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Macbook cracks - but not the regular kind!

boston04and07

boston04and07

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 13, 2008
1,846
952
I recently took my 5-month old Macbook to the Apple store to get the topcase replaced, since I was having the usual issue of cracking on the palmrests. It was no big deal, and I didn't care since I know this happens a lot, and they fixed it very quickly with no questions asked. :)

However, soon as I got home I noticed a new crack, not on the topcase but in the actual, hard-plastic part of the bottom case itself - and since I'd recently been peeking down there a lot investigating the original cracks, I was fairly certain that it hadn't been there before. It's thin and doesn't appear to deep, but runs a good 2 1/2" under the front edge. I figured it happened somehow during the installation of my new palm rest, so I took to back to the Apple store. They were once again really nice and are replacing the case for me, since it could worsen over time, but also said that it most likely didn't happen during the installation, and that it had been there all along.

Thing is, I'm pretty certain it wasn't there before. Plus, I'm not even sure how the original cracks got there to begin with, since I'm one of those people who babies their computer and gets upset when it gets hit by a slight breeze. :( I've never slammed my lid closed, since I read about the cracking before I first got it, and the computer rarely makes it out of my house.

So, would you guys say it's normal for the hard plastics on the Macbook to crack so easily like that? Have you noticed this before too, and should I expect it to happen again?

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about. It's kind of hard to see with the camera I was using, but it's the faint line in the front just beneath the edge of the palmrest:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/28156514@N05/2628881605/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28156514@N05/2628881735/in/photostream/

Thanks in advance! :) Sorry if this has already been talked about, but all I found in my searches were chats about the regular palmrest cracks.
 
Take a look at how to replace the trackpad/keyboard at ifixit.com - parting that seam really doesn't involve putting any stress along the seam where you've got the crack. That said, howevers, the official apple repair guide for it has it set open and upside down (keyboard on table, screen hanging over edge) to remove some screws, so a careless or junior genius may have given it a knock when positioning it.
 
I had the same issue with my Macbook 3 weeks ago... actually I have had this same issue twice, the first time was less then 2 weeks after I had my Macbook so they replaced it with a brand new machine. However a few weeks ago I brought my Macbook in to get the trackpad/keyboard replaced since I had a crack where the magnet hits the palmrest. When I got my Macbook back there were gaps all around the edges of my notebook and I had all these hairline cracks in the same location as your computer, mine even had cracks on the side bottom as well (near the screws). I have Applecare, but they wouldn't fix it saying that that type of damage isn't covered by Applecare. I firmly and politely mentioned that these cracks were definitely not present when I brought my computer in and its obvious that the damage was done when the Macbook was in for service. The gaps along the edges kinda proved that they did a very poor job in repairing my Macbook. Thankfully they sent it in to get repaired and now I have a perfect crackfree Macbook... for now. I would bring your Macbook in and explain to them your situation, they might be hesitant to fix it but if the damage was done by the Apple techs they will (and should) repair your Macbook.
 
applgeek said:
Another fine Chinese Product.
Click to expand...

Got nothing to do with China, and everything to do with the fact that Apple doesn't give a damn about quality. Pretty much every laptop manufacturer manages to churn out millions of laptops annually from Chinese factories that don't crack over and over and over again. This must be one of those cases of Apple thinking different™, I guess.
 
heatmiser said:
Got nothing to do with China, and everything to do with the fact that Apple doesn't give a damn about quality. Pretty much every laptop manufacturer manages to churn out millions of laptops annually from Chinese factories that don't crack over and over and over again. This must be one of those cases of Apple thinking different™, I guess.
Click to expand...

China is easy to blame.If it was made in the USA it would probably be at least slightly better though. However, it is apple's fault for caring more about price than quality, and designing a piece of crap that looks good.
 
i have have the exact same kind of cracks on the front edge, that go right from the left corner, and finishes when its meet the top in the middle of the front edge in the little 'thumb' area where it goes in.

please let me know how the apple store take this. i had a crack on the underneath of the laptop, and they said there wasn't much they could actually do :confused:

so i presumed they wouldn't do anything about this too
 
Yeah, I'll definitely let you know how it goes! I think they're putting on an entirely new case. They had to order it in because they didn't have it in stock, and soon as it arrives I'll take my Macbook in and leave it there probably overnight. I'm under warranty, though, and still not 100% convinced that I inflicted the damage, but whatever - so long as they fix it I'm fine!

Now I'm wondering if they're just going to replace the bottom plastic case, or if they have to replace it on the top lid as well - like, maybe both parts come together and have to be replaced together, like how they gave me new keys along with my topcase. Guess I'll find out!
 
ashjamben said:
i have have the exact same kind of cracks on the front edge, that go right from the left corner, and finishes when its meet the top in the middle of the front edge in the little 'thumb' area where it goes in.

please let me know how the apple store take this. i had a crack on the underneath of the laptop, and they said there wasn't much they could actually do :confused:

so i presumed they wouldn't do anything about this too
Click to expand...

Were / are you still under warranty? If they claim that it's cosmetic or whatever, I'd definitely ask to see a higher-up in the store. I mean, my reason for taking it in wasn't so much cosmetic, as I was worried that the piece could fall off eventually, exposing the insides to everything...
 
Scathach said:
I had the same issue with my Macbook 3 weeks ago... actually I have had this same issue twice, the first time was less then 2 weeks after I had my Macbook so they replaced it with a brand new machine. However a few weeks ago I brought my Macbook in to get the trackpad/keyboard replaced since I had a crack where the magnet hits the palmrest. When I got my Macbook back there were gaps all around the edges of my notebook and I had all these hairline cracks in the same location as your computer, mine even had cracks on the side bottom as well (near the screws). I have Applecare, but they wouldn't fix it saying that that type of damage isn't covered by Applecare. I firmly and politely mentioned that these cracks were definitely not present when I brought my computer in and its obvious that the damage was done when the Macbook was in for service. The gaps along the edges kinda proved that they did a very poor job in repairing my Macbook. Thankfully they sent it in to get repaired and now I have a perfect crackfree Macbook... for now. I would bring your Macbook in and explain to them your situation, they might be hesitant to fix it but if the damage was done by the Apple techs they will (and should) repair your Macbook.
Click to expand...

Weird, that's my situation exactly! The Apple guy didn't tell me that it absolutely could not have happened during the repairs, but only that it *probably* didn't. Now I'm not so sure! Glad you managed to get it all fixed, though, even if it took some arguing! :)
 
boston04and07 said:
Now I'm wondering if they're just going to replace the bottom plastic case, or if they have to replace it on the top lid as well - like, maybe both parts come together and have to be replaced together, like how they gave me new keys along with my topcase. Guess I'll find out!
Click to expand...

They will most likely only fix the bottom part, when I got mine back they replaced the bottom (not the casing where the battery and stuff is) and they replaced only the hinge, not the rest of the top. Basically they try to replace only the parts which are faulty.
 
boston04and07 said:
Were / are you still under warranty? If they claim that it's cosmetic or whatever, I'd definitely ask to see a higher-up in the store. I mean, my reason for taking it in wasn't so much cosmetic, as I was worried that the piece could fall off eventually, exposing the insides to everything...
Click to expand...

ye i'm still under warranty, its a 2.2ghz bought in nov 2008 with applecare.

at first i got what looks like a heat crack on the underneath of the laptop, all along next to the hinge, above where all the writing is. it was that crack i pointed out to the genius guy, just as an afterthought really when i was about to leave after a different problem. he simply said that they were aware of these cracks in macbooks but explained that it wasn't the plastic cacking, just the 'lacquer', if you like. i wasn't too fussed to be honest. i took his answer and thought it was underneath so no one saw it anyway.

it was only when i noticed the large hair-line crack on the front edge. which starts on the left hand side screw, closest to the corner, and runs along the top edge, and then meets the top edge in the middle of the thumb reccession (the little thumb opening thing, i dont know what its called)

never known whether to take it back or not, as i think its purely cosmetic. although in the past i have had quite a few repairs done, might justify for a replacement with enough persuading :p cant believe i said that, i used to get really annoyed when people would have the slightest problem and ask 'should i ask for a replacement? i think i should'. to be fair though, i do have these cracks and have had to have the battery replaced, logic board, battery connector and something else, i cant remember.
 
Eric Lewis said:
PEOPLE

these cracks only occur because people close it to hard....
Click to expand...

I never closed mine hard, after the first time I got a crack on the palm rest I purchased a cloth that goes in between the screen and the keyboard and palm rest and was always gentle with it... I was very surprised when I noticed the crack in the exact same location 6 months later. The guy at the Apple store said it had something to do with the magnet and a potential weak point on the edge of the plastic. If the issue was honestly due to individuals being too rough with their notebook, apple wouldn't pay to replace the part (or at least not at the Apple store near me won't). My Macbook never travels as well (I have a little 12 inch toshiba I toss in my bag as I am too nervous of my Macbook getting pilfered lol.

I don't think that the cracking on the palm rest is always due to abuse, perhaps just cheap plastic. The other cracking on the bottom casing I would definitely say was due to abuse (in my case it was the Apple techs which caused it, being the only reason I was able to get them to fix it).
 
I'm curious...

Are all of these cracked Macbooks the white or the black model? Is the plastic different on the white and black?
 
MacLadybug said:
Are all of these cracked Macbooks the white or the black model? Is the plastic different on the white and black?
Click to expand...

I was kinda wondering this myself, mine is a white Macbook. I wondered if I should have chosen the black one instead... but I didn't like how fingerprints showed up on the black however. I have read a few issues of peeling on the black Macbooks but I am not sure about any cracking on the black ones.
 
i can understand why people would think these are caused by people closing the lid to hard, but i disagree totally.

as for the crack on the underneath of my macbook, that is nowhere near where the lid closes, so i'd be stunned if closing the lid to hard caused that one.

and as for the crack on the front edge, it doesn't look like the kind of crack that would came about by impact. its not a straight line crack, it almost looks like its splintered, and looks to me like its caused by heat. its hard to describe how it looks.
 
I'm getting paranoid now - firstly mag-safe cables catching fire - now the case cracking. Keeping my fingers crossed here.
 
ashjamben said:
i can understand why people would think these are caused by people closing the lid to hard, but i disagree totally.

as for the crack on the underneath of my macbook, that is nowhere near where the lid closes, so i'd be stunned if closing the lid to hard caused that one.

and as for the crack on the front edge, it doesn't look like the kind of crack that would came about by impact. its not a straight line crack, it almost looks like its splintered, and looks to me like its caused by heat. its hard to describe how it looks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I agree, I'm sure that some of the cracks are caused by abuse, but saying that *all* are isn't right either. I don't think I could have been more careful with mine, and it still cracked, so I don't know. It also doesn't get very hot, never hot enough to crack plastic, so how the cracks in front got there, I have no idea...
 
Does anyone know...

Is there a difference in the case material between the white and black MacBook? Does one crack more than the other?
 
MacLadybug said:
Is there a difference in the case material between the white and black MacBook? Does one crack more than the other?
Click to expand...

I've seen both cracked but you hear more about the white MB cracking because that's what most people have.
 
Eric Lewis said:
PEOPLE

these cracks only occur because people close it to hard....
Click to expand...

Actually that may the case for about 3% of the users. This is a known issue on the white MB. I have replaced several of these bottom cases and to have a case crack from closing too hard would result in hard drive failures, MLB errors and so forth.
 
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