Mid-2102 MBP, 2nd logic board replacement

[wct097]

Late last year my machine would shut off whenever the discrete graphic card fired up. It got bad enough that I couldn't even reinstall the OS after wiping it before dropping it at the repair shop. Had to literally stick it in the freezer to get through the OS reinstall. Cost ~$430.

Apple came out last month with the extended repair program for this problem and after a couple calls I managed to get them to refund me the repair costs.

Now I'm getting the logic board replaced again. Slightly different symptoms this time. When running something that invokes the discrete GPU (chrome, a game, etc) it'll randomly shut off or sleep at anywhere between 40-70% battery life and won't come back on unless I plug it in, at which time it still shows 40-70% battery life and continues working on battery if I kill the app using the discrete GPU. Also, when I'm using Safari and not the discrete GPU, it'll randomly lock up for about 15-20 seconds, then reboot.

Local repair shop ran their hardware test and got a VST error. They've ordered a logic board for me, under warranty, and I'll have to take it in to swap it when the part arrives.

I no longer have any confidence in this machine or Apple's ability to produce a logic board for it that will last for any meaningful amount of time. Very much looking forward to the Skylake machines coming out so I can upgrade.

Mid 2012 Retina - 2.6ghz Ivy Bridge, 16gb RAM, 512SSD, Nvidia GT 650M

 

[scaredpoet]

Your concern is justified. There is no fix to this issue, except to replace the logic board with something of a completely different design, with a different discreet GPU. The nVidia 650M is flawed, and replacing with a logic board that has another 650M will only result in the same failure mode over time.

Granted, how quickly it fails depends directly on how aggressively it's used. In someone else's hands, that new logic board could last years. Or it could die sooner if they really heat it up all the time.

 

[wct097]

So I couldn't remember how long this repair extension program was supposed to last, so I decided to use the "check my coverage" tool on their website. Last week when I got an Apple Care Case Number and a promise of a logic board replacement, it was showing as under warranty, as it was when I first requested the refund for the original replacement.

Now it's showing as expired. I know that when I talked to the lady at Apple that she had to check to see if they'd do a second repair. She came back with a confirmation that they would. I wonder if they limit it to two repairs before telling you to take a hike with your broken $3k machine with a fatal design flaw.

Makes me think I should dump this thing on Craigslist as soon as the logic board gets replaced this time.

 

[Idefix]

Here's where you would call Apple and get clarity on the issue.

My take is that you get any number of replacements. Typically, after 3 replacements, Apple will give an equivalent new laptop, if you politely insist on being escalated to higher and higher levels of customer care.

 

[scaredpoet]

So I couldn't remember how long this repair extension program was supposed to last, so I decided to use the "check my coverage" tool on their website. Last week when I got an Apple Care Case Number and a promise of a logic board replacement, it was showing as under warranty, as it was when I first requested the refund for the original replacement.

Now it's showing as expired.

Apple is providing repair coverage until February 27, 2016 or three years past your purchase date, whichever is longer for you.

https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

 

[wct097]

Here's where you would call Apple and get clarity on the issue.

My take is that you get any number of replacements. Typically, after 3 replacements, Apple will give an equivalent new laptop, if you politely insist on being escalated to higher and higher levels of customer care.

That would be ideal, but I'm not getting my hopes up. If I have a problem again, that would be the 3rd time. I will be buying a Skylake machine when they come out. Just need to get by until then with as little downtime as possible.

Apple is providing repair coverage until February 27, 2016 or three years past your purchase date, whichever is longer for you.

https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

I ordered it on 6/21/12, so that would be June/July 2015 for 3 years. Somehow I missed that at the end of the page. I still think it's odd that their coverage tool no longer shows me as under warranty.

 

[NathanA]

I still think it's odd that their coverage tool no longer shows me as under warranty.

It's showing your machine as not being under warranty precisely because it isn't under warranty any longer. Apple launched a special recall/"secret warranty" program specifically in order to deal with this dGPU failure issue on MBP machines manufactured between 2011-2013. Since your main warranty/AppleCare is already expired, what this means for you is that only video-failure-related logic board issues are covered for you until February 27, 2016. They didn't extend the warranty of your entire machine, JUST the logic board and ONLY if the failure is dGPU-related.

So of course the web-based coverage tool is not going to show your machine as covered/under warranty, because it isn't. That site only checks your generic/whole machine coverage. It doesn't take into account any special recall programs that your machine may qualify for or be a part of.

Also, because they launched this program after you already had your first logic board replaced, and because they specifically do not cover machines made after 2013 in this program, this gives one hope that 1) the root problem may not have been corrected in logic boards manufactured for your model prior to the recall announcement, which would explain your second failure but might mean that "third time's the charm" since this time you will be getting a board installed well after the recall program was launched, and 2) that 2014 and newer machines should not expect to encounter the issue, or at least on as wide a scale as those manufactured between 2011-2013; of course, time will ultimately tell.

-- Nathan

 

[wct097]

It's showing your machine as not being under warranty precisely because it isn't under warranty any longer. Apple launched a special recall/"secret warranty" program specifically in order to deal with this dGPU failure issue on MBP machines manufactured between 2011-2013. Since your main warranty/AppleCare is already expired, what this means for you is that only video-failure-related logic board issues are covered for you until February 27, 2016. They didn't extend the warranty of your entire machine, JUST the logic board and ONLY if the failure is dGPU-related.

So of course the web-based coverage tool is not going to show your machine as covered/under warranty, because it isn't. That site only checks your generic/whole machine coverage. It doesn't take into account any special recall programs that your machine may qualify for or be a part of.

Also, because they launched this program after you already had your first logic board replaced, and because they specifically do not cover machines made after 2013 in this program, this gives one hope that 1) the root problem may not have been corrected in logic boards manufactured for your model prior to the recall announcement, which would explain your second failure but might mean that "third time's the charm" since this time you will be getting a board installed well after the recall program was launched, and 2) that 2014 and newer machines should not expect to encounter the issue, or at least on as wide a scale as those manufactured between 2011-2013; of course, time will ultimately tell.

-- Nathan

Nathan,
The extended support page specifically points you to the tool to see if you're covered by the extension. It previously reflected that i was, both before the reimbursement and before the second approval. It no longer does, hence my concern.

Good point on the potential for a change in the manufacturing process post-announcement. Still doesn't help my confidence in Apple given the number of very expensive hardware failures I've had since coming back to Apple in 2011. One thing is certain for me. If I do stick with Apple when Skylake comes out, I'm maxing out warranty coverage with Apple Care + Amex extended warranty. Apple is very much like BMW, IMO. No way in hell do I want to depend on a late model product that is out of warranty.

 

[yjchua95]

Nathan,
The extended support page specifically points you to the tool to see if you're covered by the extension. It previously reflected that i was, both before the reimbursement and before the second approval. It no longer does, hence my concern.

Good point on the potential for a change in the manufacturing process post-announcement. Still doesn't help my confidence in Apple given the number of very expensive hardware failures I've had since coming back to Apple in 2011. One thing is certain for me. If I do stick with Apple when Skylake comes out, I'm maxing out warranty coverage with Apple Care + Amex extended warranty. Apple is very much like BMW, IMO. No way in hell do I want to depend on a late model product that is out of warranty.

It is actually still covered.

And it remains covered until late February next year.

 

[NathanA]

Nathan,
The extended support page specifically points you to the tool to see if you're covered by the extension. It previously reflected that i was, both before the reimbursement and before the second approval. It no longer does, hence my concern.

The extended support page for this video issue says the following:

Use the "Check your Coverage" tool on the Apple Support site to determine if your MacBook Pro model matches the list of affected products below.

This wording does not imply that the "Check your Coverage" tool will have any awareness about this extended warranty program. It simply directs you to the tool in order to give you a way to confirm that the serial number for your product belongs to one of the models in the list of covered models (MacBook Pro 2011-2013) that they then present to you further down on the page, so that other people with other models of MacBook that might have their machines fail with similar symptoms don't end up making the mistake of assuming that their model is also covered by this recall.

"I'm having video-related issues with my Mac! You guys said this was covered! I demand you repair it free of charge!"

"Sir, does the serial number that you gave us belong to a MacBook Pro manufactured between 2011 and 2013? You can confirm which model of Mac you have by typing your serial number into our web site."

"Err...no, it's a 2007 white polycarbonate MacBook."

"I'm sorry, sir, but as you can see from the web site describing this recall, that model is not covered under this program."

I still maintain that "Check your Coverage" has no clue about anything other than the term of your standard warranty covering the entire machine.

It is actually still covered.

And it remains covered until late February next year.

Right, but just so there is no mistake about this, only the logic board is covered and only if the dGPU on the logic board is the component that failed. Every other component of the machine and the logic board on the OP's computer is now out of warranty. (Some of the language used in prior posts to this thread make me think that some people might be under the false impression that this repair extension program extends the warranty of the ENTIRE machine, which is not true.)

-- Nathan

EDIT: To add further evidence that "Check your Coverage" has not been updated to take programs like this into account, I ran the serial numbers of both my mid-2012 MBP and my sister's early-2013 MBP -- both of which, if they ever happened to suffer a dGPU-related failure, would be covered under the terms of this program -- through Apple's "Check your Coverage", and both serial numbers only show the original warranty expiration date and the tool makes absolutely zero mention of this program or the eligibility of our laptops for it.

 

[wct097]

Maybe the Check Your Coverage tool was reflecting my 90 day logic board warranty from the prior replacement. I don't know. All I do know for sure is that when I checked it last week, it showed a warranty status that is different than what it is this week. That is what confused/concerned me. The original warranty expired almost 3 years ago.