Compiled by Steve Linke

Last updated 3/21/2011

Between 2002 and 2007, Sony Electronics Inc. manufactured numerous large-screen high-definition rear-projection TV models based on liquid crystal microdisplay technology. These TVs contain a high-intensity mercury vapor arc lamp to produce the image. All of the 2003 models and some of the 2004 models contain a design defect that makes them susceptible to being warped, melted, cracked, scorched, and/or burnt by an overheated projection lamp, which can cause the TVs to fail to power up. In addition, it can cause heat damage outside of the TV, so it could pose a risk of injury and/or property damage. This includes all TVs that contain the designations "WE" or "XBR950" in their model names (see the full list of models in the table below, as well as sample pictures). Note that, as of the date of the last update of this web page, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has not compelled a recall, although multiple reports have been filed.

Photo of KF-50WE610 lamp access door by dep3523 posted on an Agoraquest forum:

The projection lamp is a user-replaceable part that is located in the lower-front area of the TV. Beneath the main viewing screen, there is a removable plastic trim panel. Behind the trim panel, there is a removable plastic door (the "lamp access door") used to access the lamp for replacement. Warping of this door is often the first evidence of the overheating issue. However, heat damage to the door is usually not evident unless the aforementioned trim piece is removed (e.g., during a lamp replacement). In addition, even if damage to the door is minor or not detectable, other parts adjacent to the lamp on the inside of the TV could be warped, melted, cracked, scorched, and/or burned.

Therefore, I encourage everyone with WE or XBR950 TVs to check their lamp access door and other areas surrounding the lamp for any signs of heat-related damage. To do this, go through the "Replacing the Lamp" procedure contained in the Operating Instructions that came with your TV, including removing the lamp. Follow Sony's procedure carefully so as not to damage your TV. If you no longer have your Operating Instructions, they can be accessed at the links in the table below.

If you find evidence of heat damage, I encourage you to take pictures and send them to me. More importantly, if you feel that the problem could be a safety issue (potential injury or property damage), I encourage you to file a Consumer Product Incident Report with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Currently, Sony does not actively inform all customers of the problem, but the CPSC could compel them to issue a recall with mandatory notification, if they find the issue to be a safety issue. Incident reports from customers are essential to this process, and there is evidence that the CPSC has started to take actions.

Sony has issued four warranty extensions for this issue, which they have restricted to arguably obscure notices on their support web site. The fourth notice, which was released in March of 2011, extended the coverage through 3/31/2012. Sony refers to the defect as "warping of the lamp access door," and they claim that damage to other components is rare, and that "...this issue has been evaluated extensively and...there are no product safety concerns." However, pictures I have seen do not seem to be consistent with these claims. Damage to components other than the lamp access door seem common, which is not surprising since the lamp and reflector actually face away from the door. In addition, some pictures show relatively extensive damage to the interior of the TV, including burnt wires, which raises safety concerns, as well as damage to a TV stand directly under the lamp area.

Sony's warranty extension states: "Sony will repair the lamp access door and any other components damaged as a result at no charge for any of the covered televisions." When the issue was first identified, a repair kit was apparently provided by Sony to repair technicians, which reportedly included a replacement lamp access door, three replacement fans (presumably for enhanced cooling), and a revised thermal switch (presumably to shut down the TV at a lower overheat temperature).

Unfortunately, in apparent contradiction to their own warranty, federal warranty law, and other laws requiring availability of replacement parts (see details below), beginning around October of 2009 or earlier, Sony began telling at least some customers that they would not or could not repair their TVs, and that they should pay Sony for a discounted replacement TV instead. Interestingly, the alert on the Sony Canada web site only refers to getting a discount off another Sony TV.

In some cases, Sony claimed that they were out of the repair kits. In other cases, Sony claimed that the heat damage was too severe to repair. In many cases, customers have both an optical block problem and the melting issue, which is not surprising since heat is a contributing factor to optical block failure. Adding insult to injury, in some of these latter cases, Sony apparently justified their position that the TV was not repairable by citing the optical block problem, as opposed to physical heat damage to parts.

Regardless of any of the above claims, I believe US laws require that, if Sony is unwilling or unable to repair your TV free of charge, they must replace it with another reasonably equivalent TV free of charge (e.g., equivalent size and features, although it could be a refurbished model). See the legal information below for reference.

For methods for dealing with Sony, please refer back to the Options for repair, replacement, and/or legal action section on the main page.

On April 15, 2010, a class action lawsuit was filed in US District Court, Southern District of California for the lamp overheating issue that affects the 2003-2004 3LCD models WE and XBR950.