Q: Early 2011 Macbook Pro 15' - Logic Board Failure

Boodwiser,

Yeah my laptop needed its second logic board replacement in four months, after already replacing it. There is definitely some hardware/manufacturer defect issue. Dont pay to replace it! Just from talking to other people and apple people, it sounds like they are starting to acknowledge the problem. I suggest you call myapple and go through their tier system of supervisors.

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Brennan,

My posts are being edited. I cant leave you an email on here. But he was of executive administration. Named nelson. I emailed tim cook himself. You can google his address.

Apple deleted mine too saying it needs to be a technical question so here's my question. Does anyone know why all three of my USB ports on my 2011 17" MacBook Pro stopped working two weeks after my warranty? What is the technical way to fix it myself since apple won't. I need some technical advice ASAP. I'll check for an answer later unless my screen goes out

Reporting back in.  4 days ago I started to see some signs that I might have the logic board failure problem.  Very random, not serious, and not too often but none the less what has been reported.  I went into the Apple store for another minor issue and mentioned it so that they could make note of it as being reported 5 days before my extended warranty is up.  He asked me some questions about it and immediately said that they wanted to replace my logic board.  Even if the decision was not to replace it at that time the fact that I reported it within my warranty time period would have covered it later.  So no computer for a few days but I'm very pleased with the service.  However, it is worth noting that all 3 of my 2010 to 2011 MacBook Pro's have now had the logic board fail.  So even if the fix only lasts a few months it at least buys me more time.

Same problem here today, Macbook Pro Early 2011 logic faliure.

I took it to the Genius bar in Buenos Aires, Argentina, told me that the issue its only possible to fix it with a logic board replacement(u$s2500 here in Argentina, six month to receive the ne logic board). The Apple Reseller, Argentina, ask Apple to a replacement without charge every time they received a mbp with this issue and Apple refuse to replace the component(7 mbp last month only in one store)

Im very sad and furious about this planned obsolescence.

I know how you feel but I don't think it was planned.  I suspect the bad component is so pervasive in so many computers that they just fix them as they can under warranty and if you don't have the warranty in place then you have to pay.  But I do think Apple has failed their customers in this regard.  A faulty logic board that is impossible to diagnosis before it fails is not the fault of the consumer.  We deserve better.  Where is Steve Jobswhen you need him?

Anyway I hope my fix will last another couple of years.  These are just too pricey to replace on a regular basis.

Hang in there.  More and more are showing up every day.  Perhaps the problem will get so huge that some consumer action will help us all.

Yeah I agree it's very unfortunate for us the consumer, but good for the coffers of Apple I suppose. In all honetly it's completely soured my taste for Apple. I loved my MBP, but financially it's not worth it to pay primium for a product that doesn't last. I don't see how Apple doesn't acknowledge the problem. There is another thread in this forum with close to a half million views and over four thousand posts all concerning this issue. If that's not a defect then I don't know what is.

There are hundreds of consumers with the same issue, an issue with a -brand new computer price- replacement cost in a computer with less than three years old.

With no signals of actions from Apple to revert this situation, and if the -planned obsolescence- pattern is not the case for you, I believe that this situation has negligence. As a consumer, why I need to loose money and time fighting against a corporation? I cant wait for a solution, a computer is a work tool that I need tomorrow morning.

Same problem here. Not a surprise, right? Macbook Pro 15" Late 2011, logic board failure.

I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina as well. The computer has 2 years and 5 months of carely usage at home.

I took it to the official technical support. The guy said to me: "Unfortunately it's normal. Mac's been making this kind of mistakes for a while. I don't know what to say to you, cause if you buy a new logic board (which costs u$s1000 in my country, and takes 2 months to arrive), I can't guarantee it's gonna last. It's Mac's fault, it's a shame. You should call to the US AppStore and tell them".

And that's what I did. I spoke with a Mac Genious for 40 minutes. Of course he offered me NO solution, just a "We feel really sorry Sr. We've got your serial number, we've been searching through our data base and there are no similar problems reported. Again, we understand and feel really sorry".

Again, yes, AGAIN. Because the same logic failure happened to me with a Macbook Pro 15" 2008.

I remember by that time Apple still used to recognize their mistakes and offered a logic board change for free, if your laptop wasn't older than 3 years. As mine was 3 years and 3 months when the failure appeared, I've had to hear the same "sorry Sr." I've heard last week. That's why, by that time, I decided to buy a new Macbook Pro. Yea, the same peace of garbage I own today.

So here I am, feeling sad and angry. Lot of wasted money and time. Still waiting for an answer, still waiting for a solution.

Come back Steve.

Well....I've posted earlier and my MacPro went in for a logic board replacement.  It was sent back to TN on a very late Thursday and it was back by Sat morning...hmmm.  Guess what...it failed 7 days later.  Now they say I have a graphics card issue and it will be replaced.  But I'm pretty sure they already put new video chips in it as the old Invidia chip is gone.  But I'm without a computer for awhile again.  Thank God I had Apple Care!  Now since I initiated it the last week of my AC it will be done again without charge. 

But I have to agree....you can't get them to own up to the problem. 

But I also have to say that they have treated me promptly with great sincerity to see that the problem is fixed.  It's up to me to make sure I keep the ball rolling within the 90 days of the repair warranty.  Little glitch and it'll be back to them very fast.

Same problem. I have an Early 2011 15'' Macbook Pro whose screen starting going grey in February and would boot up stuck on a grey screen or a grey screen with reddish-purplish pixels. I took it in and was told that it was a logic board failure and would cost around €585.00 ($810.00) to replace. I did not purchase AppleCare. I've been told that I might as well just wait until a new model comes out. I'm trying to get by in the interim with a borrowed original early 2008 Macbook Air running Mountain Lion, but it's frustratingly slow at times and I often have to shut down the internet browsers (Safari or Chrome) and relauch due to frequent crashing.

Until yesterday I'd considered possibly purchasing one of the new Macbook Airs instead, but appearently Apple decided to release them without Retina displays. So unless another Macbook Air is released towards the end of this year (highly unlikely, right?), I guess I'll have to wait until a new Macbook Pro is released.

Here you can find 2000+ Mac users with the same problem.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4766577?start=4695&tstart=0

Best

Yes drewfisk, you describe what it looks like well.  I get that and if you look closely it looks like it's snowing.  Then I get all sorts of weirdness like my home screen splits in two and ghosts itself.  I actually took photos of it as it happened as I had my camera on my desk at the time.  I also took some screen shots but I don't know if those turned out because I can't get the thing to boot up without the problem anymore.  This ia all after a logic board replacement.  Now it's happening everyday.  So they will be replacing the graphic chips which to my mind, they should have done anyway.  What really bothers me is that 3 of 3 Apple computers in my family have now failed.  Mine was the only one with Applecare.

Diane1349, your post reminded me that I once experienced the split screen as well! It was a scary, but undeniably interesting experience when it happened.

After reading some of the posts on the thread Pequelord referenced, it sounds like replacing the graphics card could be a possible solution, but no guarantee that it would fix the problem. And since my early 2011 Macbook Pro is not under Apple Care warranty, I'm concerned about paying a substantial sum for a potentially temporary fix. Thus, I'm still leaning towards waiting for the new Macbook Pros to appear...