All model numbers beginning VGN TZ2 (eg VGN-TZ21WN/B)
• Certain model numbers beginning VGN TZ3 (eg VGN-TZ31VN/R)

Sony has set up a website giving details of the wiring fault and another with phone numbers giving contacts for all affected countries. UK owners of these Vaio models can call the following free hotline: 0800 3680421.

This news is another embarrassment for Sony, which had to recall 10 million lithium ion batteries in 2006 because of fears they could overheat and catch fire.