Are your USB-C ports loose and repeatedly disconnect / stop charging? (MBP 2016)

[No. 44]

I get the feeling these things will not age well.

Agreed. But I have the impression that the entire new MacBook Pro has been intentionally designed to "not age well". Pesky problems with the keyboard, speakers, ports, etc. and repairs are difficult, if not impossible, because everything is soldered together. Not very "user-friendly", and certainly not very good for the environment. It's a shame...

 

[JKNorth]

I suspect this issue has something to do with cheap USB C dongles or cables people are using.

Since USB C is still a new type of port, some peripheral manufacturers may not get it right and make the plug over sized.
Why does it seem like 2016 MacBooks are more susceptible? Maybe because more USB C peripherals were made wrong in early days.

See attach pic. The plug appears larger than the one made by Apple. I came across this photo when I got my MacBook and was looking for dongles. I immediately decided to go with the more expensive dongle made by apple and have never plugged in anything made by third parties.

It would be helpful if people having this issue report here what types of USB C peripherals they have been using.

I have three USB-C MacBooks in the house: a 2016 rMB, a 13" MBP with Touch Bar and a 2018 15" MBP.

I've used peripherals from: Belkin, Anker, Aukey, LG, OWC, and Apple.

As a creature of habit, I always use the same ports, especially for power, so they've seen regular and consistent use. (My kids, now in possession of the 12" and 13" are more liberal with their port selection.)

I've never had any problems with any of the ports. The 12" MacBook loosened up slightly, mainly with the OWC cable to their dock. But any problems with that peripheral ended up being on the dock end, not the Mac end. All the others are working like the day I got them. (Except for some scratching away of the Space Grey around the edges of the port openings.)

I have however had a problem with a Satechi 75W charger developing a lose port that wouldn't hold the connection. They replaced it no questions asked. I think like anything mechanical, it can wear out over time, and how quickly that happens depends on the tolerances that particular day it was made. A few microns here or there...

 

[rdomain]

Nope. Mine consisted of the official power cable and the official firewire/tb adapter. I’d also use the satachi hub which also seems to be spruked by Apple. No cheap cables anywhere but I’m getting a cheap and nasty connection still.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

So much for usbc. Back in 2016 I knew this was going to happen down the road. I’m sure this is a reason why apple has not put it on the iPhones and rumor has it, going towards a MagSafe type connector in 2020. Upon further research, this is a common thing in samsung phones.

 

[rdomain]

Got mine back from repair so hopefully all good from now! Both daughter boards for the USB-C ports were changed. The Apple repairer said it was very strange for this to happen and especially on both sides so I guess that's good to know so it's not going reoccur. The guy at the shop was a bit of a knob though, almost trying to insinuate it was something I did?? The laptop is near new and in mint condition.... what da? Rude.

 

[DeanL]

My 2016 MacBook Pro Touch Bar had that issue, and it started showing after 2-3 months. My 2018 MacBook Pro is not showing this issue after almost a year.

 

[waloshin]

All usb c devices wear down, including the one on my Samsung S8...

 

[smirking]

Just had the ports (as well as keyboard and logicboard) repaired on mine.

Were you expecting the logic board to be replaced? Someone in this thread said that they could replace the ports as a standalone replacement. I just had my 2016 MBP serviced for an unrelated issue and when it came back, they also redid my ports. They did a lot more than the ports actually. They also replaced the logic board and graphics card.

There were no signs that I had anything wrong with my logic board or graphics card so I'm not sure what prompted that except perhaps it was easier than swapping out the ports alone. It's also possible that something went wrong during the repair and they damaged some components.

In any case, I wanted to report that the TB3 ports that came back on my 2016 MBP have a lot more snap than they ever had. They have about the same amount to hold as the TB3 ports on my 2018 MBP. Whatever they were doing in 2016 that led to loosey ports, they are no longer doing and even older models can be refitted with the more snug ports.
[doublepost=1555371082][/doublepost]

I suspect this issue has something to do with cheap USB C dongles or cables people are using.

That probably explains some issues, but even the TB3 charging cable that Apple included with my 2016 MBP was always on the loose side until I just got a repair back from them. Everything now snaps into place. Something changed between the time that 2016 MBP was first shipped to me in 2017 and when they sent it back to me this week after a repair. The same white Apple TB3 cable that could easily disconnect now snaps firmly into place.

That's a nice thing and also a slightly worrying one too. I had no worry about not having Magsafe because the charging cable disconnected so easily.

 

[londonbairn]

Had issue on Macbook 2017 12”. Fixed under warranty here in UK.

 

[sunlit]

All four of the USB-C ports on my MacBook Pro 2016 are loose.


Apparently Apple have updated the USB-C ports on the 2017 MBP, so the USB-C cable holds in much better, or 'clicks' in.

NOthing is fixed in 2017. All four ports are loose after 1 year of use. External hard drives disconnect at the slightest touch or shift of the cable. Very frustrating!

 

[rdomain]

NOthing is fixed in 2017. All four ports are loose after 1 year of use. External hard drives disconnect at the slightest touch or shift of the cable. Very frustrating!

Yep, that's what mine were like. Well after I got them repaired, they lasted only a couple of weeks tops. I've since had them repaired again and one side has gone again! Absolute *****. So I'll be taking it back for a 3rd time!!
[doublepost=1560933449][/doublepost]ps. This is for my 2018 top of the line Macbook Pro.

 

[Trixs]

I had this on my 2016 too, was really ****. Seems better so far on the 2018

 

[smirking]

ps. This is for my 2018 top of the line Macbook Pro.

There must be QC issues in the parts. The ports on my 2018 MBP are pretty tight... actually a little too tight in some cases. I had super loose ports in my previous 2016 MBP. I took it in for a battery replacement a few months ago before I sold it and they returned it to me with brand new ports that were as tight as the ones in my 2018 MBP.

 

[Playfoot]

Well, after yet ANOTHER keyboard replacement, the USB ports are loose! I thought they were loose on the last repair, but loose after 14 months of use. Now, they are loose right out of the gate - Apple sees the looseness marginally within tolerances . . .

 

[rdomain]

Well, after yet ANOTHER keyboard replacement, the USB ports are loose! I thought they were use on the last repair, but loose after 14 months of use. Now, they are loose right out of the gate - Apple sees the looseness marginally within tolerances . . .

Apple has really gone downhill with QC it seems. I don't think I'll be spending big dollars on their laptops again. Will have to look for another alternative solution for professional work. Such a shame.

I've got to take mine back to get a service report and then one of the senior advisors are trying to push for a replacement seeing i've only got a month of warranty left!

 

[seeforyourself]

I had to get my top case replaced for this issue to find out its not the top case that needed to be replaced. I got the computer back and noticed at the store while picking up that it was exactly the same! I had to send it off again and they had to replace something else.

I am now getting the issue again on the upper left port! Its ridiculous!

 

[smirking]

I had to get my top case replaced for this issue to find out its not the top case that needed to be replaced

I had the ports in my previous 2016 MBP replaced. I didn't ask for it. They were making other repairs on it and decided to give me new ports. I ended up getting a new logic board, GPU, and ports. I'm not sure if the ports were separate or if they were attached to the logic board.

I didn't ask for a new logic board either so I was really puzzled as to why they replaced it. I practically ended up with a new computer.

 

[smirking]

I'm getting the "Sticky keyboard" recall done was this the other repair you were doing? I'm trying to get them to fix the ports for free since it isn't under warranty anymore.

I did have keyboard issues on my 2016, but they were temporary. I had intermittent stuck keys every couple of months for the first year and then it was fine for the remaining 15 months that I owned it. I've since upgraded to a 2018 MBP.

I took it in for a topcase replacement because my battery was at 70% after less than 2 years of ownership. I also had a screen issue. I thought it was just an issue of the coating on the screen being damaged, but it may have been a deeper issue. For those two issues, I ended up with a new topcase, a new upper case with a new screen, new Radeon Pro 460 GPU, new logic board, and new TB3 ports. They may have replaced the SSD too as the drive was wiped when I got it back.

I didn't recognize the damn thing when it came back to me. I had to check the serial number to be sure that it was indeed my computer.

The ports that I got were much better than the original ports. The ports on my 2016 were always on the loose side. The replacement ports seemed just like the much firmer ports that are in my 2018, but it could be the case that there are batches of loose ports out there as someone else complained of getting new ports in a 2018 MBP that were also loose.

I sold my 2016 while it was in the shop. The guy who bought it from me sure was happy!

 

[jaymc]

Heard about this issue when I purchased my 2018 MacBook Pro ... got one of these for charging:
https://www.amazon.com/MagSafe-Adap...ger+usb+c+mag&qid=1561677906&s=gateway&sr=8-8

 

[Richard Martin]

My MacBook is two years old and suffers from this problem, with lost connection at the slightest movement. The Genius Bar in Frankfurt could only offer a complete upper case and keyboard replacement for over €400.
However, the techie did at the end suggest trying to attach a small piece of adhesive velcro tape to the plug, another to the underside of the case and use those to secure the plug.
I did this yesterday and have had no problems since.
Cost of velcro tape: €5.

 

[seeforyourself]

My MacBook is two years old and suffers from this problem, with lost connection at the slightest movement. The Genius Bar in Frankfurt could only offer a complete upper case and keyboard replacement for over €400.
However, the techie did at the end suggest trying to attach a small piece of adhesive velcro tape to the plug, another to the underside of the case and use those to secure the plug.
I did this yesterday and have had no problems since.
Cost of velcro tape: €5.

they replaced my keyboard too for free under the replacement program, but it did not fix the USB ports. Apparently it’s the connectors which is separated from the bottom case/keyboard that needs to be replaced.
I sometimes am worried about the genius bars since they aren’t sure about how computers work and even the repair center makes no diagnostics.

I had to service my laptop a total of two times because of it. So 2 weeks without my computer which should I of been a week. I didn’t have to pay since I had apple care though.

 

[Fastrip66]

All four of the USB-C ports on my MacBook Pro 2016 are loose.
No cables 'click' into place, like they do on other devices (including the actual power brick, which never comes undone).

This is a really frustrating issue, as I'll find my computer not charging, or hard drives will unsafely disconnect.

Apparently Apple have updated the USB-C ports on the 2017 MBP, so the USB-C cable holds in much better, or 'clicks' in.

I have seen many other users with this problem, and my friend's 2016 MBP ports are exactly the same (so not an individual issue with my machine).

Questions

1. Do you have this problem? Which model do you have?
2. Since Apple have updated this on the 2017 machine (apparently), is there any chance that I could argue for a repair or replacement if I can demonstrate a difference. It's clearly a design flaw.
3. Have the 2016 logic board replacements been updated with the new 'clicky' USB-C ports, so if the logic board is replaced the USB-C ports would be updated?
4. If Apple won't replace it, how easy is it to lobby them to launch a replacement programme like they did with the keyboard issue?

ABSOLUTELY. I have a 2017 15" Touchbar and while the connections work the weight of the cable itself causes them to unplug. I have to tuck the excess bit of cable under the machine if it's on a table or the bed etc. They've never clicked like my 2018 Air did but they're VERY easy to slide right out. Ugh....Apple needs to RMA these I/O boards for free. I've never travelled with my Mac and 2 of the ports on the left side have never even been used and they're loose fitting. I'm REALLLLY starting to completely HATE Apple and their new BS ways of doing things.
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Got mine back from repair so hopefully all good from now! Both daughter boards for the USB-C ports were changed. The Apple repairer said it was very strange for this to happen and especially on both sides so I guess that's good to know so it's not going reoccur. The guy at the shop was a bit of a knob though, almost trying to insinuate it was something I did?? The laptop is near new and in mint condition.... what da? Rude.

No that's the normal "Apple Way" now. Their service has gone to hell and if you don't have Apple Care GOOD LUCK! I hate Apple more and more every year and have had a Mac since my SE 30 in 1990. Ugh.

 

[Richard Martin]

The same problem with my MacBook (2017). Genius Bar in Frankfurt said a repair would mean a new keyboard, etc. and cost over €400. Then the techie suggested that I try fixing it myself with adhesive velcro tape.
I bought a packet. Stuck a piece of the "softer" tape around the USB plug and stuck another piece of the same tape under the computer case next to the port. A piece of the "harder" velcro keeps them both securely in place. I've had this now for over a month and the problem is solved.
Cost: €5.

 

[Fastrip66]

Yeah that's a so.ple workaround but ****** that this issue exists to begin with. Of course Velcro would work or tucking the cable underneath etc but.....CRAPPLE!!

 

[bolandross]

The same problem with my MacBook (2017). Genius Bar in Frankfurt said a repair would mean a new keyboard, etc. and cost over €400. Then the techie suggested that I try fixing it myself with adhesive velcro tape.
I bought a packet. Stuck a piece of the "softer" tape around the USB plug and stuck another piece of the same tape under the computer case next to the port. A piece of the "harder" velcro keeps them both securely in place. I've had this now for over a month and the problem is solved.
Cost: €5.

Well, this works in cases where the plug sits loose, but a connection is possible.

In my case, the connection was frequently lost, even when the plug sat tightly.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad the solution worked for you.