2016 MacBook Pro 15" defective keyboard

[ManuCH]

Well, you might not even imagine what just happened.

After a lot of waiting and refreshing the delivery tracking page, my 2016 MacBook Pro 15" (BTO with 2.9 GHz and 1TB SSD) arrived. And guess what - the keyboard is defective.

Yes, the "e" key is broken, meaning that it either doesn't register at all, or it registers twice (and you never know which one it will be). It's not dust or anything (it's a brand new machine after all). I tried wiggling, pressing hard, the usual stuff - no dice.

So there you go, a brand new machine which I spent a fortune on, with a broken key. I'm off to the Apple store tomorrow (although there are no open slots at the Genius bar until Monday - I don't care, I want this to be taken care of now!).

Does anyone have any experience with what Apple Stores can do in such a case? They won't have any stock (especially because it's a BTO), and I'm not sure they're even able to repair such a thing (and for sure they won't have any spare keyboards).

What do you think I should do? Give it back, request a refund and order a new one? I'm pretty bummed out...

 

[shadow82x]

Yes, they might carry that model.

I was literarily in the same situation yesterday, the bottom arrow button wasn't registering most of the time. So I went into the store, and one of the models they had in stock was 15"/1TB/460/2.9GHZ and I exchanged it.

 

[ManuCH]

Did you have to leave the entire box there with charger and cable or did they just replace the MacBook itself?

 

[pshifrin]

Same exact thing happened to me on an stock 2.7/16/512 but it was the R key. I took it as the universe telling me to stay with the 13 inch model instead, which I was leaning towards.

 

[ManuCH]

So this is a common defect? Not very comforting ...

 

[NoWayBehind]

Actually my shift key was not working properly as well the first hours of using, now it seems to work flawless for the last three hours. Very weird. Maybe it is software related? I did a reboot, but don't know if they were connected. Didn't really pay attention unfortunately. I will report back if the situation changes again.

 

[Beau10]

Actually my shift key was not working properly as well the first hours of using, now it seems to work flawless for the last three hours. Very weird. Maybe it is software related? I did a reboot, but don't know if they were connected. Didn't really pay attention unfortunately. I will report back if the situation changes again.

Same here with my D key, but it took about 10 hours of use. Very annoying, almost every time I hit a D it was either a miss or a DD for he first few hours. Hasn't happened since the second day of ownership.

My take is there might be some sort of expoxy residue or cleaning chemical under the keycap. Try hitting it a few hundred times and see if it improves.

 

[shadow82x]

Did you have to leave the entire box there with charger and cable or did they just replace the MacBook itself?

I didn't have my box. They just exchanged the MacBook itself.

 

[powerocool]

My Shift key is also very soft, not much click feeling. Every time I start using the keyboard it feels very weird. Then after a while it gets better (maybe I'm adjust to the softness feeling).

 

[ManuCH]

Day 2: when pressing the "e" key normally, all is good. Now the problem has shifted to the lower right corner. That means, if I hit the "e" key in that corner, it will register twice. In the center or the other 3 corners it will work fine.

Still this is not normal. I have called Apple: they offered to exchange it for a new one, but I need to ship mine to them first, so I will be sans laptop for 10-15 days. Apparently there is no advanced replacement program - not even with AppleCare!

So I will try my luck at the Apple Store and see if they can do anything there.

 

[NoWayBehind]

Day 2: when pressing the "e" key normally, all is good. Now the problem has shifted to the lower right corner. That means, if I hit the "e" key in that corner, it will register twice. In the center or the other 3 corners it will work fine.

Still this is not normal. I have called Apple: they offered to exchange it for a new one, but I need to ship mine to them first, so I will be sans laptop for 10-15 days. Apparently there is no advanced replacement program - not even with AppleCare!

So I will try my luck at the Apple Store and see if they can do anything there.

I would actually recommend to try it at least for 2 more days or so. From 3 people effected (in this thread), 2 of them had keyboards that "fixed themselves". In statistics these are by far not enough people to say it's significant and to say "the keyboards needs to settle in, then it will work", but it may be possible.

 

[davidturner]

I had a similar issue with my r key. After a few hours it was working super smoothly. Definitely frustrating though.

 

[James.K.Polk]

Did you have to leave the entire box there with charger and cable or did they just replace the MacBook itself?

When mine was replaced (2015 rMBP, about 2 weeks after purchase), the guy literally cut open a new box in front of me, set the charger aside, and gave me the new Macbook out of it!

 

[pshifrin]

I never even gave it a chance. Since I needed the R for my wifi password and iCloud login, it went right back to the Apple store the next morning, never even setup.

 

[ManuCH]

So this is the outcome from the Apple Store visit. I have the following options:

- wait for the Apple Store to get replacement parts (likely in a couple of weeks) and have them replace the keyboard (they never replace single keys, only the entire keyboard). The technician said that this is officially supported and that I would not notice anything - but on an unofficial and more private note, he said that "as a customer I would hate to have my brand new MacBook Pro gutted when I could have had it replaced for free"

- call Apple sales, ship mine back and have a new one shipped to me

I will take the week-end to think this over and play with the MacBook a bit. If the "e" key still doesn't fix itself with time, I will probably send it back and have it replaced. They said that replacement BTOs have priority in line over regular online orders, so it shouldn't take 7 weeks.

By the way, they were all amazed at the Apple Store as they had never seen a 15" TB before. They only have 13" stock and display models at the moment.

 

[arbitrage]

In my experience over the last year with the 12" rMB, these types of key problems will come and go on random keys over time. It is the worst thing about the new keyboard. I actually like typing on the new design until keys start doing this. Currently on my MB its the spacebar. So far on my 2016 MBP it hasn't had an issue. you can try Apples recommended solution of doing yoga with the computer while blowing air at the key. The fact that Apple has a ridiculous support page for this is not encouraging. Many people have had apple replace the entire keyboard on the rMB....Get ready to read more and more about this issue....

 

[nomhak]

Has anyone noticed a tactile difference in pressing the key? The top half of my 'D' key doesn't have the same 'bounce' as the other keys. The bottom half does, and it registers every press when I hit the bottom half, but if I hit the middle of the button, or the top half it doesn't register at all.

 

[ManuCH]

Has anyone noticed a tactile difference in pressing the key? The top half of my 'D' key doesn't have the same 'bounce' as the other keys. The bottom half does, and it registers every press when I hit the bottom half, but if I hit the middle of the button, or the top half it doesn't register at all.

No, the tactile feedback is actually the same for all the keys and in all corners. Just the "electric feedback" of my "e" key is different depending on where you press it.

In the meantime, it doesn't happen anymore in day-to-day usage. I really have to press it in the corner 20 times in a row for the defect to appear. So there is hope

Have you tried wiggling your keys a bit and use some canned air?

 

[ah93]

I am currently having the exact same problem with the I key!!! just set up my new 13" BTO mac.

Thought I was going mad.....

 

[sneak3]

Have you guys tried removing the keycap and put it back again?

 

[Grolubao]

What about the space key? It just feels there's no travel at all on this key. It works fine, but it's a different feel

 

[idunn]

In my experience over the last year with the 12" rMB, these types of key problems will come and go on random keys over time. It is the worst thing about the new keyboard. I actually like typing on the new design until keys start doing this. Currently on my MB its the spacebar. So far on my 2016 MBP it hasn't had an issue. you can try Apples recommended solution of doing yoga with the computer while blowing air at the key. The fact that Apple has a ridiculous support page for this is not encouraging. Many people have had apple replace the entire keyboard on the rMB....Get ready to read more and more about this issue....

Hmm. I do not recall Apple keyboards being anything less than reliable and a pleasure to use. Well, until now.

 

[ManuCH]

Have you guys tried removing the keycap and put it back again?

I'm not sure I'd do that as it's not officially supported by Apple. Not even the Genius wanted to do that. He said they're specifically instructed to either replace the entire keyboard, or nothing.

I know Geniuses are not always, well, geniuses, but if I break the key in the process, I'm out of luck and I'll have to pay out of my own pocket for the repair.

What about the space key? It just feels there's no travel at all on this key. It works fine, but it's a different feel

Haven't noticed anything special about the space key. It feels the same as the other keys on mine.

 

[ah93]

What about the space key? It just feels there's no travel at all on this key. It works fine, but it's a different feel

agreed - the space key sounds a lot "softer". i feel like all of the keys require a lot more pressure - the space key and the I and maybe the L key seem to be having issues. after using it last night, today it seems to be a little more reliable, but still get the occasional issue.

i think this issue just requires them to be 'broken in' a little.

 

[Grolubao]

agreed - the space key sounds a lot "softer". i feel like all of the keys require a lot more pressure - the space key and the I and maybe the L key seem to be having issues. after using it last night, today it seems to be a little more reliable, but still get the occasional issue.

i think this issue just requires them to be 'broken in' a little.

It might as well be, not sure... I'm afraid of returning it, but I want to make sure the others are similar thus my visit to the Apple Store today