CableMod’s recall of 12VHPWR angled adapters has entered the next phase this week as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning document. The CPSC’s notice references the initial recall of CableMods V1.0 and V1.1 adapters that began in December and marked the first involvement of government regulators. From this, we get a more detailed look at the overall size of this recall and the estimated failure rate of hair adapters at over 1%.
According to a notice from the CPSC, CableMod is recalling 25,300 adapters that were sold between February 2023 and December 2023. At least 272 of these adapters have failed, according to CableMod reports and repair claims. This gives the angled adapter a failure rate of 1.07%—a little higher, since self-reported statistics can cause underreporting. All told, the manufacturer has received at least $74,500 in property damage claims in the United States, including the faulty adapter itself, the graphics card, and anything else damaged in the process.
As part of the recall, CableMod has asked owners of its angled 12VHPWR adapters V1.0 and V1.1 to immediately stop using them and destroy them to prevent future use. Buyers can choose to receive a full $40 refund or receive a $60 store credit.
It’s worth noting that while the initial design of the 12VHPWR connector had some teething problems (eventually PCI-SIG replaced it with the upgraded 12V-2×6 standard), the issues with the CableMod adapter appear to be distinct from those larger design flaws. Specifically, CableMod’s recall is due to a problem with the male portion of its adapter, which has not changed in the 12V-2×6 update. Compared to 12VHPWR, 12V-2×6 only changes the female header (like the one on the video card itself), requiring shorter sensing pins and longer conductor terminals. The male plug, on the other hand, remains the same, which is why existing PSU cables made for 12VHPWR are still compatible (and generally safe) with 12V-2×6 graphics cards. Although the cable plugging is bi-directional, the unsuitable 12VHPWR female connector must be plugged in, and CableMod is unlikely to be of any help here.
Sources: Consumer Product Safety Commission, HotHardware, CableMod