Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Was your MBP 2016+ affected by flexgate yet?

  • Yes

    Votes: 221 49.1%
  • No

    Votes: 229 50.9%

  • Total voters
    450
The problem is Apple's repair programs only kick the can down the road. Take the keyboard repair program, it replaces the non-functioning keyboard with the same flawed butterfly keyboard. Go back a few years and the 2011 dGPU repair program where many affected people had sent the laptop in multiple times because the GPU kept failing.
That’s a fair concern. The keyboard situation is just a mess.
 
So, so sad to hear about the lack of quality in Apple products. I still have an ancient MacBook Pro that still works. Of course it takes forever to boot up but it still does.

My MacBook 2016 had to have its hard drive replaced, but maybe that’s because I dropped it a few times.
That was the first problem I’ve had with a Mac and I’ve been using them since the early 1990’s. In fact, I’ve never owned a PC. The first computer I owned was a Kaypro, before dos. I went from that straight to an Apple Macintosh, as they were called in those days.

I, however, have never bought a Mac without AppleCare...no matter what the product. The hard drive was fixed under my AppleCare and was returned to me in less than a week. My iMac, a refurbished one, is still humming along after five years. As a journalist, it got a workout. As did my old MacBook Pro, which traveled around the world with me.

I was thinking about buying a MacBook Pro and now, I’m so glad I didn’t. Whew. This is horrible news. I guess, I’ll hang on to my MacBook. The MacBook Pro was just a luxury purchase.

It seems Steve Jobs death is not the only loss at Apple. He must be turning in his grave.at the lack of inspection and quality.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dana Beck
I've been seeing a whole lot of videos and posts about the screen cable on the newer MBPs breaking due to just opening the MacBook. It's an obvious design flaw. Apple is charging 600 dollars to replace them. That is absolutely absurd and they need to have an extended warranty on them like the keyboards. I'm scared to even open my mac up because I don't have 600 to spend.
 
I've been seeing a whole lot of videos and posts about the screen cable on the newer MBPs breaking due to just opening the MacBook. It's an obvious design flaw. Apple is charging 600 dollars to replace them. That is absolutely absurd and they need to have an extended warranty on them like the keyboards. I'm scared to even open my mac up because I don't have 600 to spend.
Sell it before it happens. I just did.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SDColorado
The problem is Apple's repair programs only kick the can down the road. Take the keyboard repair program, it replaces the non-functioning keyboard with the same flawed butterfly keyboard. Go back a few years and the 2011 dGPU repair program where many affected people had sent the laptop in multiple times because the GPU kept failing.


Oh wow, I see your sig is now X1E. Did you sell your 13" due to problems or did you jump ship to avoid any potential ones?
 
My 2016 macbook pro with Touch Bar that i owned since it was release, started a its "flexgate" issue a week ago. Flexgate appears to be an issue caused by very fragile lcd flex cables. The LCD itself is fine, i never dented it or forced on the screen while opening it or anything...

Problem is, apple currently isn't acknowledging this issue which seems to spread a little more everyday. Apple is currently charging 600$ for a fix right now, which is insane for a design issue. I hope this gets more attention somehow....

The white stage light effect at the bottom of the screen below caused by flexgate isn't due to the photo, it's like that (maybe worse) irl

View attachment 810211 View attachment 810213

Here is a website someone made about flexgate if you want to learn more... https://flexgate.me
I have the same issue. Just happened recently. I also have a MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar Late 2016. I just started seeing this back in November/December of 2018. I took it to Apple and they said they have to replace the entire display and it would cost me over $400-600 (can't remember the exact amount anymore). Which is ridiculous. Its only two years old and in very good condition otherwise. I had an older MacBook Pro that I had for 7 years and didn't have an issue other than being too slow.
 
Oh wow, I see your sig is now X1E. Did you sell your 13" due to problems or did you jump ship to avoid any potential ones?
I had the 15" and I sold it before I had issues. Basically, I figured I'd be better off selling it sooner then later and it worked out. I was able to snag a 30% coupon code for the X1E and for all intents and purposes broke even.
 
I, however, have never bought a Mac without AppleCare...no matter what the product.

I never get AppleCare anymore.

Everyone is covered the first year and nobody in the US is covered after the third year (when AppleCare expires).

Are you going to get rid of your 2016 MacBook when your AppleCare expires this year ?
 
Had this happen to my 2017 15 MBP w/ touchbar about 6 months after purchase.

Repair slip basically indicated the whole machine was replaced.

I'm out of warranty now. Will be extremely disappointed if it happens again and Apple tells me I have to pay $$$.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SDColorado
Had this happen to my 2017 15 MBP w/ touchbar about 6 months after purchase.

Repair slip basically indicated the whole machine was replaced.

I'm out of warranty now. Will be extremely disappointed if it happens again and Apple tells me I have to pay $$$.

Repairs (even if they replaced it by means of "repair") should be covered for 90 days or the remainder of your warranty, whichever is longer. But after that, you will be on your own.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Queen6
Repairs (even if they replaced it by means of "repair") should be covered for 90 days or the remainder of your warranty, whichever is longer. But after that, you will be on your own.

I bought my 2017 MBP the day the new models came out... Likely first batch as they cancelled my initial order (2016 model end).

It's 2019 now so unless a program is issued I am SoL.
 
I bought my 2017 MBP the day the new models came out... Likely first batch as they cancelled my initial order (2016 model end).

It's 2019 now so unless a program is issued I am SoL.

Yeah, sounds like it. You didn’t mention Apple Care, so I wasn’t sure if you had it or not. Hopefully there will be a program to cover any future issues you might have
 
It's 2019 now so unless a program is issued I am SoL.

The way I look at it you are not SoL (it can still be fixed).

Everyones cost of ownership has gone up due to poor design decisions (i.e. it will cost more money to keep it operational after the warranty run out).

The real people who will be SoL are the people who own one when Apple declares it obsolete. Apple will no longer service it and I doubt third party service will be able to get the parts.

There is something to be said about the ability to open the computer and easily swapping out display cables (i.e. before 2016).
 
The way I look at it you are not SoL (it can still be fixed).

Everyones cost of ownership has gone up due to poor design decisions (i.e. it will cost more money to keep it operational after the warranty run out).

The real people who will be SoL are the people who own one when Apple declares it obsolete. Apple will no longer service it and I doubt third party service will be able to get the parts.

There is something to be said about the ability to open the computer and easily swapping out display cables (i.e. before 2016).
This is actually very well put... unfortunately the cost of ownership on Macs has gone up considerably, largely due to the fact that Apple has made everything non-repairable. In fact, I'd actually go so far as to change "non-repairable" to "disposable". More or less the new MacBook lineups are disposable machines, once they are broken they are meant to be replaced rather than repaired.

I hope that in future iterations of the MacBook Pro, Apple will take this generation of machines as a learning lesson... that having machines that have more accessible parts are a better design move, both for the consumer and for Apple themselves at a PR level.

For now I will continue to use my refurbished 2017 MBP. I could well have issues, but I have AppleCare until 2021, so if something happens I am covered til then. After that I will see how the next gen of MacBooks looks and weigh my options of keeping this machine (which I love), or trading in for whatever the next generation MacBook Pros ends up being.
 
The way I look at it you are not SoL (it can still be fixed).
I think the issue is that while its possible and feasible to have it fixed outside of the warranty, the cost will be so prohibitively that it won't be worth investing good money after bad, so to speak.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Queen6
I have a question, how many people are seeing this on the 2017 or later models? The majority of the reports I have seen of this issue are on 2016 models (actually besides the one 2017 mentioned earlier in this thread). Granted this is an issue increased through wear and tear, which would explain more 2016s have the issue, but I wonder if this issue is specific to certain years and or sizes of post 2016 MBPs.
 
We really won't know, until more time passes, and that's the concerning part of this issue.
Yeah, I was more ok keeping with my 2017 MBP knowing that the keyboard was covered for 4 years, but another issue is worrisome to me. Trying to not be pessimistic, but seems like these computers keeping having more issues pop up.
 
I'm 2 years into ownership of a 2016 15" MBP TB and have had zero issues with it so far. No issues with the keyboard and no display issues. Apple has always had issues with their hardware from excessive coil whine, GPU issues, to display coating issues etc. I've been subject to each of them. However, in each instance Apple has always come through to either fix the issue or replace the machine with a brand new one, even after 3 years of use. I think Apple quality has been fairly consistent over the last decade. Forums are a place for people to come to highlight their issues, solve them if possible and get an idea if a particular issue is rampant or limited in scope. It might seem that a product is having multiple problems, at a cursory glance, but I would wager that, on average, quality has been fairly consistent. I also think it is important not to conflate design decisions that one disagrees with vis a vis actual quality issues.
 
Last edited:
Just have the flex cable extended. The breakage is due to the backlight flex cable being a millimeter too short. Thus extending the screen all the way repeatedly will cause the cable to break eventually. The webcam flex uses the same flex cable and it did not suffer the same problem.
 
Bought mine on release
2 year old, and has had this issue for the past month..
I hope if dosnt get worse since I saved for like a year to buy it and I can't afford the 600 dollar replacement ... Specially with how **** Pakistani currency is now a days
 
I think the issue is that while its possible and feasible to have it fixed outside of the warranty, the cost will be so prohibitively that it won't be worth investing good money after bad, so to speak.

To be frank that's part of Apple's strategy, as when presented with a repair cost a third to half the price of a new machine most will likely fold and opt for the newer model, especially if intrenched in Apple's ecosystem...

There's absolutely no necessitation to design hardware in this manner. It's simply a deliberate function of revenue for Apple same as forcing in-house upgrades only and removing any expansion possibilities to drive upgrades with excessive margin and cloud services. Monopolies have never served the customer, nor will they ever do so...

Q-6
 
Last edited:
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.