2011 Macbook Pro Logic Board Failure

Bob, electronics can last a very long time: Geos3 is a satellite with electronics and has been in space since 1978 and is still in use and there is much older telecommunication equipment from the early days of electronics that is still working.

Parts and design quality have a huge impact on durability; barring any hidden defect, well built electronics can last very very long, probably longer than our lifespan.

How long *should* they last is a totally different question:

- From a user's perspective, it should last as long as it is relevant; why buy again something that does its job?

- From a manufacturer's perspective, it's a cost / price / marketing question; you can't build something awesome that will last forever but that no one can afford, and you can't build something that breaks too early as well. I expect a $3000 macbook pro to outlast a $400 pc laptop, I think everyone with common sense expects it.

Let me re-post the list of computers I worked with and still have (I posted it a while back):

Atari 800xl : still works

C64 2x: 1 works 1 broken

Apple 2: works

Atari ST: works

Amiga 3x: all work

Mac+: works

Numerous PC: all worked until replaced with more modern; misc things broke but never unfixable

PC laptops 3x: all work (1 ibm, 1 compaq, 1 gateway)

Macbook Pro 1: dead gpu

Macbook Pro 2: dead gpu

Macbook Pro 3: dead gpu

Macbook Pro 4: working

As you can see, only one computer was really build like crap in this list. It is also the most expensive model, sold with the most hype and with the lowest durability.

The old computers outlasted their relevance; they're not useful at all today, but they still work without problem.

A MBP 2011 is still totally relevant to today's computing needs; it can handle all the common tasks that someone may expect their computer to do, the problem is that they are not reliable.

Bob, there is no reason trying to tell people to move on, that Apple did something, and ask why we expect more, etc.

The 2011 series was factually a flawed model, no good solutions were proposed and people are frustrated and are coming looking for a solution here.

The blame lays square with Apple where there were failures at every stages, from making the machine to supporting it.

There is no room to blame users since the problem is not their fault, and the computer is still relevant today; it's not like the 2017 version is ground breaking and people need to upgrade.

In short, there is no point trying to put a positive spin on this. It is a dark stain in Apple's history and that's it.

We keep getting told that this is not the place for complaining, but there are a few solutions offered in this thread (hidden between complaints) and that makes it a valuable resource for the other 2011 victims.

The 2011 is not outdated and the problem is not going away.

Ι was thinking if we all together file a complaint letter to Apple maybe they will realize how many people experience the same problem and decide to come up with a solution for our motherboard of Macbook Pro 2011

Extended consequences for product liability is based on products that do you bodily harm or set your house on fire, which this did not.

The company's actual liability in the US is for their express warranty. One year. That is all.

The idea that Apple is somehow obligated to give you more is not based on their obligations under the law -- it is magical thinking.

Regarding the lawsuits, the contents are public; there were several certified as classes and I belonged in one.

There is nothing in the documents that will change the current situation.

It followed the typical pattern: many users have a problem, Apple says that only a small number of users are experiencing the problem, then the lawsuits start and the 'small number' happens to not be so small, and they propose a workaround to avoid admitting they made a mistake. They're not the only ones doing that exact pattern.

The only 'angle' still open is that they said they would repair the units, but since the issue is a design flaw which was never corrected (it's factual since I have inspected units very closely), it could be argued that they never repaired them, but there wouldn't be enough people ready for that fight.

I suggest to follow the moderators' advice and use some of the solutions posted in this thread since there are some quality workarounds. Where I differ from them is that it has turned me into someone evangelizing all the local startups into not trusting Apple in general. But the advices toward the end of this thread are good.

Apple told me I needed a new motherboard out of warranty which I told them should not happen with laptop only 5 years old. In other words, a defect. I brought my laptop to a local non Apple repair shop who cleaned the internals and laptop started working again. You might want to have it checked just in case it's an easy honest fix. Take care, Tom

Add my name to the list of legacy pro audio/video users thoroughly disillusioned by Apple's policy regarding defective chip/logic boards, excessive heat and inadequate ventilation on these Macbook Pro 17's (2011) – laptops originally hyped and marketed to pro media producers. Our dissatisfaction and considerations have been logically and articulately stated in several threads on these forums – dismissed by an Apple leadership apparently more interested in share price than quality control in the manufacture of their products – a concept central to Apple Computer's original mandate, when statements like, "It just works," actually meant something. As is the case with many legacy Mac users, I have a "vintage" 2007 Mac Pro tower, now eleven years old, still running smoothly and steadily – powering a state-of-the-art audio production suite.

On average, ALL of my MANY Macs have run 10+ years without a hitch in their hardware systems. I have, by choice, upgraded hard drives and RAM and the occasional laptop battery. Never a problem. Though these older computers over time, no longer interface well with the web due to outdated browsers, etc., they still function magnificently as production machines and word processors on an internal network, as does my Mac Pro 2007 tower still running Snow Leopard 10.6.8, Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro and Adobe CS3.

By contrast, my $2500 Macbook Pro 17 (2011) functioned for about 3 1/2 years before it failed due to its defective ATI/Radeon graphics/video chip prone to overheating – in tandem with the MBPro's dubious thermal design. Apple's "repair" public relations program, replacing defective logic boards with new defective logic boards was not a reasonable nor proper solution for such an expensive device. No quantity of legal doublespeak nor sanctimony from this thread's resident Apple apologists can alter that simple truth.

Following my horrendous experience with post-Jobs Apple vis-à-vis the Macbook Pro 17 (2011), I will NEVER purchase another Macbook Pro nor for that matter, any Apple computer that does not utilize a modular design enabling the R&R of batteries, logic boards, hard drives, etc. I refuse to be held hostage by expensive, poorly manufactured, single-component products with severely reduced lifespans – all things being relative.

According to a class action attorney recently asked to take a look at this issue, Apple's impunity in this matter was emboldened by a highly questionable court decision several years ago which, more or less, let them off the hook:

"The original case, Marcus et al v. Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 14-03824, was dismissed by the federal court in Calfornia. This must be the reason Apple was subsequently emboldened to start ignoring the complaints and allegations. In light of these opinions, in which a judge essentially bought the argument that the plaintiff had failed to prove the products were not fit for their intended use because they worked for as little as 18 months, would preclude any chance of successfully arguing that Apple should be on the hook for later discovered defects in the logic board or the graphics chip or ventilation system, or for replacing the replacement parts that the court essentially declared that Apple was not obligated to provide in the first place. The opinion also references a Texas case in which a similar conclusion was reached."

The dubious precedent set, Apple apparently capitalized on the opportunity NOT to faithfully serve its loyal customer base – many of whom helped Apple gain its original, early market share back in the 80's. We were advocates and champions for the company and yet, our highly reasonable considerations have been addressed solely by politically correct Applecare supervisors robotically quoting policy regarding "vintage" hardware, or by the few obvious trolls and apologists on these forums clearly intent on protecting Apple's corporate interests and bottom line.

I have been contemplating the previously shared solution to "bake the board" though I hear it's only a temporary fix. So I am pleased to hear that 3rd party vendors like TekDepo are stepping up to serve Macbook Pro users, hopefully with some measure of integrity. Please keep us informed of your results from the TekDepo repair, so that we may too put our "vintage" Macbook Pro 17's (capable of running High Sierra) back online.

And now a word from our resident apologists...

Your best option is eBay. Seriously, you can find some good repair places for $100-$200. It's well worth it. Just takes patience.

andrewj44 wrote:

Will you or Bob The Fisherman acknowledge that everyone on this forum apart from yourselves are angry with Apple and have genuine grievances regarding the faulty GPU's and the way Apple have handled it. Why are you two the only ones who are constantly on the defense? Why are you two even involved in this discussion in the first place?

I can't speak for Grant but I am not on the defense. It is natural to be angry when a product does not work as expected. I offered a suggestion about how to contact Apple. Repeatedly posting here about an issue none of us users can do anything about is just a waste of time. Do as suggested and contact Apple about the issue. Posting angrily here in this user-to-user help community is not helping anyone to get any satisfaction about the issue.

they don't have the decency to handle the problem.

They DID handle the problem!

They extended the warranty on Macs with a very specific set of failures, that flunked the VST test within 4 years of the last possible purchase date, and agreed to repair them.

If yours misbehaved in a way that made it flunk the VST test a second time within that four year window, they agreed to repair it again. If it misbehaved again a third time within that four year window and failed the VST test, they agreed to repair it again. There was no limit to the number of times they would repair it.

But if it suffered some other problem, or would not power up, or developed a cracked screen, they never agreed to cover those. It had to run (and fail) the VST test. And when the four years were up, they were not willing to repair them any more. And shortly after that they went "Vintage", then obsolete, so that now there are no longer any parts available.

It is childish to play on semantics about whether ALL were affected or not; There were enough units affected that it triggered lawsuits in several countries and was enough to be at the origin of the, infuriatingly named, 'quality program' from Apple.

That someone has a unit that didn't fail is meaningless in the whole issue, especially since it's perfectly normal and expected for 6 years old electronics to still run; even my Atari 2600 powers on perfectly 35 years later.

By bringing up a unit that hasn't failed (yet, I dare to say), it does nothing to help the situation since the fact there is a wide scale problem has already been established and we're well beyond that point.

My 2011 MacBook Pro 15.4 inch crashed over the weekend and I took it to the Apple store in Columbia, MD yesterday, December 4, 2017 where they confirmed the logic board issues and supplied me with authorized service providers as well. I called 2 of the 4 providers who also declined to do the repair and filled me in on the entire scenario regarding the faulty machines as you describe in your original post. I asked why notification didn’t go out to 2011 MacBook purchasers and the simply stated that it doesn’t work that way. If I encountered the issue prior to the extended warranty expiration date and test confirmed the faulty part then they would have made the repair for free but not now. This is very disheartening and I am seriously considering against my better judgement going back to MS or Google based products going forward since I am now without a computer. This is very disappointing!!

When you see car manufacturers recalls and read them carefully, the cars involved are being recalled because you could be seriously injured or killed.

These computer malfunctions do not rise to the same level. There is no requirement that you be notified. If you had reported issues and presented your Mac for repairs within the original warranty period, it would have been repaired for free. Apple extended the free repair period for this issue for an additional year.

I am sorry you missed out on a free repair. There are work-arounds already posted above, and you should look into some of them, or move on. I do not speak for Apple, but I fully expect they have already done everything they are going to do.

Grant, I think in general it has been true in the recent years and the 2011 was just a cursed year.. Before 2010 data show that Apple reliability was just right in the middle. I have not seen any precise data for the 2011 models.

I had 3 Macs die of the same GPU failure and multiples "repairs" that failed one after another were performed; since one had 2 motherboards and another one had 6 or 7, that means I had 9-10 motherboards of that model die! It is statistically insignificant, but I doubt any company would be proud of that.

The original thread on these forums had over 12000 messages, and the subsequent (pre-lawsuit) petition gathered over 38000 signatures. It is obvious that only a fraction of users will be active, so this means the real number of concerned people is orders of magnitude larger.

This is not a small problem.

I recently just dealt wi the same issue this month. Went to APPLE store yesterday 3/26 appt 4:45 in Cherry Hill Mall. Same responses--"vintage" The computer started failing after the supposed updates from Apple that happen automatically. I upgraded to High Sierra last month to try and fix it.....Fails more. Crashes out of nowhere. Only option they said is to get repaired ..they gave me a number I am about call now. Will respond on here with the response I get..stay posted. Apple won't even buy anything back... My only option is to buy $1999....mac book. The refurb from 2015 is $1699...... This is outrageous. Apple is not so customer friendly after all. Ive been teaching for 18 years.... To drop money like that, is outrageous. So much for the updates Apple does to my computer...seems as though there may be more to their battery and phon issues..now they control business through their updates. Apple knew about these problems....and never once sent me a recall or e-mail or text to get it fixed or worked on.

Recalls in automobiles are issued when the defect is so egregious, that you could be killed or injured if it is not repaired quickly. Lesser problems are dealt with in the same fashion in the auto and the computer industry. There is no legal obligation to notify you.

Technical Service Bulletins are issued internal to the car dealer network. These instruct dealers to apply specific fixes, that the car company covers, if and only if a customer presents their current car with the listed problem. Again, there is no obligation to notify you.

Until recently, I owned a low-mileage pickup truck from 1985. I can assure you availability of parts situation is no different with automobiles. After a certain period, manufacturer's parts are simply no longer available.

So what you seem are griping about is "How long is long enough".

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Apple's obligation to you is essentially, to repair or replace at their option any parts found to be defective in materials or workmanship, of the duration of the warranty. The standard period is one year, and you could pay to extend it to three years. Counterexample: Spontaneous cracking of glass screens is so rare, that Apple simply refuses to consider it a defect, and refuses to cover it under 2011-era warranties at all.

Apple decided that some of these Macs were developing problems, and that Apple should provide some relief. They extended the repair options of certain groups of computers for a period of four years from initial release of these systems. Like a Technical Service Bulletin program, only users who presented their computers with specific complaints, and failed the Video Switching Test (VST), were provided any relief. That program is now over.

You are in the same situation as if your computer fell down the stairs. It is no longer covered by Apple repair programs, parts are no longer available from Apple, and yours is not working properly.

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If you want to make your Mac go again, look at some of the work-arounds I posted above.