June 4, 2026 — A Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra smartphone has reportedly experienced severe, recurring thermal runaway events, leading to multiple battery swelling incidents and posing a significant burn and fire hazard. The issue, which has persisted across three separate battery replacements, suggests a potentially fundamental defect within the device’s internal charging system.
Product Details
Product: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Incident Overview
The incident report details a concerning pattern of catastrophic failure involving a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Over the past month, the consumer’s device has undergone severe and recurring thermal runaway events, causing consecutive battery swelling. The problem initially manifested with the original battery swelling, leading to the separation of the phone’s back panel.
The consumer sought repair at an authorized Samsung service partner, where the original battery was replaced with an official OEM part. However, within days of this repair, the second battery also swelled significantly inside the phone’s chassis. A second trip to the authorized service center resulted in a third battery replacement. Shockingly, the third replacement battery is now actively swelling, causing the chassis to bloat and radiating extreme heat, even when the device is idle.
The reported temperature of the phone reached an alarming 90 degrees C (194 degrees F), resulting in minor burns to the consumer’s palm that required several days to heal. The consumer strongly suspects a fundamental defect in the phone’s internal charging logic board or power management integrated circuit (PMIC), suggesting it is delivering improper voltage to the battery cells. This ongoing issue has created a continuous fire, explosion, and chemical hazard within the consumer’s home and workplace.
Despite reporting this multi-stage safety loop to Samsung customer service over a two-week period, the consumer states that frontline support agents repeatedly failed to escalate the issue, dropped communications, and closed active service tickets without providing a resolution. The device cannot be safely operated, cannot be charged, and remains a significant thermal safety hazard.
Safety Concerns
The repeated thermal runaway and battery swelling in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra described in this incident report present severe safety concerns for consumers:
- Immediate Dangers: The extreme heat (194°F) poses an immediate risk of thermal burns upon contact, as experienced by the reporter. There is also an acute risk of fire, as swelling lithium-ion batteries can ignite, leading to catastrophic property damage and potential injury to anyone nearby. An explosion is also a serious possibility, which could propel fragments and hazardous materials.
- Long-Term Risks: The continued use or even presence of a device with a defective power management system and swelling battery presents an ongoing fire and explosion risk. Even when idle, the device is generating dangerous levels of heat. The internal chemical reactions occurring during battery swelling can release toxic gases, posing a respiratory hazard.
- Who Might Be Affected: Anyone in proximity to the defective device, including the owner, family members, co-workers, or even pets, could be severely affected by burns, fire, smoke inhalation, or chemical exposure.
- Property Damage Potential: A fire originating from the device could quickly spread to surrounding furniture, electronics, and the structure of a home or office, leading to extensive property damage.
What Consumers Should Do
If you own a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and experience similar issues, or any abnormal heat or swelling, it is crucial to take immediate action:
- Immediate Steps to Take:
- Do NOT attempt to use or charge the device.
- If the device is connected to a charger, carefully and safely unplug it.
- Immediately move the device to a non-flammable surface away from combustible materials (e.g., concrete floor, ceramic tile).
- Keep the device in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight or heat sources.
- Do NOT attempt to open or repair the device yourself. Tampering with a swollen lithium-ion battery can be extremely dangerous.
- How to Check if You Own the Affected Product: This incident specifically mentions the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Check the model name on your phone or its packaging.
- Prevention Measures: While the reported incident suggests an internal defect not easily preventable by the user, general battery safety practices include:
- Use only official Samsung-approved chargers and cables.
- Avoid exposing your phone to extreme temperatures.
- If you notice any physical changes to your phone’s battery (e.g., bulging back, screen separation) or excessive heat, cease use immediately.
- Reporting Procedures:
- Contact Samsung customer service immediately and explicitly state that you have a safety hazard that requires urgent escalation. Refer to this incident report (20260517-8A918-2147319142) if you believe your device exhibits similar symptoms.
- Report the incident to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) at www.cpsc.gov. Providing detailed reports helps identify patterns and initiate broader safety investigations.
Manufacturer’s Response
Samsung Telecom America has indicated “Yes” that a manufacturer response has been provided regarding this incident. However, details of their specific response, proposed resolution for the consumer, or any broader actions being taken by Samsung were not included in the publicly available incident report. The report does highlight that the consumer experienced repeated failures in escalating the issue with frontline customer service agents.
Legal Help Available
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product or suffered property damage due to a product malfunction, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced product liability attorneys at Farzan Law understand the complexities of defective product cases and can help you navigate the legal process. Farzan Law is a California based Personal Injury law firm focusing on protecting the rights of those wrongfully injured.
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Note: This information is based on incident reports provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you find information that is incorrect, please contact us immediately so we can correct the post to reflect accurate information.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not intended to be legal or medical advice. This article is based on publicly available incident reports. The incidents mentioned have not necessarily been independently verified or adjudicated.