Recurring MacBook Air M2 Crash and Reboot Issues - Persistent DCP PANIC Errors Despite Repairs

Thank you, HWTech, for your detailed insight 🙏

I can guarantee that I have not plugged in any HDMI or connected an external display to my MacBook, so it's very likely that the issue lies with the logic board itself 🧠🔍

I really appreciate your help — you're absolutely right that I need to speak with an Apple engineer who actually understands kernel panics 🛠️💻 When I went to the Apple Store, the technician erased everything and did a full clean install of macOS. Since then, I haven't installed any third-party apps at all, but the problem still keeps happening 😓

Thanks again for your advice — I’ll head back to the Apple Store and push for a deeper investigation 👨‍🔧🍏

Thank you again, HWTech, for your advice 🙏

I just got back from the Apple Store, and they’ve decided to send my MacBook in for a logic board replacement. Hopefully, this will finally fix the issue. Otherwise, it might point to a deeper problem with the latest macOS itself.

Thankfully, I’m still covered under AppleCare until this August — they told me it would’ve cost £449 otherwise 😅 Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever been disappointed with an Apple product. I’ve been using Apple devices for over 10 years and never had a single issue. Everything’s always been smooth and reliable… until this MacBook Air M2 started acting glitchy. Really hoping this is just a one-off.

Thank God I got AppleCare! 🙏 The Apple Store replaced the logic board and the Touch ID. If I hadn’t bought AppleCare, the repair would’ve cost £842 — crazy! 😱 So far, the MacBook Air M2 hasn’t been rebooting itself again and again, and it looks alright now. 🤞 Thanks for your insights! 💬😊

Unfortunately, my MacBook rebooted itself without permission again 😣—this happened even after Apple replaced the logic board and Touch ID. They sent it back to me like it was brand new, but it's honestly becoming ridiculous at this point 😤. I never had issues like this with my 2015 MacBook Pro 💻, but this 2022 MacBook Air has been nothing but a pain 😞.

ok

Here is an update:

I went to the Apple Store 🍎, and the engineer there decided to escalate my issue to the next level. He advised me to contact Apple Support 📞. When I did, they said they would arrange a time to speak with me and asked me to install some software 💻 so they could monitor the tasks I'm working on. I said “100% yes.” ✅ They said this info would then be sent to a Level 2 engineer.

Later, I spoke to the manager, Jay—super friendly guy 👍. I explained everything to him, and he immediately contacted a Level 4 engineer. The engineer checked my MacBook Air M2. From his reaction, I felt he assumed I didn’t understand computers 🧠. He believed that even after replacing the logic board and Touch ID, the issues I’m seeing were “normal.” He used a car analogy 🚗 and suggested I just continue using the MacBook—even if it crashes a few times a month 💥.

I thought to myself: how is that normal? 🤨 If this were an iPhone shutting down automatically without my consent, would that be okay? No way. He then suggested I wipe the system and reinstall everything 🔄, but I’ve already done that multiple times—and it didn’t help. I’m honestly done at this point 😤.

I also told the manager that the Level 4 engineer believed the issue came from the tasks I was doing. But I swear to God 🙏, the only apps I added were Google Chrome, Telegram (like WhatsApp), and iMovie—nothing crazy or risky ⚠️.

I've booked another appointment 📅, and Apple Support will call me 📲. They’ll guide me through installing monitoring software so they can observe what’s happening in real time and investigate further 🔍. I have nothing to hide and fully welcome the investigation.

I own almost every Apple product 🍏, and this has been the worst experience I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ll ever buy another MacBook 💻 again. I also told the manager that if Apple’s investigation proves it’s not a software issue, then it has to be a hardware problem 🛠️. He agreed with me.

All of this started happening right after I updated to the new macOS. Very strange and frustrating 😕.

Are any USB-C adapters, docks, or hubs connected which have a video port even if unused?

No.

Does the issue occur even when no external devices are connected?

Yes.

Is it possible the built-in display is the problem?

No.

Do the crashes happen when waking the laptop from sleep or powering it on?

Yes, and also at other times — no consistent trigger.

Are you able to notice a pattern, such as a specific app causing crashes?

No, there’s no clear pattern.

How often do you reboot the laptop?

Very seldom. Since this is a MacBook, I don’t typically reboot like I would on Windows.

I appreciate all the support you’ve provided. Apple Support did call me and took remote control of my screen. They walked me through several diagnostic steps — including creating a new folder in the LaunchAgents directory to isolate potential third-party causes. I restarted the machine as instructed, and they showed me how to locate crash or panic reports. I was told to send them the logs and screenshots if the issue recurs.

I’ve followed everything asked of me. I’ve been cooperative, transparent, and patient. That’s why I was shocked and upset when an Apple engineer accused me of being unreasonable or having extreme expectations. That felt unfair, especially given how frustrating the issue has been.

Frankly, this M-series MacBook has performed worse than my previous Intel i5 MacBook pro early 2015, which is disappointing. At this point, I believe Apple should take the device back for thorough testing instead of making me try endless steps without resolution.

05/25 – Latest Update on My MacBook Display Issue

As I’ve said before, I haven’t given up on Apple, but honestly, I’ve gone way beyond what a normal customer should ever have to do. I installed diagnostic software, sent panic logs and data to Apple engineers, and tried everything possible to help them identify the issue.

Big shoutout to Majella from Apple Cork in Ireland – she was amazing. She connected my device to hers, walked me through using Apple’s internal tool Capture Data 9.11.0, and forwarded all the info to a senior engineer for analysis. She even called me today with the results: the display has a hardware fault. What’s frustrating is that the diagnostic tool used in Apple Stores (you know, the one that always gives green checkmarks?) couldn’t detect it at all. Ridiculous.

Previously, a Level 4 engineer at the Arndale Centre in Manchester, UK, told me the issue was caused by something I did to the MacBook – which turned out to be totally wrong. He even said I didn’t understand computers just because I mentioned how my old MacBook Pro (Early 2015) had way fewer problems than this new MacBook Air M2. He replied, “You can’t compare an M series chip to an Intel i5 or i7” – like that somehow explained the issues I’m having?

The real issue here is that Apple’s product quality seems to have dropped. It feels like it's all about the numbers and profit now, not the user experience. It honestly reminds me of that Boeing 737 Max documentary – when a company cares more about looking good on paper than how their customers feel.

Back to the positive: Majella has been incredible. She’s followed up with me several times, stayed on top of my case, and asked me to go to an Apple Store to request a display replacement, as recommended by the senior engineer.

But honestly? This has left me so disappointed. I’ve given Apple enough chances. After this experience, I don’t think I’ll be buying another Mac again.