Apple Launches Repair Program for Faulty MacBook and MacBook Pro Keyboards

[bsolar]

Did they replace it with a generation 2 mechanism keyboard? Or do they just replace the generation 1 keyboard?

In my case they repaired it first with exactly the same Top Case model (2016 MBP with Touch Bar), but the problem appeared again a few months later and replaced the Top Cass again but with the 2017 model.

Didn’t have the problem again for almost 1 year, but it’s sporadically appearing again so this repair program might be useful to me. I plan to replace the MBP earlier than 4 years anyway.

If you mean whether they can replace it with even older pre-faulty butterfly keyboards, I don’t think it’s possible.

 

[Sneakz]

Did they replace it with a generation 2 mechanism keyboard? Or do they just replace the generation 1 keyboard?

Don't have the machine back yet.

 

[macjunk(ie)]

Does this program extend beyond the MBP warranty and if so, for how long?

Edit: MR has updated the article to include this information - four years.

Which is within Phil Schiller's view on an acceptable age of a laptop. These guys think of everything.
/s

 

[groovyd]

what's most disturbing is somehow they cleared their name and are back in business doing the same thing but everyone who had stock lost it all... something about this should be illegal

 

[dlondon]

Actually it depends and in some cases it’s maybe not even enough. As far as I know e.g. in England you have up to 6 years to dispute a product being faulty and obtain free of charge repair or replacement.

It's 6 years to make the claim but that doesn't mean a 6 years guarantee. However, in this instance you should be able to make a claim for up to 6 years from purchase because its reasonable to expect a premium computer to last this long and Apple have acknowledged the keyboard issue - this makes it easy to prove that the fault existed when the device was purchased (regardless of whether the fault is visible now).

 

[invisibleshoes]

Took a class action suit to get the company to step up. Eh, gonna send mine in for repair and will probably sell it afterwards. Never liked this keyboard; loud, poor mechanism, and uncomfortable to type on. The keyboard on the Surface Book 2 is perfection.

 

[PickUrPoison]

It's 6 years to make the claim but that doesn't mean a 6 years guarantee. However, in this instance you should be able to make a claim for up to 6 years from purchase because its reasonable to expect a premium computer to last this long and Apple have acknowledged the keyboard issue - this makes it easy to prove that the fault existed when the device was purchased (regardless of whether the fault is visible now).

Right, at least six years. It’s a very pro-consumer law. But it is one of the reasons Apple products are more expensive in the UK.

 

[bsolar]

how long it usually takes to replace entire keyboard? I have spare 2009 MBP, can I restore/timemachine my rMB 2015 to it?

About a week but most of the time is waiting the replacement to be delivered. You might be able to arrange with the service guys to get the laptop back until the pieces are delivered, then you are called and need to bring the laptop to them whithin 24 hours.

I basically lost the device for half a day for the diagnostics and 1 day for the replacement itself but between the two I could still use the laptop.

 

[MacBH928]

You can't get infinitely smaller and thinner...

 

[317342]

Two (2) very specific things I take from this...

First, "small percentage" can mean anything from...
...# of affected units vs. sold units.
...# of keyboard units found defective vs. damaged, accidentally or otherwise, by consumers.

My guess is the former was related to something in the actual keyboard assumably itself. When I saw this issue, I managed to replicate it pretty reliably when the keyboard reached at/above 97deg F, and one or more keys stopped functioning. The latter possibility is far more obvious.

Second, and speaking explicitly as someone who was directly affected by this issue, I did not (and still do not) understand the magnitude of the outcry against Apple so long as it was being repaired under warranty. --Every purchase has risk, AppleCare wouldn't be available (or needed) otherwise.

 

[scrapesleon]

Bringing in mine ASAP

 

[Internet Enzyme]

Ever since Steve Jobs died, and Bob Mansfield was replaced by an iPad guy (Dan Riccio) in late 2012, Mac designs have gone downhill. Plain and simple.

Your profile pic is of Mansfield i think youre slightly biased

 

[SteveW928]

I wonder if this means they are just about to release the next revision?

Free repair for four years after date of purchase is bare minimum? That seems generous to me. I cold be wrong? My mid-2011 iMac had a problem with its video card and I had it repaired for free in 2015. That's pretty great. Don't get me wrong, it would be preferable if they didn't screw it up in the first place, but mistakes happen. It's how companies handle screwups that I most care about.

Well, you have to have some history and context, in that Apple products are premium products that most people use for 5 years minimum, and used to be closer to 10 on pro products. While they don't necessarily have to fix every issue post-warranty, they do to uphold their reputation. Plus, in some cases like this... a design flaw (assuming it is) will lead to class-action.

 

[saldin]

Much like what happened with the 2011 MBP GPU fiasco it's really sad that it took Apple multiple class action lawsuits and years of complaints by its customers.

It gets me mad as hell that Apple sold defective hardware, ignored valid customer complaints for YEARS, was only pressured to act to avoid the impending class action lawsuit, and finally, to add insult to injury, the repairs were short lived.

It happened to me with the 2011 MacBook Pro's defective AMD GPU, and it's happening all over again to others now, in the form of this keyboard fiasco.

 

[lilrush]

And apple die-hards tried to tell me there was nothing wrong with this keyboard lol

 

[martyjmclean]

If Apple knew about this since 2015 why did they continue using this keyboard design? Why did they update it for the MBP in 2016? This butterfly-hinge keyboard implementation doesn't work, but there's no way that they knew about this long ago and continued implementing into their notebooks. This repair program is going to be very costly - you think they wanted to deal with this?

The same reason they knew iPhone 6 and 6 Plus was prone to bending and did nothing about it.

 

[yegon]

This is not a “good on Apple” scenario.

Irrespective of lawsuits, it’s been a known issue for years and they should have acted on it a long time ago.

Talk of “small percentage” is denying reality. My brothers workplace have had over 400 models with said keyboard and almost 100 have had problems to date, the lions share of problems occurring between 6-18 months of purchase. That is a LARGE percentage, anecdotal or not.

Unrelated - I love Apple stuff, but it’s not blind devotion.

 

[HiRez]

Are they actually replacing the keyboard with a new, non-flawed design, or are they simply cleaning it and/or replacing it with the same flawed design?

 

[vipergts2207]

But I thought this was either a made-up issue, or a result of people constantly eating potato chips over their computers?

 

[JPack]

Second, and speaking explicitly as someone who was directly affected by this issue, I did not (and still do not) understand the magnitude of the outcry against Apple so long as it was being repaired under warranty. --Every purchase has risk, AppleCare wouldn't be available (or needed) otherwise.

Just because something can be repaired under warranty doesn't mean it's effortless. There's downtime and potential data loss with hardware service. Many consumers buy Apple for the perceived quality associated with the brand.

Right now, a 13-inch MacBook Pro is affected by at least 3 hardware issues.

1. Keyboard Service Program for MacBook and MacBook Pro

2. 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) Battery Replacement Program

3. Anti-Reflective Coating Repair Program

 

[Daws001]

So far, so good.

 

[loby]

The fact that a computer from 2015 is on that list, and it is currently 2018... THREE YEARS LATER... at least they're doing the program I guess.

True...but does it take a lawsuit for them now to do something?

Probably looks like they would loose like the iphone replacement battery back in January...

Only act if their lawyers think they might loose....bad taste.

 

[saldin]

Are they actually replacing the keyboard with a new, non-flawed design, or are they simply cleaning it and/or replacing it with the same flawed design?

Speaking with the past experience of having my MBP 2011's defective GPU repaired under the program, it's the second one.

In fact, I don't think Apple has ever done the first one. Can someone please correct me if I'm wrong?

 

[Nieval]

First, "small percentage" can mean anything from...
...# of affected units vs. sold units.
...# of keyboard units found defective vs. damaged, accidentally or otherwise, by consumers.

For what it's worth Apple usually doesn't launch programs like this until the number of incidents exceeds a certain threshold.

Assuming that's the case here, it means this defect is impacting a significant amount of users regardless of what the actual percentage is or personal anecdotes.

 

[pier]

The same reason they knew iPhone 6 and 6 Plus was prone to bending and did nothing about it.

It's a simple matter.

Apple needs to release new products. If they make a mistake too late the cost of releasing a flawed product is inferior to the cost of not releasing a product at all.

As for the keyboard they probably knew, but at some point I imagine there is no turning back. The new keyboard has to fit in the specs of the new case that also took years to design, along with the screen, the logic board, the trackpad, etc.