Does a cracked screen void warranty?

bhodgesamc wrote:

Thank you. I understand cracked screens are not covered by warranty. My screen went black for some other reason. The repair would normally be covered under the warranty, but the Genius said my warranty was void and the repairs is not covered because the screen is cracked. I can't find that language in the warranty. Is it true that a cracked screen voids the warranty for other repairs?

See Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty, specifically the section about “This Warranty does not apply:...”

It would be up to you to convince Apple that whatever caused the crack did not also cause the screen failure. You say it was due to ”some other reason”? But you’d need to convince Apple of that. They will make their determination based on the physical condition of the device they get to see and examine.

Yes, any repair done out of warranty will either reinstate the remainder of the original warranty, or provide 90 days warranty, whichever is the longer period. Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty

“Apple may request that you replace certain user-installable parts or Apple Products. A replacement part or Apple Product, including a user-installable part that has been installed in accordance with instructions provided by Apple, assumes the remaining term of the Warranty or ninety (90) days from the date of replacement or repair, whichever provides longer coverage for you. When an Apple Product or part is replaced or a refund provided, any replacement item becomes your property and the replaced or refunded item becomes Apple's property.”

Cracked screens are not covered by warranty. If you have the screen replaced by Apple, your phone will still be covered by the remainder of your warranty. However, you will have to pay to have the screen replaced.

Michael Black wrote:

It would be up to you to convince Apple that whatever caused the crack did not also cause the screen failure. You say it was due to ”some other reason”? But you’d need to convince Apple of that. They will make their determination based on the physical condition of the device they get to see and examine.

Aren't the glass and LCD part of a complete screen assembly that would be replaced for the out of warranty screen repair price ($149+tax for an iPhone 7 in the US)? Of course there could be something else that's damaged that could cause a display failure, and the OP will need a full hardware diagnostic.

Yes, but I don’t understand what your post has to do with the OP’s question?

The original question was whether the warranty was voided - which it is by any accidental damage. Whether a screen repair alone, or an out of warranty device replacement will fix the issue is independent of that simple fact.

The fact is warranty is voided by accidental repair - what the specific repair fee will be (display replacement or device replacement) is a separate issue.

Michael Black wrote:

Yes, but I don’t understand what your post has to do with the OP’s question?

The original question was whether the warranty was voided - which it is by any accidental damage. Whether a screen repair alone, or an out of warranty device replacement will fix the issue is independent of that simple fact.

I get that. However, the OP seems to be saying that they want to void the warranty on the LCD (if that's what meant by the "screen suddenly went black") because there's a crack in the glass. But since Apple only replaces it as an entire glass/LCD assembly, they're not going to replace it under warranty since there's accidental damage to part of that assembly. It wasn't clear if the OP understood that they're a combined part, which nobody else mentioned. Apple's policy has also been that they don't proceed with any repair (even a battery replacement) if the glass is accidentally cracked, unless the customer agrees to pay for a screen replacement service.

I guess an analogy would be if I installed RAM in my MacBook Pro while it was still under warranty but damaged one of the sockets during installation. If the GPU failed, they might deny a warranty replacement of the logic board because part of it (the RAM socket) was damaged by a user's accident.

Certainly the entire warranty isn't void. But they're not going to replace a user-damaged part (which the entire glass/LCD assembly is when just the glass is cracked) under warranty. They should be able to replace the entire assembly for the out of warranty price unless something else needs repair.

Actually, yes the terms of the warranty are quite clear that any accidental damage voids the warranty - there is no caveats or clause about partial voidance or exceptions for specific parts. Once voided, the device has no warranty.

Michael Black wrote:

Actually, yes the terms of the warranty are quite clear that any accidental damage voids the warranty - there is no caveats or clause about partial voidance or exceptions for specific parts. Once voided, the device has no warranty.

However, as I understand it, if Apple replaces the screen and verifies there is no other damage, the device will once again be covered under warranty.

Michael Black wrote:

Actually, yes the terms of the warranty are quite clear that any accidental damage voids the warranty - there is no caveats or clause about partial voidance or exceptions for specific parts. Once voided, the device has no warranty.

They say that any damage caused by an accident isn't covered by the warranty. I don't see any terms that say the entire warranty is voided if there's accidental damage, and as a matter of United States warranty law no warrantor is supposed to do that. The warranty terms use "caused by" several times to state what the warranty won't cover.

But in the case of the OP's situation, it seems that the screen cracked first, then the LCD failed later. I was just pointing out that it's a single repair part, and they're not going to replace a part under warranty if part of it is damaged. But I'm sure they'd be willing to replace it for the regular fee.

And it's my understanding that if the screen repair is done by Apple or an AASP, the warranty for the entire screen is in effect for whatever is longer with the remainder of the warranty/AppleCare or 90 days.

There is nothing in US federal law that says a warrantor cannot set terms that voids the warranty - the entire warranty. The Magnuson-Moss act contains no such limitation at least on consumer limited warranties.

Any accidental damage potentially voids the warranty.

No. However, If you damage the screen by dropping it, anything else damaged may not be covered by the warranty.

If your screen is not working and it has a crack, the screen is no longer covered by warranty. You will have to pay to have it replaced.

Thanks for clarifying!