Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency warns owners of Anker Japan’s Soundcore 3 speaker to cease use amid ongoing investigation into fires caused by battery issues, prompting a large-scale recall of nearly 92,000 units.
Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency has warned owners of Anker Japan’s rechargeable Soundcore 3 speaker to stop using it immediately after a fire in Okinawa on 15 June damaged a vehicle and surrounding property. The cause of that blaze is still being investigated, but officials said the case involved a product already subject to a voluntary recall.
Anker Japan began the recall and replacement campaign on 21 October 2025 after identifying a risk linked to the speaker’s battery cell production. The company said that, for a limited period, foreign matter may have entered the manufacturing process at a contracted supplier, creating a possibility of internal short-circuiting and fire during use. The recall covers 91,933 units sold between 16 December 2022 and 21 October 2025.
The latest incident comes against a wider backdrop of battery-related action involving Anker audio products. In December 2024, the company recalled more than 70,000 Soundcore and PowerConf Bluetooth speakers in North America after dozens of overheating reports, including smoke, small fires and one minor burn injury. In the Soundcore 3 case, the Consumer Affairs Agency said there had already been five fires linked to the recall issue, excluding the Okinawa incident, while the take-up rate for the replacement programme stood at 43.7% as of 13 August. It urged any owner who has not yet completed the exchange to stop using the device and contact Anker Japan.
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