Dell Computers, no stranger to product recalls, is now recalling some 4 million laptop computers because its batteries — provided by Sony — overheat. Of course, it’s kinda hard to keep an eye on quality when you’ve got multiple suppliers from multiple regions to worry about. Dell is but one in a long list of recent faulty-product recalls.

An IMT reader recently posted a comment that questioned why a majority of today’s manufacturers are having a tough time getting back to the basics of why they are in business in the first place: to make quality products with long shelf lives. And while there is nothing wrong with running “lean,” this reader was concerned that today’s manufacturing community is perhaps too distracted with cost-cutting measures, thus weakening product portfolio and competitive advantage.

I’d like to think that this bottom-line mentality is the reason why we’re seeing so many product recalls. How else can you explain the news about Dell Computers, which announced the biggest recall in its 22-year history and said the lithium-ion batteries made by Sony could over heat and catch fire? U.S. consumer safety officials are now reviewing the batteries for fire hazards. Even more disappointing is the fact that Dell is no stranger to product recalls, as this IT World article points out. The article contends that in reality, Dell doesn’t really make anything, instead contracting multiple third parties to supply batteries, keyboards, mice, monitors, etc., which might explain its recall woes. Kinda hard to keep an eye on quality when you’ve got multiple suppliers from multiple regions to worry about.

Case in point: Sony is the battery provider behind this latest recall but Dell isn’t sure if Sony contracted another firm to make the batteries, as this IT World excerpt points out:

In this particular instance, the onus is being laid upon Sony, the company that Dell contracted to furnish the batteries in question. Note that I said “furnish.” At this time we don’t know if Sony actually built the batteries or subcontracted the work to yet another company. Where the fault lies remains to be determined.

I wonder if Dell is surprised that Sony, a name synonymous with quality, could’ve dropped the ball on this one, especially considering that this is Dell’s fifth product recall in six years. As recently as last December, they had a similar recall as the one they are currently facing:

“The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below [Dell], today announced a voluntary recall … Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.” This recall involved 22,000 batteries that “can overheat, which could pose a fire risk.”

But it’s not only Dell providing faulty batteries, as the IT World piece also cites battery recalls from HP. Check out this link that reads like a “best of product recalls” list from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. A few notables include:

• Dollar Tree Stores Inc. is recalling 600,000 Power Xtensions. The counterfeit extension cords could have undersized wire and substandard insulation, which can cause overheating, resulting in a possible shock hazard.

• Quiksilver Inc. of Huntington Beach (Orange County) is recalling 48,000 Quiksilver and Roxy Girl lounge pants. The lounge pants fail to meet the children’s sleepwear flammability standards, posing a risk of burn injury to children, due to the possible ignition of the garment. The garments were not labeled or marketed as sleepwear, but because they are children’s loungewear they must meet the children’s sleepwear flammability standards.

• Spencer Gifts LLC of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., is recalling 1,500 Mars Lightning ElectroPlasma lamps. Arcing between an object and the removable cover of the lamp can pose a fire hazard.

• J.C. Penney Corp. Inc. of Plano, Texas, is recalling 3,000 Crazy Daisy 3-in-1 Electronic Motion lamps. The lamp’s electrical circuit board can spark and overheat due to an electrical problem, posing a fire hazard.

• American Suzuki Motor Corp. of Brea (Orange County) is recalling 300 Suzuki Eiger all-terrain vehicles. The mounting brackets used to secure the left-front suspension arm to the ATV frame may not have been welded completely and could break off during riding. If this occurs, the rider could lose control of the ATV and crash.

On and on it goes. Where it stops, nobody knows. Although reader-written Wikipedia provides an interesting history behind recalls, with elaborate definitions and even a list of some of the most infamous recalls in history. But their “Product defect awareness” section drives home an interesting consumer point:

Consumer organizations examine products and warn the public of possible defects that diminish a product’s functional value or safety. On the other hand, a class of activists known as muckrakers may use grassroots tactics to bring attention to corporate transgressions, including writing to newspapers and posting information on product defects, threatening the maker’s publicity if the faults are not put right. A famous example is Unsafe at Any Speed, written by Ralph Nader, which targeted GM’s Chevrolet Corvair sports car that had a faulty rear suspension causing frequent skidding and occasional flipping.

Should there be more watchdog groups to help corral faulty products? Or should the government step in and create a higher degree of manufacturing standards?

Update: Sony Also Burned By Dell Debacle