MacBook charging cord smells like mold

So, I took the cable to the Apple Store a few weeks ago. The guy at the Genius Bar smelled it and immediately replaced it with one that did not have the smell. He said he had not heard of other complaints about this (though clearly it is happening to others).

Then my wife got a new MacBook Pro (different model and charger - mine is the 15" with the 87w charger and hers is the 13" with the 61w charger) and right out of the box her USB-C charging cable smells like mildew/mold too! She's going to take it to the Apple Store before the end of the week to exchange it.

This is really ridiculous. Kind of amazing that this happened to us twice over a couple of months. As a previous poster said, this is clearly a supply chain quality problem that Apple needs to address. I'm surprised that I haven't seen this issue talked about anywhere else on the web. Given the fact that it's happened to me twice, those of us on this thread can't possibly be the only ones experiencing this.

I just received my MacBook Pro today (3/16/18) and have exactly the same situation. Nothing else in the box smells of mold, only the power cable. At first I was concerned about water damage, but everything looks fine and the odor is definitely confined to the cable. I’m going to take the cable to the Apple Store and ask for a replacement.

Apple store replaced with same cord that was behind the Genius Bar. I had to drive in to get it. They claim that all cords are made the same, but honestly, I don't care what the issue is. It's just a supply chain problem that needs to be fixed.

I would like to hear what the rest of you are hearing.

Glad you came back with you findings. I shall mention this upstairs because while it could be an odd batch with one version of machine and charger, that there are now two versions would seem it could be more prevalent and may be a storage situation with the supplier rather than with Apple.

I have the exact same issue. MacBook Pro with 87w charger received in early March. My entire backpack now smells like mold. Going to make an appointment at the Apple Store as well. This has been driving me crazy for weeks. I was quite surprised to find this active thread.

I'm up to 4(out of 4) MBPros with the exact same problem. My local Apple business rep is willing to take care of it (kudos to the Louisville Oxmoor Apple store!). However, I do think Apple should acknowledge the issue and do something about it.

I did say earlier that I would mention the matter 'upstairs' ... and that I did. I'm told they will look into it and I'm sure they will, but these things take time; we could be talking about repackaging a large number of machines and who knows in how many countries. On the other hand it could a fairly local matter concerning a few warehouses. We shall see.

We just bought two brand new macbook pros and both had this exact same issue - charging cord has an overpowering smell of mold. Will go to the local Apple store and get the cords replaced. Obviously a widespread issue with the new macbooks and needs to be addressed by Apple.

I received my MacBook Pro 15" on April 18th. As soon as I opened the box i was greeted with the same powerful moldy smell. As others have indicated, it was the power cable. I left mine out of my bag, only charging at home, because it contaminated my entire ThinkTank bag. I thought the oder would dissipate, but it has continued. I went to the Apple Store on April 27th to see if I could exchange the cable... which they did, but the new cable has the same disgusting smell. The store management would not open an additional box. So, like others, I'm stuck with a smelly cable until Apple decides to do something about it. Seems sad to spend $3k on a laptop and have this as a problem. Come on Apple..... send me a new non-moldy cable!

Don't use the smell as a reason. The question is, the cause. And the smell of mould is potentially an indication of dampness. Here the reason to change.

I am experiencing the exact same thing. I have an appointment scheduled at the Apple Store for tomorrow. Did you ever get this resolved?

Hi,

Contact Apple Support or make Genius Bar appointment to tell them about the smell of cord and ask for replacement.

I doubt they accept your request, though.

Might I ask how it went at the Apple Store?

Can confirm. Exact same smell, exact same product. Am going to apple store today.

I’m just amazed - after my experience (2x!) and everyone on this thread - that this hasn’t been written about anywhere else. There must be lots of others who have experienced the same thing.