Repeated logic board failures on 2018 MacBook Pro

Hello, my 1 and a half year old Macbook Pro 15" 2019 just got a new motherboard replacement because about a month ago it just died during the night and wouldn't turn on at all. I'm a Computer and Electrotechnical Engineering student and my computer is very intensively used due to program creation and testing (and also some gaming) and in the future for CAD work as well. That means that for most of its time turned on it is being used intensely and very hot. The Store that I bought my computer from didn't specified the reason why my motherboard failed but i think it was due to the weak cooling system and very intensive use. The replaced motherboard got a new 2 year warranty (minimum warranty time in my country) but i'm sort of afraid of pushing my mac to the limit for fear of it dying suddenly. Being 3 weeks without a decent pc while all of my classes and work have to be done throw it becomes really frustrating and harmful for my "job". It just amazes me that, from other reportes that i've read, this a common issue and apple doesn't come up with a solution to it. And I completely agree with @jantacor, that a 2500€+ pc (directed at professionals) having lifetime of 1-2 years without having a motherboard replacement is completely unacceptable.

I have my Macbook 2018 Model, out of nowhere my laptop just starting to glitch then it turns off and when I turn it on, my screen is black with with vertical little lights. I agree that apple shpuld take responsibility for this. A RECALL PROGRAM Apple please!

Thank you so much for posting this.

I purchased a MacBook Pro on August 2019

Last month it went black, I took it to a certified apple service and they confirmed Logic board failure.

At 19 months, I was out of warranty and didn’t purchase apple care.

I received a quote of $1,000 US, and after reading your post I called apple service and presented my case.

I told them I was not comfortable paying 25% of the original cost after just 19 months of very light use.

They reviewed my case and agreed to take it as guarantee. Due to Covid I will have to wait one month for the parts to arrive, but I wont have to pay for it.

So thanks again, you encouraged me to make a case, and I’m proud to announce Apple lives up to their customer service reputation.

P.D. The guy at service shop, told me this failure is due too heating, and most cases its caused by long periods of sleeping while plugged, according to him.

Best wishes to everyone

We have the same problem but apple just told me that I should pay 700 dollars just to fix it. I slightly used my mac. 😭 where are you from?

I’m from Mexico.

Download the support app, there all your apple products will appear.

Start a ticket & ask to be contacted, they will call you

Apple made sure my MacBook showed no damage with the service shop.

After two days they called me back to let me know Apple was taking care

What model is yours? What year? Is it also the logic board?

Best of luck

Model of my Mac is 13inch 2018, A1989 and Yes thr problem is thr Logic Board and Yes there’s no damage on my laptop. How Can I say to them that I have the same problem with you?

It's sad that only a few of us got the chance to have it repaired for FREE even if it's out of warranty. Apple just gave my MBP a week ago and only gave me three months for the warranty, which I believe is too short.

Anyway, I emailed them several times and messaged them, asking what caused the logic board to fail so early. NO ONE GAVE ME AN ANSWER. They are all quiet on the issue and are playing it safe.

I'm grateful for the free logic board but I still STRONGLY BELIEVE that they should issue a recall program, just to be fair for everyone. This machine is so EXPENSIVE only to have a lifespan of 2 years. Note that I never dropped it nor dropped any liquid on it.

All my files were lost, including my clients', during the repair because they had to format it before repairing it. It's just UNBELIEVABLE.

Where are you? I am in Brazil and here the 0800 service did not solve my problem. Beyond the logic board my computer also presented inflated batteries. They say the batteries are included in a quality program but I have to pay for the replacement of the logic board.

If you did not contact Apple first before going somewhere for the repair you will always have to pay for replacements that do not have a quality program as of yet. Sometimes Apple may wave the fees depending on who you talk too or what is currently in their database about the issue. Not sure about Brazil, but I am in Japan. If I did not go to Apple first, I would have had to pay. I work in Japan, but from the U.S. (and bought the MacBook Pro 2018 there). I called first to the U.S. online service and they contacted Japan and made arrangements for the repair. I had Apple Care so it helped. I would recommend doing that first contact Apple in whatever country you are in and have them arrange to repair before going anywhere outside of an official Apple Store. If Apple makes the arrangements, then charges etc. may be different. Other than that...you are at the repair shops discretion, including their charges and fees.

Fala Murilo,

Acho que você só vai conseguir resolver seu problema na loja oficial da Apple no Village Mall, na Barra, porém ela está fechada devido a questão do COVID, só depois que abrir. Lá sua chance pode ser maior de reparo. O meu foi via Apple Cara em Laranjeiras, na Solução Digital.

Abraços.

As I said @Bertodem, some here on the forum say that the quantity is small, but if we take into account the lifetime calculated by us of the logic boards, around 2 years, the problems will start to appears now, between 2021 and 2022. Due to the amount of comments that have come up and the number of people who have the problem and do not appear here, it can be a big problem for Apple.

Another thing, your MacBook was repaired as I said above, similar to the Staingate problem, they know that they have a chronic problem, but they do not publish an official recall, only for those who complain. Imagine a global recall of logic board (that has a soldered SSD on the board), in an expensive famous notebook, shame. And one more time, the question, you receive 2 more years of lifetime or they really solve the problem, in my casa the logic board is the same, same manufacturer and model.

My model is a Macbook Pro-15'', A1990, 2018. The problem I encountered was a logic board failure and inflated batteries.

I am still waiting for an answer from Apple. I have sent several requests to their Office here in Brazil and I also have contacted their 0800 number. But unfortunately I have got no answer.

Olá Fábio,

Grato pela resposta.

Eu já fui na oficina autorizada da Apple em Fortaleza, onde moro.

O problema consiste de falha da placa lógica e batérias infladas.

Para recuperar meus dados (pois a memória SSD é soldada na placa), e como a placa já estava fora da garantia, eu enviei a placa para ser recuperada em uma oficina (não autorizada) em São José do Rio Pardo.

O computador voltou a funcionar. As batérias estão no programa de qualidade da Apple e seriam substuídas sem custo.

Porém, a oficina autorizada da Apple, (e o call center da Apple no Brasil), agora se recusam a trocar as batérias pois alegam que o computador foi manuseado por oficina não autorizada.

Meu tentei uma intermediação da Proteste, mas Apple não respondeu. Meu próximo passo será acionar o serviço de proteção do consumidor Decon.

I am Grateful for your answer.

I have already taken the computer to the Apple authorized repair shop in Fortaleza, where I live.

The problem consists of logic board failure and inflated batteries.

In order to recover my data (since the SSD memory is soldered on the board), and as the board was out of warranty, I sent the computer to a repair shop (not an Apple authorized one) in São José do Rio Pardo, São Paulo.

The logic board was recovered. The batteries are under Apple's quality program and they would be replaced at no cost.

However, Apple's authorized workshop, (and Apple's call center in Brazil), now refuse to exchange batteries because they claim that the computer was handled by an unauthorized workshop.

I hve tried a Protest (Brazilian consumer protection organization) mediation, but Apple did not respond. My next step will be to start a complain process at the Decon (Brazilian state consumer protection service).

Murilo

I couldn't agree more.

I have an older MacBook pro, late 2013 which currently runs perfect, this reliability its known on Mac's, whereas a 2013 pc laptop its completely outdated.

I haven't received my Mac back, but when I do, it will only have 3 months warranty, after that I'm back on the rodeo.