iMac 27"/3.3/8GB/5K Retina - Late 2015 motherboard FAILURE

[Yaron_L_Adv.]

Hello, I would like to share how my 1.5 year-old top spec iMac died out of warranty.

I bought my 27" iMac 5K 2TB fusion drive for my home office, in December of 2015. It's a Late 2015 Model, (Serial number ends with FEGG7N).

Keep in mind I was not even using it every day and generally took very good care of it.

Last week when trying to turn it on, the screen remained off and the machine beeped continuously. Nothing else happened.

I took it to iStore, Apple’s authorized Tel Aviv dealer where I had purchased it, and after inspecting it in their lab, they determined the Logic Board to be faulty, and quoted a repair price of 3000 ILS (850$), as the 12 months warranty period has expired , and I had not purchased the AppleCare plan.

Apart from me obviously expecting my top of the line iMac to last more than a couple of years, the real reason I hadn’t purchased AppleCare was that while buying the iMac, the sales representative had asked me how my computing skills were. I have been using PCs for well over 35 years.
He went on to suggest that AppleCare was not necessary as I'll probably never need any 'Tech Support' from Apple.
Never had he mentioned the possibility of a hardware failure, let alone within so short a time after the purchase. Who would’ve thought that the most pricy machine wouldn’t last more than 18 months? ☹

I'm extremely disappointed by the dismal build quality and lifespan of this iMac and by the inconsiderate service Apple provided post-sale.

THIS 27" IMAC IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE MACHINE APPLE SELLS, IT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 18 MONTHS!

Denying responsibility for such an expensive product after only 18 months of use is not fair!

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to deal with this issue.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

With an iMac always buy the AppleCare three year warranty.

 

[MacScott]

Sorry to hear that happened to you. I would see if the store would offer me any value for a trade in as is.

 

[glazball]

I'm really sorry as well! You're right, a high-end piece of equipment like the 27" iMac should last many, many years - not 18 months.

I was going to pass on AppleCare for my new iMac as well since I take good care of my stuff (no children or drunken roommates or anything), but now I'm thinking it's not a bad idea.

Sadly, I think your only option is to pay the $850 and have it repaired.

 

[Yaron_L_Adv.]

Sorry to hear that happened to you. I would see if the store would offer me any value for a trade in as is.

Really? should I buy a MEW iMac just after my new 1.5 years old computer just died out of warranty?? i Don't think it makes sense.

With an iMac always buy the AppleCare three year warranty.

Apparently yes..

But the fact is that I did not buy it at the time of the purchase.
Don't you think Logic Board should work more than 1.5 Years?
Doesn't Apple have any respect/dignity toward the product they produce????

 

[Taz Mangus]

Did you buy the computer with a credit card? Most credit cards offer automatic warranty extensions. In some cases, like with CitiBank the warranty is extended an extra 2 years.

Really sorry to hear about the issue with your iMac.

 

[Yaron_L_Adv.]

Did you buy the computer with a credit card? Most credit cards offer automatic warranty extensions. In some cases, like with CitiBank the warranty is extended an extra 2 years.

Really sorry to hear about the issue with your iMac.

I bought it with Israeli VISA Card. I don't think they have this feature.

 

[snap01]

THIS 27" IMAC IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE MACHINE APPLE SELLS, IT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 18 MONTHS!

Denying responsibility for such an expensive product after only 18 months of use is not fair!

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to deal with this issue.

I agree it should last more than 18 months. But apple sells millions of these computers, and statistically, some are going to fail earlier than they should. This is unavoidable and is going to happen to any manufacturer.

Since you didn't get AppleCare, I'm not sure there's anything you can do except (1) pay the repair price from apple, (2) find a 3rd party who might be able to fix it for less, (3) sell the computer for parts and buy a new one.

I suppose you could try a different apple customer service rep, maybe try complaining on social media, and hope they fix it for you. Obviously you need to find a sympathetic ear.

Finally if you are comfortable, you might be able to fix it yourself by replacing the relevant part. See the iFixit guide: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+Retina+5K+Display+Logic+Board+Replacement/30529

 

[driftless]

+ AppleCare. Stop dissing Apple for your failure for not purchasing the extended warranty.

Edit: I always purchase AppleCare and I buy a new iMac every three years. My current iMac has been issue free but the one before Apple replaced the Seagate HDD, the screen, and, the motherboard.

 

[Yaron_L_Adv.]

Driftless: I'm not sure i can just overlook the fact that the most expensive machine apple produce, failed after only 1.5 years. regardless if i purchased AppleCare or Not.

Just to clarify: Apple's AD's salesperson told me that it is unnecessary for me, to buy Apple care, as it is not likely i ever use the "tech support".

It's not the way this iMac should perform. just saying.

 

[driftless]

Yaron, I feel for you as it is an expensive machine. But it is a machine and machines break.

 

[SaSaSushi]

Shalom, Yaron. I'm very sorry to hear about your iMac's premature demise.

Just to clarify: Apple's AD's salesperson told me that it is unnecessary for me, to buy Apple care, as it is not likely i ever use the "tech support".

This was poor advice. Ultimately though, it was your decision in the end.

The last thing I'd want to hear were I in your position would be people telling me I should have purchased AppleCare. In spite of that I am going to add my voice to that chorus.

I think AppleCare is an essential investment with any Mac. I've been where you are now. With my very first iMac in 2006 I decided I didn't need to waste any money on AppleCare. In my case, the logic board failed a mere 6 weeks out of the one year warranty. I ended up going out of pocket for around the equivalent of $550 USD at the time to have it replaced. I then sold the machine and bought a new iMac for which I promptly added AppleCare. I'm on my third iMac since then and have purchased AppleCare for all of them. While I haven't had another logic board failure I have had LCD panels with defects (even more expensive than the logic board without AppleCare), a failed HDD component of a Fusion drive and a failed Apple keyboard replaced among other claims.

No, a Mac shouldn't fail at 18 months old but it is a machine and s**t happens. AppleCare for iMac figures to about $7 per month for the extra 24 months of coverage it provides even at the retail price and it can be purchased cheaper at places like L.A. Computer.

Again, sorry about this time but if you ever do consider another Mac I highly recommend going with AppleCare.

 

[AznTakumi]

My logic board has failed twice now on my late 2015 iMac. Its crazy.

 

[jlseattle]

I'm so sorry to hear about the problems with the iMac. I would reach out directly to Apple, post on forums and figure out why the logic board is defective. Your Mac shouldn't die after 2-3 years. I don't buy apple care on apple laptops or iPad/iPhone. Never used it. But on my iMac I always end up using it. I once had a display go out, I had a fusion drive go out and other stuff. I don't know what it is with the iMac but I almost expect problems. Hopefully they fixed the design and components to help fix issues. I'm picking a SSD drive in my new iMac to have one less moving part. But I'm also purchasing AppleCare as well.

 

[_Kiki_]

you can replace logic board, new logic board without CPU around £300-350 on eBay
you can use guide on iFixit but if you aren't good in tech it's not easy and risky

 

[G.McGilli]

Memory module(s) have gone bad or become unseated.

1 beep (repeatedly) = BAD RAM or NO RAM DETECTED

Did you try reseating the RAM in case somehow it came loose - or did the shop try new modules?

Should be as simple as that. I'm always skeptical of shops that jump to the most expensive fixes right away. But, maybe they did try new RAM - just make sure you find ou - or try it yourself.

Here are the Beep Codes for iMacs

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202768

Even if you had Applecare - and if you phoned them for help - they would ask you to try this (if you are able to) as it could resolve the issue in 1 minute.

 

[burgman]

Driftless: I'm not sure i can just overlook the fact that the most expensive machine apple produce, failed after only 1.5 years. regardless if i purchased AppleCare or Not.

Just to clarify: Apple's AD's salesperson told me that it is unnecessary for me, to buy Apple care, as it is not likely i ever use the "tech support".

It's not the way this iMac should perform. just saying.

First it's not the most expensive machine Apple produces, not even close, nor is it the most expensive iMac, second multimillion dollar products also fail at times so this "I paid this much" is meaningless. Nobody likes it when products fail, but they do. In the USA an Apple authorized dealer it not an Apple Store, so Apple has nothing to do with a sales person talking you out of AppleCare plus. What does "computing skills" have to do with hardware failures, that should have been your first clue to ignore that person's advice. Your an adult so my advice is to accept your decision not to purchase AC+ accept that stuff happens and move on. By the way you did have it plugged into a surge protector right?

 

[lowkey]

I dont suppose your country has any consumer protection laws that over ride the 12 months warranty?
For example, here in Australia Apple has to offer 2 years warranty under consumer law. They still say they offer 12 months. But if something goes wrong after 23months, all you need to do is take it to them and tell them you want to make a claim under consumer law.
In Australia, Applecare isn't really worth it because you are paying all that money for only 1 additional year overage.

 

[rickfrn69]

Hello, I would like to share how my 1.5 year-old top spec iMac died out of warranty.

I bought my 27" iMac 5K 2TB fusion drive for my home office, in December of 2015. It's a Late 2015 Model, (Serial number ends with FEGG7N).

Keep in mind I was not even using it every day and generally took very good care of it.

Last week when trying to turn it on, the screen remained off and the machine beeped continuously. Nothing else happened.

I took it to iStore, Apple’s authorized Tel Aviv dealer where I had purchased it, and after inspecting it in their lab, they determined the Logic Board to be faulty, and quoted a repair price of 3000 ILS (850$), as the 12 months warranty period has expired , and I had not purchased the AppleCare plan.

Apart from me obviously expecting my top of the line iMac to last more than a couple of years, the real reason I hadn’t purchased AppleCare was that while buying the iMac, the sales representative had asked me how my computing skills were. I have been using PCs for well over 35 years.
He went on to suggest that AppleCare was not necessary as I'll probably never need any 'Tech Support' from Apple.
Never had he mentioned the possibility of a hardware failure, let alone within so short a time after the purchase. Who would’ve thought that the most pricy machine wouldn’t last more than 18 months? ☹

I'm extremely disappointed by the dismal build quality and lifespan of this iMac and by the inconsiderate service Apple provided post-sale.

THIS 27" IMAC IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE MACHINE APPLE SELLS, IT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 18 MONTHS!

Denying responsibility for such an expensive product after only 18 months of use is not fair!

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to deal with this issue.

[doublepost=1511867157][/doublepost]i did buy apple care and recently had to leave my imac 27 in 5k for repair, most likely a motherboard failure as well. i also bought mine dec 2014...i'm glad i purchased apple care but i was near the end of my warranty. disappointed a spect out machine had this failure but anything can happen.

 

[nathan_reilly]

What's really sucky is that silicon is a lottery. You just don't know how good your luck is until it goes bad. In general, heat is bad, but my 2011 iMac has been cooking for almost 7 years now...it could die tomorrow. There are acceptable lifetimes, though, and 1.5 years is way too short. Send lots of emails, say you're devastated, stuff like that works.

Matter-of-fact, my dedicated graphics card failed on my early '13 rMBP this spring. Even though it was out of warranty (by YEARS, I never bought applecare), apple replaced the motherboard for free. I'd say iStore is more your issue (than apple) here, they may be less lenient than the laid-back 20-something genius at a real apple store. Maybe they're under more scrutiny, idk.

Either way, hope it worked out for you.

 

[jade444$]

Hello, I would like to share how my 1.5 year-old top spec iMac died out of warranty.

I bought my 27" iMac 5K 2TB fusion drive for my home office, in December of 2015. It's a Late 2015 Model, (Serial number ends with FEGG7N).

Keep in mind I was not even using it every day and generally took very good care of it.

Last week when trying to turn it on, the screen remained off and the machine beeped continuously. Nothing else happened.

I took it to iStore, Apple’s authorized Tel Aviv dealer where I had purchased it, and after inspecting it in their lab, they determined the Logic Board to be faulty, and quoted a repair price of 3000 ILS (850$), as the 12 months warranty period has expired , and I had not purchased the AppleCare plan.

Apart from me obviously expecting my top of the line iMac to last more than a couple of years, the real reason I hadn’t purchased AppleCare was that while buying the iMac, the sales representative had asked me how my computing skills were. I have been using PCs for well over 35 years.
He went on to suggest that AppleCare was not necessary as I'll probably never need any 'Tech Support' from Apple.
Never had he mentioned the possibility of a hardware failure, let alone within so short a time after the purchase. Who would’ve thought that the most pricy machine wouldn’t last more than 18 months? ☹

I'm extremely disappointed by the dismal build quality and lifespan of this iMac and by the inconsiderate service Apple provided post-sale.

THIS 27" IMAC IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE MACHINE APPLE SELLS, IT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 18 MONTHS!

Denying responsibility for such an expensive product after only 18 months of use is not fair!

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to deal with this issue.

I have just had a very similar situation with my 13 month old IMac 27" The videos pixelating. An expert I have consulted said it is a design defect. I have requested that IMAC do a recall of these units. More people need to complain. Apparently, my expert knew all about this defect and said that if he repaired it he would not warranty the repair as the design was defective and doomed to failure. I have filed a formal complaint with Apple and will proceed with litigation if there is not a recall soon.

 

[pier]

All products have a percentage of error. Yes, even Apple products. Nobody can guarantee you 100% reliability over the years.

Personally I wouldn't mind playing Russian roulette with a $300 Chromebook, but not with a $3000 investment. To minimize that risk the only option is getting Apple Care.

In the past decade I've bought about a dozen macs and I've learned from experience that in the long run it's simply better to always get Apple Care. In general Macs will not fail during their first 5 years but those that do are expensive to repair. Even if those that fail are later recalled by Apple it will be harder to sell that machine at a good price.

 

[jade444$]

All products have a percentage of error. Yes, even Apple products. Nobody can guarantee you 100% reliability over the years.

Personally I wouldn't mind playing Russian roulette with a $300 Chromebook, but not with a $3000 investment. To minimize that risk the only option is getting Apple Care.

In the past decade I've bought about a dozen macs and I've learned from experience that in the long run it's simply better to always get Apple Care. In general Macs will not fail during their first 5 years but those that do are expensive to repair. Even if those that fail are later recalled by Apple it will be harder to sell that machine at a good price.

[doublepost=1517106431][/doublepost]In your eagerness to support Apple you miss the point. This particular model has a design flaw. No one will repair it because of the inherent defect. Does not matter how many Apple products you have been able to purchase. That is irrelevant. Unless you are in the business of repair you would not understand the problem. I am just repeating the information I have in writing from an expert in the field.

 

[SaSaSushi]

In the past decade I've bought about a dozen macs and I've learned from experience that in the long run it's simply better to always get Apple Care. In general Macs will not fail during their first 5 years but those that do are expensive to repair.

I couldn't agree more with this advice.

I've owned a series of iMacs over the past 11 years and the only one I didn't buy AppleCare for was my very first, a Late 2006 Core 2 Duo. That one had a logic board fail one month out of the one year limited warranty and ended up costing me about five times what the AppleCare would've to repair.

Since then I haven't had a logic board fail again but I have had other very expensive repairs done for free under AppleCare including a few LCD panel replacements which would've set me back about $700-$800 or so.

 

[jade444$]

Once again, the original post is dealing with a late 2015 model. There is an inherent design defect in this model. Anecdotal examples of individual general experiences with Apple are not helpful.