2019 MBP 16" - logic board failure rate?

[bainst]

I bought my 16" MBP in December 2020. Logic board failed August 2022. Luckily still under Applecare. Service provider who replaced the logic board said he'd had five others in for the same issue over the past month. Quick internet search shows it was a previously (though maybe uncommon) problem early on.

Anyone else experiencing this issue? I'm wondering about the failure rate, especially because I've experienced this with my other Mac laptop (2011 17", repeated failures).

Prior issue was GPU related, so I've taken to using terminal to disable switching, just in case. Any other known data would be helpful. Thanks!

 

[0128672]

I don't think you'll find a large data source for those logic board failures, and have to rely instead of personal stories.

A family member had the logic board fail twice on that machine, both times repaired without AC by Apple. Yes, $$$ and lesson learned about buying Applecare. Same person didn't do regular backups. There comes a point when those of us in families and circles of friends who may have more tech experience sound like a broken record. The only way some people learn is by experiencing the pain firsthand. It's hard to watch though.

 

[bainst]

The 2011 problem was so bad they ended up extending free warranty to something like 5 years, if I recall correctly. I'm wondering how such comes about, as I'm certain Apple doesn't volunteer to admit there's a known recurring problem.

Any lawyers on here? ;-)

 

[0128672]

Apple acknowledges issues with devices and has for a long time. That's why it offers the Service Programs.

Apple Service Programs - Apple Support

This page lists all programs currently offered by Apple, including Replacement programs, Exchange programs, Repair Extension programs and Recalls.

support.apple.com

 

[bainst]

Apple acknowledges issues with devices and has for a long time. That's why it offers the Service Programs.

Apple Service Programs - Apple Support

This page lists all programs currently offered by Apple, including Replacement programs, Exchange programs, Repair Extension programs and Recalls.

support.apple.com

Uh...not immediately. I know from personal experience...and have for a long time. Thanks, though.

 

[ickybucko]

I bought my 16" MBP in December 2020. Logic board failed August 2022. Luckily still under Applecare. Service provider who replaced the logic board said he'd had five others in for the same issue over the past month. Quick internet search shows it was a previously (though maybe uncommon) problem early on.

Anyone else experiencing this issue? I'm wondering about the failure rate, especially because I've experienced this with my other Mac laptop (2011 17", repeated failures).

Prior issue was GPU related, so I've taken to using terminal to disable switching, just in case. Any other known data would be helpful. Thanks!

I bought my 2019 16" MBP in December of 2019 and just had mine have the exact same issue this past weekend (Oct 2022) I'm out a decent amount and have never had a macbook with such a short life span. I work from home so, huge inconvenience and it would be nice for Apple to address this very very common issue with this model I've been seeing all over the internet.

 

[GumaRodak]

Its funny how a single component with 1c price tag can shutdown whole computer for 3500$ and cause you to pay 800$ for repair .. and there is like 2000 such components inside

 

[transphasic]

I've been buying mac since the IIe in about 1985 or so. The only two major hardware issues I had in the last 40 years were the motherboard of the 8500/180 had problems, and the cooling system of the G5 tower using the GM/liquid cooling leaked. The latter one was basically rectified by Apple, its one of the reasons I still buy their products - they generally will stand behind them, even if a little "nudging" might be needed.

 

[glhiii]

Glad to discover this. I have a 16" 2019 MBP and decided to get the 2021 M1 16" when it was on sale for $400 off (it still is in some places, I think). I have 14 days to return the M1 to BestBuy, but after using it I find I like it much better than the 2016. I've been feeling guilty about having both 16" machines, but this is one more reason to keep the M1. It is much cooler than the Intel machine, and that might mean the logic board is less likely to fail. For some reason, the screen on the older machine bothers me while the new one is fine.

 

[majestic23]

This just happened to my MBP 16" this past weekend 10/30/2022. I purchased mine in April 2020. Yesterday the laptop would not power on at all and there's no water damage. I was occasionally working on it on the weekends so this machine has barely any mileage. A machine with a price of $2.5K out the window. Now it makes me reluctant of buying a new one predicting same life span.

 

[Chura]

Wierd timing?
Mine failed too last week
MBP 16" 2019
Logic board and touch id replaced
Luckily had AppleCare

Uodate that cause that?

 

[DoIloveMac?]

Exactly the same problem: bought full-specs MacBook Pro 16inch (late 2019) in Mar20 and today I had the motherboard fail. Apple Store "solution" is a £669 repair...

We, consumers, pay a hefty premium for Apple's superior quality. Surely somebody at Apple will agree these failures are a bit too frequent to fit the normal distribution?

Apple, please do the right thing, cover the repair costs when you mess up and we will continue to love you forever

 

[JamesTheMac]

Exactly the same problem: bought full-specs MacBook Pro 16inch (late 2019) in Mar20 and today I had the motherboard fail. Apple Store "solution" is a £669 repair...

We, consumers, pay a hefty premium for Apple's superior quality. Surely somebody at Apple will agree these failures are a bit too frequent to fit the normal distribution?

Apple, please do the right thing, cover the repair costs when you mess up and we will continue to love you forever

Sorry to hear that. Being in the UK quote them the sale of goods act, where items are supposed to be fit for purpose for a reasonable amount of time. Say that it is unacceptable for such a premium product to fail like that, and that you are concerned that there may be an inherent fault is this model, given that others are experiencing the same.
if you are hitting a brick wall, ask to escalate the issue. There is a good chance they will honour the repair. (It’s the reason they were told to stop selling Apple Care here in the UK, because the courts ruled that consumers were being sold a product that they already had under consumer rights laws. That’s why you can only buy AC+ now, which is an accidental breakage policy primarily).

 

[DoIloveMac?]

Sorry to hear that. Being in the UK quote them the sale of goods act, where items are supposed to be fit for purpose for a reasonable amount of time. Say that it is unacceptable for such a premium product to fail like that, and that you are concerned that there may be an inherent fault is this model, given that others are experiencing the same.
if you are hitting a brick wall, ask to escalate the issue. There is a good chance they will honour the repair. (It’s the reason they were told to stop selling Apple Care here in the UK, because the courts ruled that consumers were being sold a product that they already had under consumer rights laws. That’s why you can only buy AC+ now, which is an accidental breakage policy primarily).

thanks James, really interesting! I will give it a go when I pick it up from repair and report back

 

[JamesTheMac]

Good luck with it.

This page might help a bit. https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/uk/ There is a support number to call to get through to a supervisor, if you have no joy in store. Search Consumer Law on their website. The key thing is that you must have bought it directly from Apple For them to entertain the claim.

 

[majestic23]

Wierd timing?
Mine failed too last week
MBP 16" 2019
Logic board and touch id replaced
Luckily had AppleCare

Uodate that cause that?

I don't have the AppleCare so I had to bite the bullet. I had the logicboard repaired as a component was shorted.
We'll see how long it will last now

 

[majestic23]

Apparently a poor design in the logicboard and heat cause the high failure rate of the power management components that just fry themselves.

 

[Steve UK]

.

 

[Steve UK]

Good luck with it.

This page might help a bit. https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/uk/ There is a support number to call to get through to a supervisor, if you have no joy in store. Search Consumer Law on their website. The key thing is that you must have bought it directly from Apple For them to entertain the claim.

Very helpful @JamesTheMac. My infrequently used, Apple direct purchased, 16” 2019 MBP decided to stop working this weekend, (fortunately the day after I did a full back up, all 690GB of it), for no apparent reason. My AppleCare expired about 7 weeks ago, just before Christmas :-(
Taking it into the Genius Bar in Covent Garden next week and hopefully they’ll agree, (to what I suspect) will be a new logic board. Even more hopefully that they’ll show leniency and replace f.o.c. [the screen very faintly lights up, no Apple logo, does nothing, shut down manually, screen goes black and speakers make a whooshing noise].
Only time will tell. Failing that, quoting the Sales of Goods Act route, but rather hoping to avoid it.

 

[Steve UK]

Very helpful @JamesTheMac. My infrequently used, Apple direct purchased, 16” 2019 MBP decided to stop working this weekend, (fortunately the day after I did a full back up, all 690GB of it), for no apparent reason. My AppleCare expired about 7 weeks ago, just before Christmas :-(
Taking it into the Genius Bar in Covent Garden next week and hopefully they’ll agree, (to what I suspect) will be a new logic board. Even more hopefully that they’ll show leniency and replace f.o.c. [the screen very faintly lights up, no Apple logo, does nothing, shut down manually, screen goes black and speakers make a whooshing noise].
Only time will tell. Failing that, quoting the Sales of Goods Act route, but rather hoping to avoid it.

Just by way of an update for anyone interested, I took my MBP into the Apple Store in Covent Garden, London, where they advised me that my MBP was 8 weeks out of extended warranty, there was no flexibility in this position for a warranty claim, and that there was no UK consumer law applicable to assist me, and perhaps I’d like to check my house insurance cover! They would test the machine over the weekend and if not able to rectify it in store, and it needed new parts, then I would bear the £573 + VAT cost personally.
This afternoon I spoke with a representative from Apple in Ireland, who advised that the store were not authorised to speak as they did, the repair is contained within UK consumer protection, Apple would provide flexibility on the warranty anyway especially as it was only 8 weeks out, and that he would overrule the store’s decision. Apple will fund the repair, and he would put the paperwork in place this evening to ensure the repair was at no cost to me. A very helpful and knowledgable chap.

 

[dogboy2222]

I’ve just had an MBP 16” 2019 die. Bought April 2020 so lasted just under three years. Genius bar confirmed it’s a faulty logic board and no signs of spillage. A bill of £689 to replace it. I’ve written to Apple as consumer law in the UK now stipulates a product should be fit for purpose for six years though the burden of proof is on the consumer after six months to prove that it’s a design flaw. Not sure what else it could be though!

 

[Steve UK]

I’ve just had an MBP 16” 2019 die. Bought April 2020 so lasted just under three years. Genius bar confirmed it’s a faulty logic board and no signs of spillage. A bill of £689 to replace it. I’ve written to Apple as consumer law in the UK now stipulates a product should be fit for purpose for six years though the burden of proof is on the consumer after six months to prove that it’s a design flaw. Not sure what else it could be though!

Hi, my experience with the Genius Bar has been less than helpful when it comes to accepting liabilities. When I phoned Ireland to escalate I was informed that the Genius Bar had no right to inform me that it was a customer cost, so there and then the guy transferred to cost list back to Apple and authorised the repair at f.o.c. to me. Collected the machine a week later. Mine was a new screen rather than a new board, but the guy in Ireland was very apologetic that the U.K. consumer legislation works in this instance and was defo an Apple cost.

 

[dogboy2222]

Hi, my experience with the Genius Bar has been less than helpful when it comes to accepting liabilities. When I phoned Ireland to escalate I was informed that the Genius Bar had no right to inform me that it was a customer cost, so there and then the guy transferred to cost list back to Apple and authorised the repair at f.o.c. to me. Collected the machine a week later. Mine was a new screen rather than a new board, but the guy in Ireland was very apologetic that the U.K. consumer legislation works in this instance and was defo an Apple cost.

Thanks Steve. Did you use an Ireland number? I called 0800 0480 408, which is supposedly the main customer service number. I got an American sounding guy who just told me there's nothing he could do and I would have to go back to the store as that's where the decisions are made. I already spoke to the manager there and he wasn't budging. I have also emailed contactus.uk@euro.apple.com to explain all and remind them of their obligations to UK consumer law. I'll report back if I hear anything.

 

[Steve UK]

Thanks Steve. Did you use an Ireland number? I called 0800 0480 408, which is supposedly the main customer service number. I got an American sounding guy who just told me there's nothing he could do and I would have to go back to the store as that's where the decisions are made. I already spoke to the manager there and he wasn't budging. I have also emailed contactus.uk@euro.apple.com to explain all and remind them of their obligations to UK consumer law. I'll report back if I hear anything.

Hi DogBoy2222, I’d have to check my notes and return. Don’t think it was an 0800 number, but the Irish office can definitely over rule the store’s decision. Think I got the number from the Apple U.K. website, but could be wrong, or it might have been on the corresponding email I received from the store with the quotation on it.

 

[lu31]

Hi everyon, OK my MBP baught in 2020 already had twice logic board failure, this time they ask me for 900 euros of repair, I called the customer service, they say they were very happy I called, nice, but no favor whatsoever, they can not take in charge the repair, I am not sure I will do it I fear it will fail again and I will have to pay again 900 euros.