Design fault? 27" 2013 iMac stand just gave up!

There are a few (in relation to sales numbers) reports of it in this forum, it suggests a part defect rather than a design flaw. Apple will repair it it free of charge but it will need to go to them. Your IT dept may have other resources.

Just happened to mine, exactly as described. I was standing outside my office when I heard a loud cracking sound. Nothing seemed to be amiss. The next day when I turned on my iMac, I noticed that the screen was shoe gazing, and could not be tilted back up. Luckily I bought an extended warranty at the time of purchase, so I can bring it in for repairs at the nearby Apple Store. Expecting repair to take at least a week.

Thanks for chiming in and it ***** that it happened but I am not sure about your claim that there is no repair program. Many of us here have indeed had a free, out-of-warranty repair performed that includes an improved part that should prevent a recurrence. If you have been denied a repair, perhaps refer them to this thread because there is plenty of evidence that there is indeed a quality program in place for this issue. Good luck!

The part came in. It took me a week to bring the iMac to the Genius Bar, since I rely on the beast for my work. They said the repair would take 3-5 days. They got it late Saturday morning. They called me to say it was done late the next day. All is well, and Apple has again exceeded expectations.

I bought my 27'' iMac in February 2014 and last week the screen flopped. Looking on line for a solutions - is there screw I could tighten or what? - discovered lots of people with the same problem and an excellent video showing strong metal springs supported only by 2 plastic washers almost certainly destined to fail within a short time. Definitely a stupid design fault which Apple so far - refuse to admit or to rectify free of charge.

My local Apple store in Glasgow is currently closed for renovation, but the Apple repair centre nearby want £99 to 'investigate, repair if possible and to completely overhaul my machine and software'. To repair the fault means taking the back off the machine - risky, they say! Nothing they can find from Apple admitting to this problem.

My machine doesn't need overhauled, it's fine. I will wait until Buchanan Street re-opens and try again to get some sense from Apple.

I covered a brick with matching curtain fabric to use as a doorstop. It fits perfectly on the the mac stand and holds the screen in any position I want. I will leave it there until I can get the hinge fixed either free of charge or at a sensible cost - certainly not £99 to have the same fault happen again in a few months!

I loved Apple machines, but recent so-called upgrades have been down-grades as far as I am concerned - useful editing functions removed and unnecessary fancy stuff and gimmicks marketed as 'improvements'. Still no 'delete all' emails on my iPhone..... Please get your act together or find someone on the same wavelength as Steve Jobs. These machines are tools not toys.

phoned Braehead today, but while waiting (they said 5 minutes) because it was a technical issue, I got put through to Ireland. Lovely guy, checked and said since mine was a late 2013 model (bought February 2014) it would be repaired free of charge and he got me an appointment for next Tuesday (April 6th).

I hope I don't have to do without my machine for 5 days!!

I will let you all know how I get on, but if this info is correct, if anyone has a late 2013 model, do ask ab out about a free repair - but it should be free for everyone when this fault is so common. Bad show Apple, there should have been a recall.

Same same. 2011 27" iMac. snap then droop.

Quickest solution is two champagne or wine corks with one end cut at a slight angle. place them between stand and monitor back one on either side just above the round hold in back of stand. move up or down to adjust tilt. the fake corks may not have enough friction.

A slightly more permanent but removable solution would involve a drop of hot glue on each end. But I'm too busy for that right now.

Soaking of corks not required.

Hi all, thanks to those who responded to my moan about the broken screen hinge on my 27'' iMac. The brick paviour worked a treat and would have stayed permanently if I had not been able to get a satisfatcory repair. Chanpagne corks and sponge balls are not my scene!

After being told by Apple that since it was a late 2013 machine, it would be repaired free of charge, I took the machine to the Apple shop in Glasgow Braehead 2 days ago, and the Genius Bar confirmed the repair. The charge is indeed £54 or thereabouts (no mention of additional cost for part or labour) but it was explained to me that they needed my agreement to pay this before the repair could be authorisedt, but on collection, that cost would immediately be refunded, so no actual money would change hands.................... I can see some logic in this, but they needed a signature as well............

I'm not really expecting a problem, in view of all the correspondence on line, Apple definitely know about this fault.

Apart from the cost, my concern is that if the hinge is replaced, the same thing is likely to happen again... and again...... Nowhere have I seen anything to say that Apple have replaced these unsatisfactory plastic discs with something more durable.

And why only on late 2013 onwares machines?

It wasn't easy getting the heavy machine to Braehead Apple - the shop is in the depths of a large shopping mall quite a distance from the carpark. The Buchanan Street store is in a pedestrian precint. Life isn't easy for big Apple users!

I had this happen to me mid 2014, (on a late 2012 model bought in mid 2013) about one month after the 1 year warranty expired. I never took out Apple Care either, so thought I was doomed, and just tried to forget about it. But I recently contacted Apple Support (and surprisingly got through even though I had to provide my iMac serial to proceed). Anyway I now have an appointment at the local Genius Bar to look into it (so far no mention of any pending charges). I think this is because when I spoke to Apple Support I told them the problem and the fact this is a known fault, and that regardless of being out of warranty with no Apple Care, I wanted to lodge a complaint about this. I also told them I was suffering posture issues (which I am) due to not being able to efficiently position the screen.

They put me onto a manager who happily said she would personally handle my case. She also advised that in the UK and Europe, there is some sort of consumer law that covers the mechanical parts if there is a fault in the build or design.

All this was prompted because I decided I was going to change the iMac stand to a 3rd party desk mount type stand, that uses a Vesa Mount to attach it to the monitor. The Vesa Mount requires that you remove the iMac stand, which is actually easier than I thought, but when I tried to do that I was unable to remove it, which I think is down to the broken spring mechanism. So this got me well peed off! and I decided to contact Apple Support and let them know my feelings.

I'll update after my Genius appointment, at the end of this week.

Mine is a late 2013 27" that was also out of warranty. The store on University in Fort Worth took care of mine at no charge. I probably would have paid to fix it though since it was already there as it would have only been $67 parts and labor. I don't know if it was due to me mentioning this thread or the fact that Apple is using a plastic washer/retainer to hold back a heavy duty spring but hey, they ate the cost and I left happy.

OK 42 pages of people, having the exact same error happening to there 27" 2013 version. And most of them happening when they are even not in the room. That is the definition of a design error! And think of that for each person finding this post, and writing in 1000 are silent!

Im going to see if I can get it fixed free of charge.

Picked up my iMac two days ago from my local Service Provider. Repaired free of charge even if the 2 years warranty expired in February. BTW, when I described the issue, both Apple Phone Support and the local Service Provider knew exactly what I was talking about: the service provider said it had already happened at least to another customer. Considering I'm talking about a reseller of a 50000 people town, I guess we could say that's probably a "relatively" unusual issue but not a "so unusual" issue..,

Apple sent me this proactively on their part. What's a little odd is that I did not actually pay for my repair. When I dropped my machine off, I did receive from Apple a work authorization for $67.41 in parts and labor. When I picked the machine up, I escalated the matter to the store manager and my guess is that he waived the charge based in part on how much I've spent with Apple, almost all of it at that location. Past experiences lead me to believe store managers do have some discretionary power in dealing with out-of-warranty repairs.

So my best guess is that the bot that's sending out all these emails is doing so based on work orders in its system, and not how those work orders were paid for.

Anyway, it looks like Apple is finally admitting the hinge spring failure is due to a design flaw, which would be good news for everyone who had to pay for this repair. If you do not hear from Apple in a week or so I would contact them and see what they'll do.

Apple will fix your computer at no charge, it's not a stand that is broken. It is a hinge that was made from plastic.

Please reference the following article for additional information. Apple is covering these repairs for computer up to 5 years old based on the article.

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/29/imac-broken-hinge-refunds-repair-program/

Cyber musician and others: based on my experience, I would recommend that you call Applecare now to make an appointment at your local Mac store, and grind on them about how this needs to be a free fix and refer them to this discussion. Otherwise, you may end up having to argue your case in store. I got a little pushback when I did that. I figure if you'll have two shots at making your case if you do it with Applecare when you make the appointment.