SONY Corp recalled 1.6 million Bravia flat-panel TVs sold worldwide since 2007 because a faulty component may cause them to melt or catch fire. Sony recalled the liquid-crystal display TVs after a September incident in which a customer noticed a small fire and smoke, said Yuki Shima, a Tokyo-based spokeswoman for the worlds No. 3 maker of televisions. Eleven incidents have been reported in Japan since 2008, according to a company statement, and no injuries have been reported. A faulty component in the backlight systems may be the source of overheating that can melt the top of the TV set, Shima said. Its the second recall involving Sony products in a month, with KDDI Corp., Japans second-largest mobile-phone operator, saying it would replace Sony-made batteries in as many as 2 million handsets because they may overheat and melt. Sony-related recalls are following one another and that may ruin the companys brand image, said Keita Wakabayashi, an analyst at Mito Securities Co. who rates the stock neutral plus. Considering Sonys overall business size, the TV recalls wont shake the companys grounding. The same transformer is used in the five Bravia models in Japan being recalled, according to a Sony statement. The recalled sets will be repaired if a faulty part was found. Sony will dispatch a service crew to inspect the set and may offer a rental TV while repairs are being made, Shima said. Bloomberg