Repeated logic board failures on 2018 MacBook Pro

Apple DOES investigate the reasons for failures that end up back at their depots for repair. When failures seem high, they spare no expense to find the reasons behind the failures, including examining every component, sometimes with a strong microscope peering inside chips and sawing boards in half to look at board construction and solder joints.

When their analysis are complete, they sometimes issue a recall. Because they know exactly which failures and exactly what the causes were, and exactly which Macs built during which weeks were affected, they will sometimes include the ones built the week BEFORE yours was built. This can be extremely frustrating, but it says that although there was a problem it did not apply to your specific Mac, and if you have a failure that seems the same, yours is down to bad luck, not the well-researched defect.

Hi Gregg,

I am facing the same issue on my Macbook 2018 model.

My mid 2018 MacBook Pro also just died out of nowhere — logic board issue, as well, according to the Genius Bar.

sigh

I bought a macbook pro 15" mid-2018 in March 2019. I started using it connected to an external monitor, which is why it was closed 80% of the time, working as a desktop. In October 2019 it stopped working and I took it to the authorized technical assistance. A defect was found in the logic board, which was replaced along with the ID board. Four months later, the logic board was defective again and the battery was dilated. In this repair it was replaced in addition to the board, the top case with the battery, and again the touch ID. I told Apple support that I was concerned because it’s expensive equipment and a problem that happened 2x could easily happen again, but they reassured me saying it’s not an usual case and that they would treat differently, regardless of the warranty. And in November 2020, for the 3rd time, there was a problem with the logic board, and then they inform me that I would have to pay for the repair, which would be the replacement of the entire logic board , absurdly expensive, I was outraged because it’s not the first Mac I have, but it’s definitely the last, and I’m going to have.

Reading the many posts on this issue as well as the many other reports outside of the Apple forum, is aggravating. My MBAir, new in late summer of 2019 has the same problem. I had just arrived in Thailand, entering into a mandatory two-week quarantine in a hotel, thus particularly dependent on a working computer, and the same thing happened--just out of the blue it was totally non-responsive. First, I sent the hotel clerk to a nearby apple store for a new power adapter, then had them take the computer in for diagnosis, and the failed logic board was the immediate response. To add insult to injury, the design of the SSD means it cannot be saved, and the data is lost. Fortunately, I did have a time machine back-up, albeit several days prior. I believe Apple is negligent in failing to acknowledge, report, and recall these models, and I am now struggling with them on successive calls to Apple Care to get them to step up to the plate to 1)get an estimate for the repair time frame, 2) give me back the SSD or logic board, which has my data (for security purposes and the fact that I own it) and 2)provide me immediately with a replacement, which they have refused! So, if enough of those of us who have been harmed by this problem make ourselves known, we might get them to listen!

[Edited by Moderator]

Interesting to see all the 2018 mbp are starting to fail out OF NOWHERE around this time .__. my 2018 mbp 15 inch also died, although i could use it perfectly the day before. Havent got it checked, but I really wish it only needed battery replacement😭

I have a MacBook Pro 2018 A1990 that does not turn on. The apple service told me that it is due to a faulty logic board. This problem seems to be a frequent one for this model. I wonder if Apple is going to consider it as a project or quality control problem and take a step by implementing a recall for these models, like they have done for the battery problem of this same machine.

I agree! They should take an action with the recall program for mac 2018 pro models.

We have the same problem with our MBPro 13" !!!

Any suggestion so as to push for a recall program!

My 2018 MacPro 13” just stopped working few days ago, when I took it to a repairshop, I was told the motherboard was fried out of the blue. No water spills, drops or powers surges in my area that would have caused the issue. The computer is just only 26 months, unfortunately out of warranty, but it is incredible how unreliable these newer models have turned out. Due to work, I had to immediately replace it with a 2020MBAIr, which I am starting to be concerned, if I will give up after 2 years of use. I still have a 2012 MacbookPro and it is still running, and that one did have a logic board replacement.

I'm in the same spot. I replaced my mid 2009 MacBook Pro with an 15-inch 2018 with i9 processor. A few weeks after getting it the speakers started making and incredible loud noise out of nowhere and were damaged. Since it was still under warranty, Apple fixed it.

Now, two months after the warranty expired the logic board suddenly died. It would cost me €735 to repair but i'm not going to invest more money in a badly designed computer.

Meanwhile the 2009 still works fine. Apple should take responsibility.

I am genuinely sorry you have had such Bad Luck. There is nothing Readers can do to repair your confidence in the product except to assure you that your single sample does NOT represent a TREND.

Apple made around 20 million Macs last year, and your bad experience with a sample of one does not move the needle on reliability in the slightest. It is not statistically significant.

When Consumer Reports magazine polls their members in their annual survey, Apple computers and Apple service have been the highest rated (compared to any other company) for many years running.