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MacBook Pro recall
#51907 06/26/19 07:23 AM
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Hah!

After making an appointment to bring my MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) to the Genius Bar today to get a bulging battery replaced (60 days after my AppleCare expired...I just wasn't paying attention frown mad ) I just found out that Apple announced a recall on this particular MBP's battery a few days ago and that mine may be an affected machine.

If you've got the same model MBP, you can check your status at 15-inch MacBook Pro Battery Recall Program - Apple Support

More: I happened to stumble on the recall while I was looking for something else, so I"m wondering how I was supposed to know about if that hadn't been the case.

Anybody know?

Last edited by artie505; 06/26/19 09:28 AM. Reason: More

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Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #51908 06/26/19 12:46 PM
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I've been seeing articles on the battery recall issue for the mid 2015 MBP for a few weeks now.....do a Google search to see what you've been missing.


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Re: MacBook Pro recall
MacManiac #51911 06/26/19 02:09 PM
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I found out about the recall via an unrelated Google search, and with the recall, I don't need to do any more searching, but how are people like me who don't follow the Mac publications at all supposed to know about things like this?

Apple knows which machine I've got; why don't they send out notices like the car companies do?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #51916 06/26/19 08:35 PM
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blush crazy confused ...economies of scale?


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Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #51917 06/26/19 10:23 PM
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A DuckDuckGo search turned up several mentions of the recall in various business publications, MacRumors, EnGadget, Apple Insider, 9 to 5 Mac, Apple Insider, Mashable, Wired, The Guardian, and so on, for several pages even including some local TV stations, so the news was out there. (Although I didn't find any reference in the Apple News app.)

But your point is well taken, but how were you supposed to be notified about the recall? Auto manufacturer's have the advantage that vehicle ownership and transfer records are maintained by the state and county governments in order to levy sales and property taxes. I don't think anyone would want that for our computing devices. Not everyone registers their computer with Apple and far fewer notify Apple or take any action to remove said computer from their account when they sell or junk it. I suspect a substantial number of Apple owners do not have an Apple ID and a significant portion of those that do, don't know what it is or why they have it.

Apple did make a press release, but in reality it was primarily reported only in the business and technology press — and one station in Cupertino. Widely read general circulation news magazines such as Time and Life are essentially a thing of the past and an announcement like that is unlikely to make the either the national or local television news. It is the kind item that might make the Late, Late, Late, news on the local PBS station. It would be picked up in the business or technology section of the New York Times, The Washington Post, or the Los Angeles Times but as influential as those newspapers are their readership is primarily local and only a few read from cover to cover.

Apple could have sent an email to everyone with an Apple ID, but unless Apple is in every Apple owner's contact list a huge percentage of those would end up in the Spam folder, trash folder, or simply ignored. (I need to add Apple to my contacts.) Given there are several million more iPhone users than Mac users, any blanket emailing to Apple Account holders would very likely have created confusion and distress among millions of techno-phobic iPhone and iPad users.

My personal solution for keeping up with this kind of information is a subscription to OS X Daily's daily email — which is a very brief description of the day's topic(s) and a link to the full article(s). It takes only a second or two to scan the email and decide if it is pertinent to me or not and then I can either delete it or explore it further. (That is how I found out Catalina and iOS 13 public beta were out.) Another resource is MacRumor's Notifications. They send a notification any time an article, even a sideline, is posted. This can be too much, for example I have had to notifications since 9:45 this morning. Let that go too long without pruning the list and it can get to be unmanageable.


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Re: MacBook Pro recall
joemikeb #51924 06/28/19 06:06 AM
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I've got an Apple ID, and Apple knows precisely which MBP I've got; there's absolutely no reason for them to have not emailed me!

The story: I screwed up and allowed my AppleCare to expire back in April without realizing that my battery was bulging, and it turns out that an out of warrantee battery replacement would have cost me $475/battery + $100/labor + $51.03 tax = $626.03, but I lucked out, and my MBP fell under the recall. smile

WHEW!!!

Had I been stuck for the big number, I'd have opted for MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2015 Battery Replacement with, needless to say, my heart in my throat.

More: I don't get it!

I just found mac Repair - Official Apple Support, which says that an out of warrantee battery replacement for my MBP should have cost $199.

Anybody got a clue?

Last edited by artie505; 06/28/19 09:15 AM. Reason: More

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #51925 06/28/19 12:46 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Anybody got a clue?
  1. Your MBP was fixed under a recall which superseded the normal out of warranty battery repair
  2. The recall covered all the specified MBP models regardless of their Warranty status
  3. The Genius and/or the Store Manager exercised their authority to make the repair under the recall.
FWIW I have seen all of these cases over the years. Apple generally takes the attitude that customer satisfaction overrides cost considerations.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: MacBook Pro recall
joemikeb #51927 06/28/19 03:21 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
Anybody got a clue?
  1. Your MBP was fixed under a recall which superseded the normal out of warranty battery repair
  2. The recall covered all the specified MBP models regardless of their Warranty status
  3. The Genius and/or the Store Manager exercised their authority to make the repair under the recall.
FWIW I have seen all of these cases over the years. Apple generally takes the attitude that customer satisfaction overrides cost considerations.

Thanks for the insights.

Not that I'm complaining; a free ride is a free ride. But it IS curious.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #51933 06/30/19 06:00 AM
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It's occurred to me that I got really lucky, because had I been on top of things and made my appointment at the Apple Store a week earlier, when I was already aware that my battery was bulging, I'd have paid the $199 (battery) + $100 (labor) + $27 (tax) = $326 and been stuck with it, because the recall wouldn't have been announced yet, and there doesn't appear to be any consideration for batteries replaced prior to its announcement.

Whew!

(Downside: I borrowed a MacBook Air to use while my MBP is on holiday, and after using the click-anywhere haptic trackpad, its top/bottom trackpad is infuriating.)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #51934 06/30/19 07:53 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
(Downside: I borrowed a MacBook Air to use while my MBP is on holiday, and after using the click-anywhere haptic trackpad, its top/bottom trackpad is infuriating.)

Other than top/bottom trackpad, what did you think of the MacBook Air?


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: MacBook Pro recall
joemikeb #51936 07/01/19 07:10 AM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Other than top/bottom trackpad, what did you think of the MacBook Air?

As can be seen from their comparative specs, that question is unfair to "my" MBA.

I guess the fairest answer I can give you is that in a pinch, one of which I happen to be in at the moment, it's adequate, but after my MBP, only barely so, its slooow speed, comparatively "blurry" screen, and infuriating trackpad being major negatives.

The one positive thing I"m getting from using it is that I won't be totally unhappy when economic reality eventually forces me back to a 13" screen.

To be complete, I added in the specs of the current equivalent MBA, and as you can see, there's not heck of a lot of uptick: processor speed is faster, and I assume that the screen is at least somewhat better...same resolution, though.

Bottom line is that I'd find even the current top of the line (T.O.L.) MBA inadequate...maybe not necessarily for my needs, but certainly for my wants.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #51939 07/01/19 02:24 PM
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Thanks for that analysis!


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: MacBook Pro recall
joemikeb #51968 07/03/19 10:29 AM
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I guess I should append my analysis to say that I certainly see a need for MacBook Airs as viable low end solutions for people who either won't know or won't care about what they're missing, and as backup machines.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: MacBook Pro recall
joemikeb #52015 07/07/19 08:10 AM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
Anybody got a clue?
  1. Your MBP was fixed under a recall which superseded the normal out of warranty battery repair
  2. The recall covered all the specified MBP models regardless of their Warranty status
  3. The Genius and/or the Store Manager exercised their authority to make the repair under the recall.
FWIW I have seen all of these cases over the years. Apple generally takes the attitude that customer satisfaction overrides cost considerations.

It turned out that the answer is "None of the above."

When I got my MBP back, the final bill was not for $199+100, and not for $475+100, but for $210+100. Go figure. crazy

The extra $11 may have been because Apple replaced my top case in addition to my battery, but $11 seems awfully little for that to have been the case.

They cleaned my screen cleaner than it's been since the instant I unboxed my machine, and considering that I've gotten machines back with Apple-inflicted damage, that's over the top! smile

Aside: I'm not so sure about that 13" screen any more, but if (when frown ) the time comes I"ll look at a 13" machine with a retina display.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #57426 12/24/20 04:49 AM
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I posted in another thread that I'm going to have to take my mid 2015 MacBook Pro in for service because of a video problem. I just noticed that the computer is not sitting solidly on the desk. It's rocking back and forth. Sure enough, the bottom of the case is bulging. I'd checked last year to see if my MacBook was one of the affected ones, and Apple's site said no, it wasn't in the range of serial numbers. I wonder if there's a hidden warranty for these, even if they weren't in the list.


MacBook Pro 15" (2015)
Sierra 10.12.6
Re: MacBook Pro recall
Bob_00001 #57428 12/24/20 04:57 AM
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I had the same MBP and the same bulging battery issue, and although Apple's website was ambiguous, when I brought it in to the Apple Store the genius replaced the battery almost without looking.

Give it a try in the store: play dumb, and maybe you'll get lucky.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #57429 12/24/20 05:05 AM
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That was my thought too. I doubt that they would like to be the target of a lawsuit if the computer catches fire, after saying that it's not covered.


MacBook Pro 15" (2015)
Sierra 10.12.6
Re: MacBook Pro recall
artie505 #57476 12/29/20 06:40 AM
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Just curious. When you took your MBP in to get the battery replaced, were you having any other problems with it?
Four days ago, the display on my MBP started acting up. Every few seconds the image would jump down and then back up again. That's what made me have a closer look, and I noticed the bottom of the case was bulged out. I was wondering if the bulging batteries had put some mechanical stress on one of the circuit boards and caused the video problem.


MacBook Pro 15" (2015)
Sierra 10.12.6
Re: MacBook Pro recall
Bob_00001 #57477 12/29/20 09:27 AM
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I don't remember having had any issues other than the bulging battery, but over the years, I've read any number of posts by users who've experienced issues that resulted from bulging batteries putting pressure on other components, so it's altogether possible that your video issue is related.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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