[Q] Macpro M1 (june 2022) 16 inch display developed issue, Apple is asking $900 to fix

[mac2024]

Bottom left of the display has dark corner. When mouse is moved, it slightly flickers.
I am pretty sure this is a manufacturing defect that develops over time (great for Apple, that it is a few month after warranty expires on this almost 4,000$ device).
There is no damage to the screen, no visible marks, no spills, nothing.

I booted into safe mode, and the problem is there. The problem is not there when connected to external display.

Contacted Apple twice, first locally and then online. In both instances I was told that Apple will not evaluate if this is a manufacturing defect. And that the only way Apple will get involved if I pay them about $900 to replace the display.

I had experience with Nikon when an out-of-warranty consumer DSLR stopped working, the agreed to take in -- evalute and then provide cost estimate (and then i can decide to take it back if I do not want to pay the cost). Apple does not seem to give their customers these choices.

What are my options (if any)?

 

[mode11]

1. Just continue using the laptop.

2. Pay Apple $900 to fix it.

3. Sell it and buy another one.

 

[dmccloud]

Bottom left of the display has dark corner. When mouse is moved, it slightly flickers.
I am pretty sure this is a manufacturing defect that develops over time (great for Apple, that it is a few month after warranty expires on this almost 4,000$ device).
There is no damage to the screen, no visible marks, no spills, nothing.

I booted into safe mode, and the problem is there. The problem is not there when connected to external display.

Contacted Apple twice, first locally and then online. In both instances I was told that Apple will not evaluate if this is a manufacturing defect. And that the only way Apple will get involved if I pay them about $900 to replace the display.

I had experience with Nikon when an out-of-warranty consumer DSLR stopped working, the agreed to take in -- evalute and then provide cost estimate (and then i can decide to take it back if I do not want to pay the cost). Apple does not seem to give their customers these choices.

What are my options (if any)?


View attachment 2386912

Unless there have been a multitude of reports of the same issue occurring, there is no reason why Apple or any other manufacturer would automatically declare that a manufacturing defect. Even if it was a manufacturing defect, it would have to either a) be within the one year warranty or b) be a sufficiently widespread issue to warrant a separate repair program before the repair would be covered.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Looks like a fractured backlight to me. If you don't have AppleCare+, there's gonna be a OOW repair charge.

 

[mac2024]

Just a follow up on my side: A few weeks back (in december 2024) the display stopped working completely. I can only use the macpro if it is connected to an external display.

So the defect seems to be progressing over time.
Have not decided if we will pay apple 900$ to replace the display, seems unfair that they will not even check if it is a manufacturing defect, and demand the $900 up-front (given that we experienced the problem in a few months after warranty expired)

But that's where we are at.
I also checked if there are ongoing class action law suit(s) related to display defects in macpro M1s (https://topclassactions.com/apple-class-action-lawsuits-and-settlement-news/) but did not see any.

So it looks like it is 900$ more, or sell it for parts loosing more than half, to somebody else who may be able to fix it with a recycled display.

 

[nigelbb]

As per another current thread you don't know whether purchasing AC+ was worthwhile until you need to make a claim. If I were the OP I would be really regretting not stumping up for AC+ on a $4,000 machine.

 

[mode11]

I wouldn't sink $900 into repairing anything M1 at this point. The values of older AS Macs have fallen sharply, not least due to the M4. The latest machines were a leap forward, and the previously-expensive 16GB option is now standard. The original AS machines were also launched when everyone was working from home and had little else to spend money on. And were a huge advance on the previous Intel models. They probably sold tons of them and 3-4 years later, they're hitting the used market in force.

If Apple will sell you the screen assembly for a lot less than $900, and you're handy, you could consider fixing it yourself - https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+16-Inch+2021+Screen+Replacement/150595. There are a lot of steps, though. Fortunately, none seem to involve adhesive or anything super tricky.

Personally, I'd just offload the broken machine for whatever you can get for it, then take advantage of falling second hand prices to pick up a replacement. Alternatively, you may find a base (or Pro) M4 is now sufficient for your needs, in which case it may be safer to just buy new (with AppleCare). If you're docked most of the time, perhaps get an M4 mini, and an Air for on-the-go use.

Forget about class action lawsuits etc. Unless this is a widespread issue (which it doesn’t seem to be), you just got unlucky. It sucks and I’d be mad too, but all you can do is move on.

 

[mac2024]

this model has 32GB Ram , 1tb (?) drive. Was meant to last for about 6 - 8 years.
In retrospect, trusting Apple with this much money was a huge mistake.

The long battery life was the key attraction, but at the end this laptop was used as, essentially, desktop. Barely carried (in the house only). So this battery life angle (the key decision attribute for the investment) was not really leveraged.

And the 'babbying' the laptop proved to be useless to extend its life either.. Just mistakes in the decision making for this much money... around, I guess.

I hope not to make this type of mistake in the future... lesson learned.

 

[mac2024]

@mode11 To find a 16 inch 'donor' laptop should I be looking for a M1 MacBook pro 16 inch, with a minimal RAM and HD size (to find lowest cost option on a used market for the donor)?

 

[mode11]

@mode11 To find a 16 inch 'donor' laptop should I be looking for a M1 MacBook pro 16 inch, with a minimal RAM and HD size (to find lowest cost option on a used market for the donor)?

I think I’d just sell your one to someone who will either fix it or use it in clamshell mode. Then just buy another M1 16” that is fully functional.

Though given it turned out to be desk bound (like many Mac laptops), you could take the opportunity to re-think your requirements.

 

[Pierre535]

AppleCare+ would have saved the day.

 

[mode11]

AppleCare+ would have saved the day.

Yes. I’m sure the OP is aware of that.

You shouldn’t really need to take out insurance, though, at additional expense, to hedge against the poor reliability of an expensive laptop. And ideally, it would be designed to be repaired more easily, so a single component failure doesn’t write off the whole machine (economically).

 

[Honza1]

Any complex device like this can (and with some probability will) fail in any time frame and we take on the risk - unless we buy warranty (AC+). Something to consider when buying anything expensive (computer, car, appliance) - so one can either buy extended warranty (and pass responsibility to someone else) or should buy only as much as they can afford to loose and replace, if needed. There is no completely reliable device, especially as complicated as these.
Not sure how much is Apple making on AC+, but AC+ for 16 inch MBP today costs $399 for 3 years. Assuming they spend 50% on repairs, they expect to spend - ON AVERAGE - $200 per device in 3 years. They spent much more on my prior Intel MBP (my M1 has been for now 100% reliable).
By the way, the fact that AC+ is the same for all "trims" of a model makes AC+ for expensive "trims" relative bargain. It is easier to justify for $4k machine while it is relatively expensive for $2.5k base setup.

 

[mac2024]

At the time this purchase was made, we were not aware of apple care. This was our first (and, likely, the last apple laptop purchase). It was an online purchase, from what I recall.

Also, in my view, having an almost $4,000 consumer electronics device with just 1 year warranty -- is basically a legalized theft.

 

[Honza1]

I bought M4 mini early December (on line order from Costco) and Apple has already sent me 2 e-mail reminders with offer for AppleCare+. That not counting Costco which tried to sell me AC+ during purchase...
One more e-mail to come before the window to buy AC+ (60 days after purchase) closes. It is difficult to say with straight face, that I am not warned that there is only 1 year warranty (at least in US) and that they offer AC+.
Most computers I bought in the last 25 years (again, in the US) came with 1 year warranty, few - the expensive business workstations we buy at work - come with "3 years, on site, <24 hours replacement". Apple products are (expensive) consumer product, independently of the cost.
Lot's of things in US seems to be legalized theft today. Health care, various types of insurance, medications/drugs, ... Apple at least tells you the rules publicly and clearly.

 

[mode11]

Apple designs its products in such a way that they are really hard, and therefore expensive, to repair. Then sells you insurance to protect you from those repair costs. It’s a quite brilliant business model, really.

It would be nice if Apple took a leaf out of Lenovo’s book (or indeed their own older designs). Imagine if MBPs were as they are, but changing the battery, NVMe and RAM were straightforward - just remove the bottom plate. And if the screen / lid could be removed with a few screws and swapped out. Or if the black keyboard area could be released, to swap out the keyboard.

None of these things are beyond Apple’s wit, if they wanted to implement them. But there’s obviously no financial incentive to do so (quite the opposite). Hey ho.

 

[mac2024]

@mode11 , I think you are right that there are no financial incentive for a market leader to build long-lasting repairable designs, or to provide meaningful warranty on difficult-to-repair parts (like displays).

At the end of the day, any business has to have moral obligations in addition to financial incentives.

These are impossible to legislate, and also these are unlikely to become 'fruits-of-competition', especially when the 'competition' is more related to lobbying and strength-of-legal team, rather than 'fair market competition' concept.

As the 'unlucky' owner of a 32GB 16inch M1 Mackbook pro, I will just 'lick the wounds' of a deflective display, and ultimately unusable laptop... and move on, with no resolution to the problem.

But I hope fans of this company (that I am sure most on this forum) -- will demand better from the them in the area of original warranty and serviceability of these expensive consumer devices.
--

WRT the list of your components that you are thinking to prioritize wrt 'changeability', I will just mention that I think RAM would be difficult for Apple to allow to change on M1s, because one of the key features is that RAM is used for GPU as well as CPU (and neuro link?), so it is on the die itself. This particular design choice aided lower power consumption, better parallelism.
Also now, a LLM (Large Language models) that can fit into say 32GB of M1 RAM -- so that is usable to a mere mortal. In intel/amd architecture, one would have to have 32GB of Graphics card ram for these models to work locally (most current LLMs need 64GB, I was just using 32GB as an example because my mac is 32GB).
So you would have to spend X bucks for Nvidia or AMD graphics card. But with Apple's RAM-on-die approach where the graphics chip, the CPU and RAM are on the die -- we do not need discrete cards to achieve many tasks (obviously if one needs both RAM for CPU and RAM for video, discrete architecture approaches would work better).


I think in the near future we will start seeing RAM to be architecturally shared between CPU and Graphics cards, probably AMD will lead the way here. I actually think allowing the CPU to share GPU ram is most usable model, because it will likely reduce the need for GPU-specific programming models (which are quite different than the typical CPU-centric programming).

 

[mode11]

WRT the list of your components that you are thinking to prioritize wrt 'changeability', I will just mention that I think RAM would be difficult for Apple to allow to change on M1s, because one of the key features is that RAM is used for GPU as well as CPU (and neuro link?), so it is on the die itself. This particular design choice aided lower power consumption, better parallelism.

This is a common misconception. The RAM is not on the die (the piece of silicon that contains the CPU, GPU, NPU cores etc.). It's on the package. If you look at a motherboard shot with the heatsink removed, the RAM chips can clearly be seen.

That said, it does allow for faster RAM speeds due to the very short connection paths. Perhaps LPDDR5X CAMM2 modules could get reasonably close in speed, but I admit that out of the interchangeable options I mentioned, this one has the greatest challenge in terms of matching Apple's current (and future) designs.

RAM is pretty reliable, and not that expensive these days. Truth be told, it probably just makes more sense to include a decent amount on the motherboard and call it a day. It was more of a problem when 8GB was standard, and incremental steps up were very expensive. 16GB clears the bar for many people; the price for 32GB might be a bit extortionate, but MacBook Pros are premium products, so it arguably goes with the territory.

 

[NeonNights]

Bummer about the screen issue but I stop short of calling it a defect. I owned several Macbooks from 13" to 16", some for 8 years, and never experienced a display issue. The Macbooks displayed at the Apple stores, BestBuy, Costco, etc are on all day long for months or the whole year without issue.

I usually buy extended warranty on big ticket items for peace of mind. As for OP, the only other thing I can suggest is to check with your credit card company as some cards automatically add an extra year of protection beyond the manufacturer warranty. Good luck.

OP simply was unlucky to experience a malfunction. Unfortunately, the issue did not appear within the warranty period. Bad luck but seems the laptop can still be used with an external display. Since it mainly served as a desktop anyways, I'd just continue to connect it to a nice big monitor or 4K TV and be done.

I find it hard to believe OP did not know about AppleCare. If you buy a Macbook in-store they always ask if you want to add it. If you buy online, the option is presented to you online. Even if you bought it from a non-Apple retailer, you're reminded several times within the first 60 days that the laptop is eligible for AppleCare. However, I deliberately wait until day 59 to maximize my initial coverage. I added AppleCare to my M3 Max MBP 14 and that was only $3000, not a $4000 machine like OP's. That is the gamble with AppleCare and other extended warranty plans. For major purchases, I'd rather Apple worry that nothing goes wrong instead of me worrying about it without AppleCare.

 

[mode11]

The Macbooks displayed at the Apple stores, BestBuy, Costco, etc are on all day long for months or the whole year without issue.

I expect you’re right, but I doubt a MacBook would be left sitting there in store with a broken display.

I usually buy extended warranty on big ticket items for peace of mind.

For all big ticket items? Or just those with a higher chance of going wrong / high repair costs?

Since it mainly served as a desktop anyways, I'd just continue to connect it to a nice big monitor or 4K TV and be done.

Sure, but doesn’t really address the complaint.

I find it hard to believe OP did not know about AppleCare.

Yeah, realistically it’s hard to avoid it if buying new. Plus, whenever anyone reports a problem in these forums, people always chorus ‘you should have bought AppleCare’.

That is the gamble with AppleCare and other extended warranty plans. For major purchases, I'd rather Apple worry that nothing goes wrong instead of me worrying about it without AppleCare.

Sure, but you pay for the privilege. Extended warranties allow manufacturers to double-dip on the sale. Apple could make some simple tweaks to their products that would reduce repair costs, but why do so? Better to make repairs frighteningly expensive, then sell you insurance. If buying a high-end Mac laptop new, it is a genuine gamble not to buy AC - doing so becomes the logical choice.

 

[NeonNights]

@mode11, as far as I can recall, yes, all big ticket items:

-Added additional warranty on an $8K sectional sofa, which came in handy when multiple sections needed to be redone/replaced.
-Extra warranty on Samsung washer/dryer. Nothing went wrong during the coverage period. I ended up replacing a control board on the washer myself after 10 years. Still runs as good as new.
-Extra warranty on Kenmore refrigerator. Needed freezer service within the coverage period, but I did replace some parts myself after 10 years to fix a leaky ice maker and ice door that stopped working. Still runs well.
-Costco 5-year TV warranty came in handy when the backlight gave out at 4years, 11 months. Got reimbursed original value of TV and bought a higher-quality 85" for almost the same price as the old 70". In this case the warranty was automatic and free through Costco, but I probably would've paid for it if it wasn't included.

Sometimes I'll buy extra warranty on items if I deem it a "good deal", such as Staples warranty on a gaming chair since that gets a lot of wear-and-tear. Sure enough, not even a year later and the arm broke off so I was reimbursed the full amount by the warranty. I also have a cordless pet vacuum that's going through the claim process for replacement. Extra warranty was only a few bucks and actually made sense to add.

It is not just about complexity of repair that drives the decision to extend warranty coverage. I also consider the level of hassle to fix something myself and/or the time required. I saved thousands by fixing the washer and refrigerator myself instead of buying new units, but my time is also important to me. For certain items, if a warranty claim saves me time and headache later then that's attractive to me, let alone protection from a hefty repair bill.

I did NOT get AppleCare on my 2015 retina MBP 13, nor my 2020 M1 Macbook Air as those were a lot less expensive machines. I used to shy away from all extended warranty plans but things today aren't built to last like the old days so I'm more inclined to consider warranty. At least my Venture X card automatically adds an extra year of warranty to purchases. I haven't decided if I'll add AppleCare to my M4 Pro Macbook Pro 14. If I do get AppleCare, the annual plan is only $99 a year (less than $10 a month for peace of mind). Maybe I will add it this go around for the M4 Pro since I will take it between home and office a few days a week.