The two recalled Vaio models went on sale in May -- 13,000 in Japan, 3,000 in the United States and 2,000 in Europe, the Tokyo company said.

A person who touches some metal parts in the back of the laptop might feel a slight electric shock when the dial tone goes off while using the modem, spokesman Shigenori Fujita said.

The modem is also unusually slow when an adapter is used for connecting to an outlet. Several cases of the slow modem were reported in Japan, but no cases of electric shock have been reported and it will not cause bodily injury, Mr Fujita said.

The recall costs, including shipping and repair, will total an estimated ¥500 million (US$4.2 million), the company said