Apple Launches "Flexgate" Repair Program for Select MacBook Pros

[DrMacintosh]

Today Apple announced a repair program for select MacBook Pros. This repair program is the solution to the following:

 

Quote

 

Apple has determined that a very small percentage of 13-inch MacBook Pro displays may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors: 

• Display backlight continuously or intermittently shows vertical bright areas along the entire bottom of the screen
• Display backlight stops working completely

Affected devices were sold between October 2016 and February 2018. Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service affected MacBook Pro units, free of charge.

 

Models that can take advantage of this program are extremely limited. Eligible models are as follows:

• MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

 

Customers may take their Mac to an AASP, make an appointment at an Apple Retail Store, or mail in their computer to have them serviced. If a customer has paid for a display replacement in the past, they can contact Apple to get a refund. The time required to complete the repair is unknown at this time. 

 

This program is good for 4 years from the date of purchase of the machine. 

 

It is rather odd that Apple has only elected to cover 2016 models, and only the 13" models at that under this program. Lucky for me, my Mac is covered by this program in addition to all the other free service programs that I have yet needed to take advantage of. 

 

I personally have not noticed any symptoms of flexgate at this time. Incase anyone is unfamiliar with flexgate, the video below explains the issue in detail. In my experience this seems to happen to those who are rough with their machines and extend the display past its maximum. Most media claims that flexgate is inevitable, but there is no evidence to support those claims. 

 

[Kaita]

I've had my MBP13 2016 for a good 3 years and haven't really encountered any of these issues... Sucks to know that they're susceptible to many design flaws as one of the reasons why I bought it was because I had a "Apple good. Apple no mistake" mindset since the 2015 models were pretty good.

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, Kaita said:

Sucks to know that they're susceptible to many design flaws as one of the reasons why I bought it was because I had a "Apple good. Apple no mistake"

The good think is that Apple has the infrastructure to offer repairs for any issues that their machines may have. So if anything is found to be a common issue, it almost always will be fixed for free. 

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, Kaita said:

I've had my MBP13 2016 for a good 3 years and haven't really encountered any of these issues... Sucks to know that they're susceptible to many design flaws as one of the reasons why I bought it was because I had a "Apple good. Apple no mistake" mindset since the 2015 models were pretty good.

2015s are excellent laptops, as are the 2013/14s. Older 2012/11 unibodies are solid as well, other than the dGPUs dying on 15" (and I think 17") models that have them. For 2016 and newer they just went too thin IMO, the '15s were perfect, should have left them like that. 

[minibois]

"Apple has determined that a very small percentage"

Usually this is Apple speak for "we dun screwed up and many people suffer because of it", but I have not actually seen much about this particular issue.

 

Watching the iFixit video shows that this is a pretty big issue, or at least so it seems. An issue caused by.. Opening and closing your laptop.

Good on Apple by opening up this program. 

 

Maybe now it's also time for 2 year warranty instead of 1 year...?

[BuckGup]

I have know 3 people to get this. I'll say it again the 2015s were the last good year everything went to shit after that

[Guest]

Listen. Went to get mine fixed for this. No-go screen had a hairline crack and they didn’t want to touch it - fair enough, also had water (coffee damage), but that did not affect function. 

 

$400 insurance later and I have the i9 model :). 

 

But whats also also annoying is they refused to believe the lines were due to the cable. Absolutely refused to replace the cable, instead of the whole display. Little choice left but to ring up insurance.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

6 minutes ago, BuckGup said:

I'll say it again the 2015s were the last good year everything went to shit after that

IMO everything went to shit after the SE/30. 

The Powerbook 140 wasn't bad though ... apart from having to buy a new battery almost every year. 

[suicidalfranco]

as always:

only too them x amount of years to acknowledge it

a class action was required

valid for 4 years, so basically everyone who was affected and didn't get a new laptop in the past 3 years, have 1 year to take advantage of the repair program

no attempts to refund those who didn't have the patience to wait 3 years and a court decision and went with Apple's over priced repairs

Edit: they will refund previous repairs as pointed out by @DrMacintosh in a post below and the OP

[TrigrH]

2 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

The time required to complete the repair is unknown at this time. 

I'd say about 2-3 years.

[Curufinwe_wins]

1 hour ago, DrMacintosh said:

The good think is that Apple has the infrastructure to offer repairs for any issues that their machines may have. So if anything is found to be a common issue, it almost always will be fixed for free. 

Often after telling people there isn't an issue and years after the problems are reported and known to be common.

[DrMacintosh]

1 hour ago, suicidalfranco said:

no attempts to refund those who didn't have the patience to wait 3 years and a court decision and went with Apple's over priced repairs

I literally said people who paid can get a refund in the OP....

[Froody129]

Apple needs to get their ass in gear. People buy their laptops based off of a reputation that "it just works". If they keep making stuff that breaks from simple issues that didn't need to exist because of their hard-on for thinness their market is going to leave them and buy proper devices. 

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, Froody129 said:

Apple needs to get their ass in gear. People buy their laptops based off of a reputation that "it just works". If they keep making stuff that breaks from simple issues that didn't need to exist because of their hard-on for thinness their market is going to leave them and buy proper devices. 

Mac market share went up tho

[soldier_ph]

Weird Flex but Ok

[suicidalfranco]

16 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

I literally said people who paid can get a refund in the OP....

Ok, will bar that, doesn't make everything else better