Q: Macbook Air SSD failure?

No-one is demanding absolute perfection. Most people on this board are asking why Apple only provides a limited included warranty for such a major part and has a policy of absolutely no exceptions. Particularly irksome is that Apple's warranty is less than that offered by the same parts manufacturers when the part is sold directly.

Car manufacturers also make complex and large volume items. The car manufacturers with the best customer service ratings and re-sale values also stand behind their products with long term warranties and an interest in protecting their reputation by addressing customer situations. Apple's base warranty and no exceptions policy is the real problem here.

Extend the base warranty to two years on the SSD, screen and CPU and demonstrate to customers that you stand behind your product and that you are confident major components will not fail in less than two years.

No-one is demanding absolute perfection.

 

praeteritio

Most people on this board are asking why Apple only provides a limited included warranty for such a major part and has a policy of absolutely no exceptions.

What would be a feasible 'exception' to a manufacturer's warranty?

Particularly irksome is that Apple's warranty is less than that offered by the same parts manufacturers when the part is sold directly.

Samsung warranty includes remittence after one year. You are liable for 75% of the replacement cost within the second year and 50% of the cost within the third year if your SSD fails. Toshiba provides a one year limited warranty on their current client SSDs.

Applecare covers all parts of your machine for three years from the date of purchase, and you have the option to purchase it anytime within the one year base warranty. Oh, yeah, and Apple is providing a warranty for a computer, not an individual component.

Car manufacturers also make complex and large volume items. The car manufacturers with the best customer service ratings and re-sale values also stand behind their products with long term warranties and an interest in protecting their reputation by addressing customer situations.

The only thing car manufacturs and Apple have in common is both subject their products to extensive crash testing.

I am far from an Apple apologist, and you make me sound like one. It's a testament to the irrationality of your comment.

Add one more MBA SSD failure to the list. Just under a year old.

After a valient try at the Broomfield Genius Bar it was shipped out for repair with an expectation that it'd be returned on August 30th. However its status since August 28th has been "Diagnosing product."

I run my business on this machine and am already missing deadlines.

While I've always bought AppleCare (4th Mac) this is the first time I've put Apple service to such a test. I find Apple's lack of promptness, or at least of updates, very disappointing. Particularly if SSD failure on this model of MBA is not such a rare occurance after all.

Another failed MBA ssd hd herer. Mine failed last Sunday - I have to wait until next week to get my MBA back from apple which makes it 2 to 3 weeks downtime?! - luckily under warranty - still a horrible experience. I use it for work.

aussieinsf 

Particularly irksome is that Apple's warranty is less than that offered by the same parts manufacturers when the part is sold directly.

That is commonplace in both cars and computers.  When car mfg. buy X part for their car they take it upon themselves (often, not always) to acquire the mantle of X warranty / replacement service, in turn the car mfg. gets a discount for X number of 1000s of X parts for X car.

Same is the case with most all computer mfg.    The Air is incredibly simplex part-wise.

monitor, fan, battery, logic board, chassis, and SSD, other than $10 worth of cabling inside, the macbook Air is  for all intents and purposes a 5-part computer (not counting the chassis and keyboard). Making it very robust in fact, along with only 1 moving part.

Your having equated CNC machined steel car parts with micrometer level computer parts however is a false analogy not sensibly enjoined.

Apple does stand behind its product, and its service is #1 for a reason. Not to sound an Apple apologist, but having repaired laptops (non Apple) for nearly 12 years both commercial and private, Apples SOP (standard operating procedure) for service and warranty is second to none by a long shot.

Electronic devices do not have a very long warranty for reasons far far too long to list here, .....comparing same to car parts is a nonstarter.

However extended warranty per-1000$ on a laptop is 1/30th as much thru 3rd party insurers as that per-1000$ for a likewise car. As such once again there is no comparison.

One more:

My wife's ssd on her 2012 mba also failed.  It was 2 months past warrantee.  I called Apple and without much of a fuss, they extended me a one time coverage.  Perhaps the problem is starting to pop up enough that they are aware it might be an issue.

For those of you that have had your drives replaced already, I have a question: are they replacing the drive with the same Toshiba drive we have been having problems with?  To be safe, I will have my wife start using an external drive for all her important data, and backing that drive up regularly.  I anticipate the possibility that I might be replacing the new drive myself in a year (give or take 2 months).  So . . .

For those of you that have used the OWC drives, how is the experience?  Any install issues?  Any failures out there? 

Thanks

owc doesnt make HD

there are only 3 conventional mfg. of HD on earth.  seagate... western digital (dont get one)....and hitachi/toshiba

get a hitachi or toshiba (both hitachi made)

I can account for 2 more SSD failures on 13" MBA's, both from 2012.  The first was under warranty, my work computer, and the replacement was done free and quickly.  My personal computer is 2 months out of warranty, and so I will have to pay for it. 

I was told that the Apple Store in San Francisco has over 30 people waiting for new SSD's and the Stanford store has a few waiting for the same part.  There's no doubt a shortage on the part, and whether it's due to unforeseen demand or supply problems is unclear.  Still, it feels too coincidental when both of my computers, which are the exact same model, stop working within a week of each other because of the same piece failing. 

Adding another MBA mid-2012 SSD failure. Mine was just 2 weeks out of warranty and It's not repaired yet. I am not if I should go and fix it myself or should I contact to apple store.

Apple uses proprietary connectors for the SSD in the 2012 mba (not sure about other models) however OWC makes an SSD that will fit: http://eshop.macsales.com/search/MBA2012.120.  I don't know if you can order the Toshiba or the Samsung drive directly from Apple.  Unnecassary Proprietary parts is what may turn me off of Apple products in the long run. 

Ognar 

Unnecassary Proprietary parts is what may turn me off of Apple products in the long run. 

Why would you conclude its unnecessary?   Most mfg. of 'ultrabook' style computers contain nearly all propriatary parts, so thats no comparison.

The Air contains extremely few parts, ....other than keyboard, case, and monitor.......its just  fan, ...logic board, ...SSD, ...and battery (and a bit of flexicables).

proprietary or not, nothing matches or beats the Air for build, reliability, resale value, and of course the Mac OSX

... and ... now also from Norway...

My 2012 mba died 2 weeks ago.. closed the lid sunday evening... Went to bed.. woke up monday morning.. and it was just "white" screen..

tried powering it off... and on again.. and the disc was gone.. Went to the local applestore.. (In norway we have 5 years of RMA right.. not warrenty.. but a right if a part wich is ment to last longer then 1 year breaks.. as a disc is ment too)

... So, returned it to the apple store.. now, 2 weeks after.. "waiting for disk" .. earliest delivery 20th of september...

Sorry Mac.. this here sounds like a syndrome..... a discbreaksyndrom...

- atle

You may be right ONLY EXCEPT FOR MACBOOK AIR 2012.....

MBA mid2012 crashed a few days ago which is 1yr and 1 month old. Apple service center confirmed that the SSD had crashed and would need replacement. Luckily, Apple extended the warranty for one time repair. I do not know how long will it take to complete the repair due to parts are not readily available. I still like Apple products but really disappointed on this one.

Another MBA 2012 SSD failed on me today. My warranty ended last August and was told I have to pay $280 to replace the SSD drive. I am only a student and I have no way of coming up with that kind of money fast. It gave me hope hearing that you were an exception to the strict warranty policy. May I ask how you were able to avail the one time coverage? What should I say when I make the call? I really need help! Thank you.