MBP retina 15" 2012 model Thunderbolt connector loose

As far as I've seen, all first gen MBPR suffer from overly-large machined thunderbolt port bays.

The best solution I've seen (which actually works quite well), is to wrap scotch tape around each cable connector's metal edge to tighten the fit (1-1.5 loops seems to work best). The cable should push in with a soft amount of resistance when you get it right, and it'll fit snugly with no wiggle.

Unfortunately, I've had to tape wrap every thunderbolt cable and dongle I own. Without the tape, the cables and dongles were unusable with my machine. It's most likely a production flaw in the machining of the MBPR case. Hope this hack helps everybody.

I took mine to Genius and she confirmed the issue. So my machine was sent to maintenance and I'll be one week without it. According to the genius probably logic board will be replaced. I don't know if this will help the issue at all, but I still think Apple should be made aware of this.

Service in Omotesando store was very good and the Genius was very sympathetic, however she said that if the repairman on the other side cannot confirm the issue, the machine will be returned in it's original condition. This feels a bit strange since she and other geniuses did acknowledge the issue. Shouldn't they, uh-hum. at least agree with each other?

@yaschan -

Yes, they SHOULD agree ... but, well, who knows.

When you go to pick it up after they "fixed" it, my suggestion would be to test it right there in front of the person that hands it back to you ... and not to sign off on it until you feel that it is repaired to your satisfaction. If you have a portable TB device and cable that you could take with you, that would be even better. That's what I did ... as I stated above / previously.

Please keep us posted as to your outcome ... which will hopefully be a good one!!!

I received my machine today; well ahead of the schedule. Now, although there is almost no noticeable difference in the tightness of the ports, still wiggly; the movement doesn't cause interference to the connection any more. I tried nudging and (gently) yanking the cables while being connected to my Thunderbolt drive and ethernet. Connection no longer drops. No problem now!

According to the Genius the logic board of the was replaced as warranty repair. Also, when I bought the machine, the lid didn't align to the bottom case perfectly when closed. But now it does. Nice little thing.

Granted; I would be more comfortable if the connectors were tighter as they were in my earlier Macbook Pro (non-retina 13" 2011)

But if the situation stays this way; I see no problem using the ports for everything. I am slightly worried about longevity of the connectors but we'll have to wait and see.

@YASCHAN -

Glad to hear that it's working out for you ... even though you stated that the ports are still about the same. It's a definite fact that the quality varies among these laptop parts. Something that I thought that would not be a factor in the Apple eco-system ... since people are paying a "premium" price for these products. In the Windows world, I expect it and accept it ... to a certain point of course.

Hope you had AppleCare for this. AppleCare is a very wise investment should one decide to purchase an Apple product.

Thanks for the update and hope it will not give you anymore disconnects!!!

I'm suffering exactly the same issue with my rMacBookPro11,3 (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) and finding it most inconveniencing. I usually use my MBP at the desk, connected to an Elgato Thunderbolt 2 hub. I have an appointment at the Genius Bar and I'm in contact with the Business services department. This problem is very aggravating, and I suffer sporadic interruption of the peripherals (1 RAID0, 3 HDD, Gigabit Ethernet).. I have an appointment at the Genius Bar for Friday, but I'm hoping the Business Services department will be sooner. This looks like a fairly well-known issue, but I'm gonna keep looking. What is the usual fix?

--

Isaac, Legal Leprechaun and Technical Analyst
Simplicit Solutions Ltd, Solutions Architecture

I think the most usual and the only fix is replacing the logic board. In my case they did this and it solved the problem. The ports still wiggle but the wiggle doesn't break the connection. I believe this is the way how the ports are meant to work with Macbook Pro.

I've got a short video clip on Vimeo demonstrating. Is this similar to your situation? The ports are performing nearly identical to that which you described, with the exception being that on the newer 2014 model the circuits may be powered/driven independently, so having one die does not necessarily coincide with the breakage of the other. Thoughts?

https://vimeo.com/131612112

@ iAmSimplicit - Your video has no audio / sound ... but is to the point and appreciated.

Since Apple replaced my Mother / Logic Board, the problem has returned.

Just to make sure it isn't my (Apple) cable, I went to the Apple store and purchased another one ... except this time it's the shorter .5m version. Results are still the same for both ports. Slight tap and it disconnects ... then sometimes it'll reconnect automatically; and this is with either cable.

I setup another appointment to take it in to Apple this coming week. This is not only frustrating, but quite disappointing ... especially for a premium priced product. My 13" MBA (2012) TB port is so snug that I can literally pull the laptop across the table without it disconnecting.

Will report back to of what Apple does this time.

P.S. - Looking forward to the new TB3 connector (USB-C based) ... hopefully appearing later this year.

Update:

OK, so I took my RD-MBP to the Apple store and explained to the Apple "gene-less" person about this ongoing Thunderbolt port problem. I demonstrated with my portable Lacie Rugged TB drive and Apple cables (both the 6ft. and 1ft.) how it would disconnect while plugged in to the TB ports of my RD-MBP if the cables were even breathed upon ... on the laptop side of course.

The (Apple) store associate then took my laptop to the back to have another associate confirm this issue. About 5 minutes later, the associate returned and stated, that yes, there is a problem they were able to replicate repeatedly, and therefore decided to order me a new replacement ... a new 2015 version of my laptop.

Two and half weeks went by and I finally received an email and voice mail that my new RD-MBP was ready to be picked up. As instructed by the Apple associate, I wiped my SSD clean before returning it to exchange for my new one. (And yes, I did backup everything, de-activated any software that needed to be, etc...)

The first thing I did when I got home and unwrapped my new laptop was that I plugged in the Apple TB cables into the laptop TB ports. They were definitely snugger fitting that my previous laptop. Still a bit of "wiggling", but no where near as much as before. I connected my Lacie Rugged TB drive and tested it thoroughly ... wiggling it, moving the laptop around on the table, rubbing a USB cable against it ... no disconnects ... so far.

And yes, I purchased AppleCare for this as well. And a suggestion here when purchasing / receiving a new Apple product that qualifies for AppleCare: You don't have to purchase this immediately. You can wait a bit as most Apple products carry a limited time warranty anyways. So check when that expires ... and then purchase the AppleCare about a month before. That way, you're actually covered a bit longer than if you purchased it right away.

Summary: So far, so good. But oh what a hassle!!!

I still think that upcoming TB3 ... that supposedly will be utilizing the new USB-C connector ... will be a much better solution in regards to a more secure fit, wider compatibility with various peripherals, not just TB devices and of course even faster transfer speeds.

Same problem here with both TB contacts. They worked fine for about 3years but now its getting to a point where you cant use it anymore.

I am fed up with Apple and anyone who thinks this is only recently going down the drain or its just one product: you are wrong. First I had the video issue with the retina 2012 15" now the TB's... almost 4000$ spent on crap quality thanks. The iphone 5s i bought has the power button issue, the time capsule 1st Gen was a disaster, thousands of them dying after only 1-2 years including mine. I have no other companies products I experienced so much ****. Basically everything I bought has issues thats not a coincidence anymore thats just simply a proof that your quality *****. The current time capsule is the exception to the rule though its only 1 year old, I am just waiting for something to happen. Oh yeah and btw thanks for the first El Capitan update which ruined my entire software. Got stuck in the booting forever nothing you could do. Lucky the timemachine was there to safe my *** after spending whole day to get back where I was before...

As soon as MS has a proper copy of the Timemachine you wont see me using any of your crap again ever. The only reason everyone still thinks Apple is great is you dont get all the faulty sh.. thats going all together. And of course there is the deny deny deny policy...

Yes, I'm having the same problem with my MacBook Pro. The thunderbolt plug wiggles like a loose tooth in the port, and if I move my laptop even slightly, I run a very strong risk of experiencing a disconnection. So I've completely stopped using the thunderbolt plug and only use WiFi. What Apple needed to do was magnetize the thunderbolt plug to hold it in place, like they did the power plug. The power plug never comes loose because the magnetized plug clamps onto the side of my laptop with a really strong grip. Why didn't they do that with the thunderbolt port? That's a major oversight.

I've heard recent news reports (Oct. 2016) that give me the impression that future models of MacBooks will have FOUR thunderbolt ports and no USB ports. Is that true? If so, as much as I like my MacBook Pro, I won't get another one if the only way I can connect to it is through a flimsy thunderbolt port.

I've got a short video clip on Vimeo demonstrating. Is this similar to your situation?

https://vimeo.com/131612112

This is a Th2 (20Gb/s) bus on a Retina MBP (MacBookPro11,3). The "recent news" you speak of is in reference to the new Th3 (40Gb/s) implementation using the USB-C form factor. I haven't heard of this issue with the new devices, and it stands to reason that it won't exhibit.

I've heard people saying that you need to get your Logic Board replaced, and Apple is just replacing with a new laptop. However, when I've taken my MacBook into the local Apple Store (Toronto, ON) they said that they need to take it in to diagnose. I told them to shove it, in that I need my laptop daily for work, and I cannot be without it for even 12 hours, let alone 2-3 weeks.

So I'm stuck with an Apple branded lemon. Meh...

PS:

From a technical standpoint, it's probably a simple resistance issue with the Thunderbolt Bus, hence the Logic Board replacement.

@ iAmSimplicit -

Resistance issue? Yes. Replacing the M/B did not work for me; hence Apple replacing the whole unit.

But ... the issue has returned with this new (2015) replacement. And I am not even utilizing the port as often as I do my USB and HDMI ports. It was fine for about a few months. Then as I started using the ports, the problem started again. I will be taking it in ... again ... to the Apple store for this as well as having the LCD screen replaced.

(This is another major issue; the LCD coating rubbing off when I clean the screen. You can do a search on the community forums here and you'll see what I am referring to.)

Just one friggin thing after another with these 15" rMBP's; at least in my world. Makes me VERY hesitant to purchase any Apple product from here on out.

I will post ... yet another ... update on what the Einstein's at the Apple store do for my situation.

@HuckFinnster -

Totally agree w/you regarding the "magnetizing" the TB ports / connectors. But if they (Apple) did their quality control job right in the first place ...

Yes, the newest 2016 15" rMBP's have 4 TB3 USB type C ports. (The 13" version will have 2).

It is yet to be seen how "snug" these ports / connectors will be.