Keyboard Replacement Experiences - Do issues come back?

[ZircoBen]

Hello y'all,

I have a 2017 MacBook Pro, and I had my keyboard replaced in the summer of 2019 after my spacebar was giving out.

Now my 'A' and 'D' keys are repeating and I need ANOTHER replacement.

For those who have had a recent keyboard replacement, are the new keyboards any different and less prone to failure?

I adore this machine and don't want to let it go, but I don't want to be hit with another out of warranty repair in a year or two.

 

[jeyf]

i have the same MBP.
the replacement is the same butterfly design as you originally had in the computer
having had mine replaced 2y ago the current kb is a hand full.

you might have a local genus bar look at your computer. I feel its a local managers desecration if they would re replace the same kb again.


this is the last apple product for me. good luck

 

[chrfr]

Hello y'all,

I have a 2017 MacBook Pro, and I had my keyboard replaced in the summer of 2019 after my spacebar was giving out.

Now my 'A' and 'D' keys are repeating and I need ANOTHER replacement.

For those who have had a recent keyboard replacement, are the new keyboards any different and less prone to failure?

I adore this machine and don't want to let it go, but I don't want to be hit with another out of warranty repair in a year or two.

There are no improvements to the design or manufacturing of the 2017 keyboard after it's replaced, so yes, problems may recur.

 

[chrfr]

you might have a local genus bar look at your computer. I feel its a local managers desecration if they would re replace the same kb again.

There are no limits on the number of keyboard replacements, only whether or not that model is within the 4 years or not. I have experienced hassles if key caps have fallen off or if there's other physical damage, but if there's no damage the keyboard should be replaced without an issue even if it's been replaced previously.

 

[ZircoBen]

i have the same MBP.
the replacement is the same butterfly design as you originally had in the computer
having had mine replaced 2y ago the current kb is a hand full.

you might have a local genus bar look at your computer. I feel its a local managers desecration if they would re replace the same kb again.


this is the last apple product for me. good luck

By a "hand full" do you mean that the issues are returning for you?

 

[Sterkenburg]

Replacement butterfly keyboards suffer from the same faulty design, so the short answer to your question is "yes".

Longer answer: if you have a 2016 or 2017 machine you will get a 2017 keyboard replacement (the 2018 and 2019 versions are not compatible), and if you have a 2018 or 2019 machine you will get the 2019 keyboard. That is, depending on your model you might get an upgrade with a slightly improved keyboard feel and reliability. But it will still be prone to failure.

 

[ZircoBen]

Replacement butterfly keyboards suffer from the same faulty design, so the short answer to your question is "yes".

Longer answer: if you have a 2016 or 2017 machine you will get a 2017 keyboard replacement (the 2018 and 2019 versions are not compatible), and if you have a 2018 or 2019 machine you will get the 2019 keyboard. That is, depending on your model you might get an upgrade with a slightly improved keyboard feel and reliability. But it will still be prone to failure.

Has anyone noticed a major difference in reliability between the 2017 and the 2018/19 revisions?

To be honest, I prefer the feel of the butterfly switches (am I the only one?) and after fixing my 2017 model I'd consider jumping to a 2018 machine for another year of coverage and potentially improved reliability (?) but if this will be a constant nightmare I'll consider avoiding the Butterfly years altogether.

 

[chrfr]

Has anyone noticed a major difference in reliability between the 2017 and the 2018/19 revisions?

To be honest, I prefer the feel of the butterfly switches (am I the only one?) and after fixing my 2017 model I'd consider jumping to a 2018 machine for another year of coverage and potentially improved reliability (?) but if this will be a constant nightmare I'll consider avoiding the Butterfly years altogether.

Any potential reliability improvements between 2017 and 2018 are very minor and not worth the expense. Save yourself the trouble and don't buy a butterfly keyboard Mac. (and I say this as the owner of a 2018 13" which has had the keyboard replaced once already.)

 

[Sterkenburg]

Has anyone noticed a major difference in reliability between the 2017 and the 2018/19 revisions?

Individual experience is obviously anecdotal, but here is mine, I have tried all of them:

2016 (work laptop) --> Crappy feel, like typing on wood, failed after a couple months, replaced with 2017
2017 (work laptop) --> Slightly better feel, still failed after several months, replaced with the same keys
2018 (personal laptop) --> Decent feel, still failed after 1.5 years, replaced with 2019
2019 (personal laptop) --> My current keyboard. Best of the butterflies, but will it last?

The feeling of the 2019 keyboard is pretty good but the reliability track record is a trainwreck. My piece of advice: accept it's a failed design and move on if you can afford it. Personally I've given up. My next MBP will be an M-series with scissor switches.

 

[ZircoBen]

Individual experience is obviously anecdotal, but here is mine, I have tried all of them:

2016 (work laptop) --> Crappy feel, like typing on wood, failed after a couple months, replaced with 2017
2017 (work laptop) --> Slightly better feel, still failed after several months, replaced with the same keys
2018 (personal laptop) --> Decent feel, still failed after 1.5 years, replaced with 2019
2019 (personal laptop) --> My current keyboard. Best of the butterflies, but will it last?

The feeling of the 2019 keyboard is pretty good but the reliability track record is a trainwreck. My piece of advice: accept it's a failed design and move on if you can afford it. Personally I've given up. My next MBP will be an M-series with scissor switches.

Thank you for this rundown! That is really exactly what I was looking for. It's amazing to me that your 2016, 17 AND 18 keyboards ALL failed. It seems like literally all of these computers are time bombs, there's no way getting around it.

Apple press (read: lack of it) had convinced me that this was a rare issue that only affected a few users.

What a shame.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"It's amazing to me that your 2016, 17 AND 18 keyboards ALL failed. It seems like literally all of these computers are time bombs, there's no way getting around it."

No, there isn't.
My advice would be to sell it for what you can get now... while it's still working... and buy a replacement, either the 2020 Intel MBP 13" (which has the "scissors" keyboard), or perhaps one of the m1 MBP's (also has the scissors keyboard).

Ever wonder why Jony Ive doesn't work at Apple any more?
I reckon that this keyboard design disaster had a lot to do with it...

 

[doolar]

Just to add to the balance, we have three 2017 15” at work. These laptops are used heavily out and about, sometimes in dusty environments. None of them had any keyboard or other issues at all.

 

[jeyf]

my work place, if they have a temp they dont like they make them use the 2018 MBP. sometimes they make a video of them trying very hard.

i told them this frightens the company legal staff.