Q: Design fault? 27" 2013 iMac stand just gave up!

This just happened to me today!  "SNAP!" 

My iMac 27 was purchased through Apple.com in January 2014 and this happened 9-months later.  I have the 3-year AppleCare and was able to get information on where to get it fixed locally through their "chat" feature in Support.  That agent said he's never had a customer with the issue, but heard of one that did. 

I called the local Mac shop and he heard of it and it's a part that will have to be ordered.  Glad that the diagnostics will only take about 10-minutes and then I can take it home until the part arrives.  They said they have only 48-hours to do the repair (under the warranty program) so I'll have to bring it right down when it does arrive.  At least I don't have to ship it from Hawaii and be without it for a couple of weeks.

I hope they'll do something about the part as I don't want to expect another fail 10-months from now!

Hi, the exact same thing happened to me on Saterday, I took the Mac in for repairs on Monday. I was told that I will be reponsible for possible costs and it will take 5 to 7 work days. It is obvious that this is due to a design issue, why don’t Apple own up and admit there is a problem and fix it. My Mac was bought and handed back to Menlyn iStore South-Africa.

Same thing happened to me, working away, all of a sudden crack & monitor flops forward.

I have contacted Apple and got a service operator who was very helpful and is sending someone
out to fix at my place of work, as this is my primary computer and can't be without it for a few days.

This is obviously a design fault where the stand spring can't take the weight of the 27" monitor. Glade I'm not the only one with this issue.
Apple operator tells me he's never heard of this happening, I have sent him this for his reference.

I am still awaiting technicians call, so here's hoping its soon.

Same, just an hour ago. "CLICK!" I'm in ... why I should pay for this now. I'm buying top iMac in the line to NOT have any problems and not to take it to the repair shop 9 month later ...

10 Minutes ago.

Same here. Blood curdling crack and now a very limp iMac looking dejectedly at the floor...

It's not even a year old, I hope we can get this sorted as we live quite a long way from civilisation.

I guess it's hold music time tomorrow...

After all I'm not alone. One fine morning I see my iMac (27" late 2013 model) is shy and refused to look up. Tilt mechanism is broken somehow.

Have give it to AASP today they said (ABM care in Dubai). They said mechanical faults are not covered under warranty however will speak to Apple to get it included, I guess it's Apples way of saying we won't accept the design fault.

WIll ill have to spend 14 days without my Mac

Crack... and there goes another one! Have found that an old audio cassette tape wedged in the back of the screen is about the 'right angle'.

The thing is, I bought my iMac second had from the company I work for. Consequently I won't have any Apple Care warranty

Will Apple now fix ANY iMac with this issue, regardless of AppleCare?

I'm certainly not paying hundreds of pounds to fix something that can be fixed with a plastic cassette tape (or a golf ball)!!

Any answers gratefully received!

Take it in for service, chances are Apple will pay for the fix.

To the person who said "I've never heard of it so I know it's not a design flaw" - sorry but that logic does not hold, unless you work for Apple and it's your job to know of all such issues. You cannot possibly know *everything*. Still, it probably isn't a design flaw, just a fluke.

This happened to me, too, in late Sep/ early Oct (can't remember exactly) but unfortunately about a year after it was purchased (late Sep/ early Oct 2013), and I couldn't afford Apple Care this one time (my wife and I have close to a dozen Apple computers, tablets and phones and have Apple Care on most). I also need this computer every day (7 days a week), so I can't even take it in, even if I could afford to pay for what will probably be an expensive fix. For now, I've had to prop the screen up with some notebooks and strong metallic boxes. Not very flexible, but better than trying to look at a downward-tilting screen.

Add me to the list of people who this happened to who are unsupported.  Seems like a design flaw to me.

About 2 weeks ago exactly the same thing happened to me. 

Sitting in front of my iMac 27" (late 2013) I heard a snap or crack and the screen tilted forward.  My heart stopped for a moment and after several expletives and cold sweats I established all was ok except the stand.  Thanks to this post and other similar ones I was relieved to find out it was an uncommon fault - but not unheard of. 

The computer was just out of its 12 month warranty and I thought f%$K! - this is going to cost a lot.  Various figures mentioned on blogs ranged from $24 - $600.  Having had bad and frustrating experiences with Applecare in previous years I thought they would refuse to accept liability for a parts failure so soon after the 12 month warranty ran out.  The computer which had sat on the same desk since new had failed and I imagined Apple not accepting liability for something that could only be a parts failure or defect.  Fortunately they were actually very helpful on the phone and agreed in principal to fix it for free.  By this stage I remembered that EU (European Union) consumer law effectively means your products should be covered for 2 years (for pre-existing faults) and Apple also made it clear on the phone that I had additional consumer protection under EU law even though their parts warranty had recently expired.  They booked in a genius appointment and wrote up notes effectively saying to the store that it should be fixed for free.

Although I didn't have to pay for the repair they have to cost it.  So I got to see a cost for the repair.  I thought this figure would be huge given the work involved (un-glueing the screen and taking the whole thing apart). It was about £50 inc VAT - £22.80 parts and £28.80 labour.  The Apple guy said they no longer have different rates for labour in the way they used to.  It's now a standard flat-fee no matter how much work is involved.

If it weren't for additional EU consumer protection it's difficult to know if Apple would have accepted liability and done the repair for free.

Excellent and speedy work carried out by Apple Store, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, UK.  Computer back up and running and stand working fine - let's hope it doesn't happen again 12 months from now - from various other posts it does seem to happen around the year-old mark

Just add me to the list: exactly same thing, late 2013 model so under a year old, same crack without any reason. Luckily I have apple care, but I live in a remote location and need my computer daily for work, what a nuisance!!!

11/25/2014 It just happened yesterday, almost 1 year old iMac 27" .still under warranty but I'm sure I'll buy an extended warranty... Just add me to this list. I played with a game last night and suddenly a big crack noise and the screen fall down!!! Almost **** in my pants! Next week Monday I have an appointment I hope this is not take too much time to fix it...

One more to the list.

I bought on October/13 and the freaking noise almost killed me (was on 4am that happened).

Good to know that i'm not alone, but i guess i'm screwed. I live in Brazil, don't have apple care but when i arrive in brazil, i payed the taxes, so i don't know if apple should fix this for free...

****, this imac is so expensive, shouldn't do that.

Add me to the list. I'd just gotten my iMac back from having to have the power supply replaced and was plugging it in...when SNAP!!!!!, and the screen drooped.  Took it back to the store, and luckily the tech knew/found the issue and said it had been a problem with the 27" iMacs.  I've got the screen currently propped up using the box for one of my guitar pedals, and am waiting for the store to call when the part comes in, a couple days from now.  Ugh....computer bought in Jan of this year, and it was 11 months old.