Microsoft is providing new power cords at no charge to replace the cords that originally came with some Xbox consoles after some people reported a failure in that component that could become a fire hazard.

According to Microsoft "Fewer than one in 10,000 consoles have experienced these component failures. In almost all instances, any damage caused by these failures was contained within the console itself or limited to the tip of the power cord at the back of the console."

The Xbox Cord will need replaced if it was manufactured before October 23, 2003, except for consoles purchased in Continental Europe, where consoles manufactured prior to January 13, 2004 require a replacement cord. Consoles manufactured after October 23, 2003 (after January 13, 2004 for consoles purchased in Continental Europe) do not require replacement cords because design improvements to the cord and console already protect against the problems that are addressed by the replacement cords.

Microsoft is providing the replacement cords to consumers at no cost. To order a replacement cord for your Xbox, you can use a link off the Xbox.com Web site.

http://replacements.webprogram.com/en-us/programoverview.asp