Apple Launches Recall and Replacement Program for Batteries in 2015 15-Inch MacBook Pro With Retina Display

[simonmet]

Hmmm, got this model. Bought it new in between the dates they provided, but it's not eligible. Strange.

I’d be happy if it’s not at risk of spontaneous combustion. Perhaps Apple had multiple battery suppliers and you got the better one. Just replace it when it’s due.
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What about early 2015 models? We have several here at work that's blowing out.

What are their cycle counts? Are they due for replacement? I’m guessing many 2015 models will be coming up to or past 1,000 cycles by now.

 

[Kobayagi]

I’d be happy if it’s not at risk of spontaneous combustion. Perhaps Apple had multiple battery suppliers and you got the better one. Just replace it when it’s due.

Yeah, I'm not complaining hehe. I wasn't looking after a free battery either, just wanna be sure everything is okay but the MacBook still works perfectly, so I guess it is.

 

[lightweightpeanuts]

What are their cycle counts? Are they due for replacement? I’m guessing many 2015 models will be coming up to or past 1,000 cycles by now.

Mine was about 390 and was not showing any signs of battery swelling.

 

[ErikGrim]

I’d be happy if it’s not at risk of spontaneous combustion. Perhaps Apple had multiple battery suppliers and you got the better one. Just replace it when it’s due.
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What are their cycle counts? Are they due for replacement? I’m guessing many 2015 models will be coming up to or past 1,000 cycles by now.

133 for mine, which has only slight swelling. Enough that you can poke at any point of the body and the rest of the computer will lift up slightly.

 

[puggles]

My February 2016 model is not eligible. Sucks because I'm at 360 cycles and already down to 78% capacity.

I have a 2012 non retina that I used exactly the same way and is around the same cycles and still has 94% capacity. I'm not sure what is going on with this one.

 

[Clix Pix]

Just picked up my 2015 15" MBP from the Apple store, all nice and fresh with a new battery and new top case. I took her in on June 25th, she was received at the repair depot in Houston Texas on July 1, repaired and service completed on July 3rd, when she was shipped back to the Apple store. Since the 4th was a federal holiday and FedEx probably doesn't do deliveries on holidays, I wasn't able to pick her up until today, but FedEx delivered her to the store this morning and I got an email about an hour later. So far everything's looking good!

 

[garylapointe]

This is going to be such a PiTA when flying.

They need to change the About This Mac to clearly show the battery has been updated.

 

[Fried Chicken]

This is going to be such a PiTA when flying.

They need to change the About This Mac to clearly show the battery has been updated.

The serial number is written on the bottom plate; just show them that.

 

[garylapointe]

The serial number is written on the bottom plate; just show them that.

And then they have to look it up?

Some people have a form-fitting case that needs to be removed too. Having the Mac state it would help, IMHO.

 

[gank41]

And then they have to look it up?

Some people have a form-fitting case that needs to be removed too. Having the Mac state it would help, IMHO.

I really don’t see the TSA looking up any MacBook Pro SN’s with a USB-A port. And, imagine that you worked for the TSA and were now told that you somehow have to differentiate between one MacBook Pro and another? That seems like a ridiculous demand to put on someone that already has busy job, where people are already upset that everything is taking too long. And, how are they going to know that that MacBook Pro hasn’t already had its battery replaced, like mine? So now, even though my MacBook Pro has been fixed/corrected, I still can’t bring it on a flight?

 

[garylapointe]

I really don’t see the TSA looking up any MacBook Pro SN’s with a USB-A port. And, imagine that you worked for the TSA and were now told that you somehow have to differentiate between one MacBook Pro and another? That seems like a ridiculous demand to put on someone that already has busy job, where people are already upset that everything is taking too long. And, how are they going to know that that MacBook Pro hasn’t already had its battery replaced, like mine? So now, even though my MacBook Pro has been fixed/corrected, I still can’t bring it on a flight?

The post I was replying to was saying they could look up the serial number on the bottom (I was pointing out some issues on that, not even factoring that it could wear off/be illegible).

Which was a reply to my comment that suggested the "about this mac" should say if the battery needs to be replaced (or if it has been replaced already).

 

[root.root]

Just got mine back from Apple, after the battery was replaced.

The "funny" thing is that before the replacement, I never had any heating problem ; was a warm sometimes, but never too much (even when power plugged + using + iphone usb).

Now, after the replacement, battery was at 32%.
Just using the mac for a few minutes, and it's already hotter than it never had been!
Hmmm :-(

 

[reddevil0728]

Can anyone confirm if the status on the program recall page will change from "The serial number you entered may be eligible for this program", to something along the line of not eligible after the battery has been replaced?

 

[macsforme]

Does anyone know how to determine if a battery is affected by this recall, without having a MBP serial number? Did anyone note the manufacturer and manufacture date of their affected battery using something like CoconutBattery, before sending it in for replacement?

I bought an excellent condition top case assembly (with a battery) from a chinese seller on Aliexpress. I'm not sure where they got them, as the top case appears to be very slightly used (as if it was taken from a returned MacBook Pro as it was being refurbished) and the battery looks slightly manipulated (worn corners, a smear across the label, etc.) although it reports only one cycle. Per CoconutBattery, the manufacturer is "Dynapack" and the manufacture date is 2016-07-04 (right in the middle of the manufacture date range of affected MacBook Pros). I'm trying to figure out if this battery is affected (so I can replace it if it's unsafe), but I'm not sure how to tell...

Edit: I found two users who reported that their affected machines had SMP (Simplo) batteries, and I couldn't find any references to Dynapack batteries in regards to the recall, so I suppose that's somewhat reassuring...

 

[gank41]

Does anyone know how to determine if a battery is affected by this recall, without having a MBP serial number? Did anyone note the manufacturer and manufacture date of their affected battery using something like CoconutBattery, before sending it in for replacement?

I bought an excellent condition top case assembly (with a battery) from a chinese seller on Aliexpress. I'm not sure where they got them, as the top case appears to be very slightly used (as if it was taken from a returned MacBook Pro as it was being refurbished) and the battery looks slightly manipulated (worn corners, a smear across the label, etc.) although it reports only one cycle. Per CoconutBattery, the manufacturer is "Dynapack" and the manufacture date is 2016-07-04 (right in the middle of the manufacture date range of affected MacBook Pros). I'm trying to figure out if this battery is affected (so I can replace it if it's unsafe), but I'm not sure how to tell...

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In my situation, the battery in my 2015 MBP started swelling up so much it bent the bottom case and required a complete replacement of the Logic boat and keyboard, along with the effected battery and bottom part of the MBP itself. And sure as sh**, it happened again after about a year.

 

[venom600]

In my situation, the battery in my 2015 MBP started swelling up so much it bent the bottom case and required a complete replacement of the Logic boat and keyboard, along with the effected battery and bottom part of the MBP itself. And sure as sh**, it happened again after about a year.

Same thing happened to me. I called Apple up way back in 2019 after it happened for the third time and told them I had lost all faith in the product and that I didn't feel it was safe any longer and I wanted a replacement because this is the sort of thing that burns houses down (the Samsung galaxy note thing was still on people's minds). I ended up with the battery replacement fee refunded and a new battery they assured me would be fine. I sold the thing and never looked back.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

Same thing happened to me. I called Apple up way back in 2019 after it happened for the third time and told them I had lost all faith in the product and that I didn't feel it was safe any longer and I wanted a replacement because this is the sort of thing that burns houses down (the Samsung galaxy note thing was still on people's minds). I ended up with the battery replacement fee refunded and a new battery they assured me would be fine. I sold the thing and never looked back.

Battery swelling isn't actually dangerous.

It's incredibly annoying, and it can break your trackpad and bend your bottom case out of shape, but it won't injure you.

Yes, you should discharge the battery and replace it ASAP, but that's just to avoid damage to the computer. And of course you don't have to (and absolutely should not) use Apple service to replace the battery once you're out of warranty.