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

Gobstoppers,

Glad you have AppleCare, if you are in the US or UK and are within 50 miles of an AASP you can request in-home service by calling AppleCare. Worst case you will have to go in though, however when you get there ask for help moving the computer from your vehicle to the store.

Also, you may want to consider sending Apple your feedback (they don't read or participate is these forums) by posting at www.apple.com/feedback.

Good luck

My repair was $35 for the part and $39 for the labor, but it was covered under AppleCare, that is in Canadian dollars. Not terribly expensive for the time involved.

I would be careful about where the iDuck is placed, you don't want to block the vent in the back. I originally used a small piece of wood that got almost the correct angle and it rested on the top of the power plug so it never slid out.

Hi all,

Same here, after a "crack" sound, the screen falls down to his lowest inclinaison. I can't set it higher again.

I had the same Problem the last year (03 2014) and my Apple Reseller fixed it by changing some piece...

Now I'm not anymore covered by warranty. And I'm not sure, if they fix it again (and I will have to pay for this), that I won't encounter this problem each year.

iMac (27-inch, Late 2012)

Hola,

Desde Caracas, Venezuela.

iMac 27-inch, Late 2012. Comprada en febrero de 2013 en una Apple Store de Madrid, España.

Hace cerca de dos meses, sin ningún tipo de aviso ni estando operando el equipo, un ruido desde su interior se hizo sentir. Al principio por mucho que busqué no pude darme cuenta de qué se trataba, con lo cual no sentí que no debía darle mayor importancia. Solo dos días después, al sentarme para continuar un proyecto me percaté que la pantalla permanecía inclinada hacia abajo y que por mucho que lo intentara no lograba que se mantuviera o pivoteara en ninguna otra posición. Luego de buscar y preguntar infructuosamente en la web, hace unas pocas horas pude aquí al final encontrar las respuestas.

En la foto mi solución provisional. Espero.

Por lo que puedo deducir después de haber leído todos los comentarios, este problema parece ser bastante común alrededor del mundo en el modelo iMac 27-inch, Late 2012 ¿Por alguna razón en particular?

Muchas gracias a Mo-Fo por crear el hilo y al resto que con sus comentarios y fotos también han podido ayudar a otros. Ya tengo referencias para dirigirme a Apple y poder explicar el problema de una manera más clara y mejor.

Saludos,

Ignore the repair shop and take the machine to an Apple Store, not an AASP! Don't call Apple, simply make a genius appointment, request for a complimentary repair and if necessary show them this thread.

Hi,

Same problem in a late iMac 27 with little more than a year, Im from Spain. Called Apple support and send me to the nearest store, telling me is the first time they hear about this....again.

Arrived to the store, told me that as the imac is a company's computer, it has only 1 year warranty ?¿?¿, and I have to asume little cost. I said that was not happy with this but ok, please tell me how much, ONLY 430 €!!! Is this a little cost for a piece I barely touch?? Cant believed this

If I pay for this, is there any guarantee that this will not happen again in three, six, or ten months? I guess not

So I take my expensive one year old broken imac back home, will NEVER buy an apple product again, very disappoint for this.

Dec. 2013 27" iMac just went crack.

Will take it in tomorrow and I was quoted a 4-5 day repair.

Glad I found this thread as it certainly seems the fix should be on Apple.

Sorry so many people have had an issue but glad you took the time to post. Saved me a lot of sweat and tears.

Come back from Genius bar appointment.

I can add a small new info. The technician told me that the new spring they will mount is different from the one broken.

On one hand this means Apple knows. On the other that nothing will happen again.

At least, I hope so...

I know this is a fairly old thread, but still has replies coming in and more and more people having this issue. If you are out of AppleCare and Apple won't help you, please see my response in another thread here: iMac 27" monitor just keeled over

DISCLAIMER: Perform repairs at your own risk. If you are not sure you can do it, take your expensive iMac to someone who can.

Despite the title of the thread, what we're talking about here is a manufacturing defect, not a design issue. iMacs have had the same design for years, but appear to have only started experiencing this issue in late 2013. That means that they must have either changed the materials used for the hinge, or started purchasing hinge parts made from the same materials, but of a lower quality.

There is sufficient colloquial evidence to warrant demanding a free repair from Apple. That may only start happening after settlement of a future class action lawsuit. The "old Apple" would have seen the prevalence of this issue and made every effort to keep its customers satisfied by doing the repairs for free in recognition of both their own obvious culpability as well as the inconvenience to customers of lugging their iMacs to and from the Store. That's unfortunately no longer its corporate culture, just the theme of its marketing campaigns.

Then again, the old Apple wouldn't have cheaped out on parts and had this kind of manufacturing issue arise in the first place.

My 27" iMac screen just lost its ability to stay in position too. Evidently it was the thump I heard from the other room. Now it only rests tilted fully forward. This is obviously a design flaw as it seems to happen regularly. I don't have it located where I need to adjust the tilt very much. I'll be calling Apple today. It is just over one year old. guess I'll be getting some benefit from AppleCare.

I called Apple Support here in Milano and also send them via e-mail this discussion.

They told me that they don't know anything about this damage should be fixed free of charge. If I want I can bring them the iMac in repair–pay the repair–and if the receive an official Apple admission that the damage is a design fault covered by Apple they are going to give me the money back.

So I won't repair it.

My iMac is 2 years old.

I just went to an Apple Store in Altamonte Springs, FL yesterday, they told me there is no "quality program" for this problem, and that I will have to pay something around $120 to fix my stand. I'm going to try another apple store.

Happened to me too (iMac 27 inch late 2013). Repaired under warranty.

It is fine when I tested the hinge on pick up at the store. I was told the machine was diagnostically tested after the repair.

However, when I switch on at home, the display is now somehow pixellated, and the display preference only has 1280x720 (i.e. 720p) as the only "Scaled" option. It was previously 2560x1440 (default).

I phoned the apple store, and the advisor asked me to re-install OS X which i have done but still the same. He said phone again tomorrow if doesn't work.

As the store is quite a distance away, I am hoping to get this sorted without doing another 2 hour trip.

Any suggestions?

My late 2013 27-inch has grown progressively looser and looser in that hinge to the point that if my desk is shaken the screen will tilt forward. The design is probably sound, the workmanship might be questionable, but the materials are definitely inadequate. I have heard and read numerous accounts similar to OP's, so definitely not the first report of this issue, as someone else asserted. Perhaps not on these forums (doubt it, though). In my recollection, every iMac stand (and its hinge) has come under criticism.